Samuel117 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi everyone, Imagine a country in which a citizen it is not allowed to become a pilot unless you are chosen one by the government and only as a military pilot. If allowed to fly even a crop duster airplane you will be monitored and will never take off with enough fuel to be able to defeat and fly to the nearest country. I was a citizen of a country like this for 27 years and I was born in Cuba. I always wanted to become a Pilot and even dreamt of building a small airplane. I even made sketches of how it would look like. It was a very difficult dream to have in a country like mine and instead I ended up becoming a medical Doctor. Because of my dream and the terrible situation in my country I immigrated to the USA 14 years ago and faced the reality of starting a new life in a very different country with my wife and my 5 months old son. It was easier to become a doctor again and then pursue my dream of flying and that I did. one day I saw an airplane almost exactly to the one I had envisioned. it was called a Drifter and until a week ago It was a dream. I found a beautiful Austflight Drifter on the internet and I had to have it. The owner a very nice guy from New Mexico, his name Justin Hawkins. I bought it on the internet and without seen the airplane or meeting the person before I wired the money and my trust in people is still intact, he went through to dismantle and sent the airplane to Miami Florida. Here with the help of a drifter builder and flyer Danny Amador we put the airplane together and tomorrow it will be my first Flight. I have to thank you all for all the good info about the drifter and I would like to invite any Australian Drifter pilot that visit Miami, Florida to go flying in this airplane as a way to repay for all the knowledge I have acquired from you all. thank you. Samuel Nodal. 4 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome to Recflying. Great story Samuel and I'm glad your dream eventually came true. In 1987 I bought the very first Certified Drifter sold by Austflight and had a fantastic time with it - here are a few pictures taken when I had just returned from an 8000Nm round trip in 1989. Mine only had the Rotax 503 ... Do you have any pictures of yours? Don't forget to tell us how your first flight was! Cheers, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi Allan, That's a very nice airplane that you have. This airplane is an Austflight Drifter modified with a Rotax 912 . I'll post pictures tomorrow after my first flight. If you ever come to Miami Florida you will have a Drifter to fly here. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 8000Nm it is quite a Walk About! wow! my respects to your Will. beautiful country on those pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Drifter Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 It is always good to see another Drifter pilot enjoying his machine. You can't beat flying them on a warm summers evening, or fully rugged up in the middle of winter. I have had my machine for 8 years and enjoy flying it as often as possible. They are and easy aircraft to fly and a capable cross country machine. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 That is what I call having fun. that forward slip to land was amazing. right now I have my son here babbling about your flight. thank you for sharing it with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeptic36 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi Samuel, Justin gave as a blow by blow description of the 912 conversion when he was doing it. You can find it here: http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/converting-sb582-to-912uls.49166/ Regards Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsor68 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 I'm a treetop flyer...a born survivor... I guess it rhymes... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnarly Gnu Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome Samuel & congrats on your new drifter. What an interesting background also! Whilst not a drifter flyer I like Florida very much, have some good friends in Central Florida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome Samuel, Great story and a damn nice Drifter you have there . We have recently purchased a set of Full Lotus floats to put on a similar Drifter to yours...We are currently seeking a main landing gear set up (retractable) for the floats, so it will be amphibious. Y0ur friend there wouldn't know of any laying around would he..?.....Cheers , Fly safe .....Maj....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seb7701 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Only one question- Justin, what are you flying now that Seabiscuit is gone???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Today it was the day! Sweet flying bird! Justin How could you? Anyways Justin promised he will come down to Miami to Fly his baby soon. Nothing like flying a Drifter. I am a very happy camper right now! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Normoyle Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 True love is " Flying in a Drifter", the only thing better is to make love while flying a Drifter ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M61A1 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 True love is " Flying in a Drifter", the only thing better is to make love while flying a Drifter ! Given that 2 in the front seat is going to cause CoG issues, I can only assume that this is "self love"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M61A1 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Mine is a wire braced ex-503, ex- 582, currently Verner powered one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 A black Drifter Hah! Looks great and ominous at the same time. Of course the blue seatbelt does the trick to attract women at the fly in. Smart move! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Hey Patrick I'll think about that possibility but I think I will try while the Drifter is still in the hangar. It will be safe and it is true in life you can not have it all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel117 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Welcome Samuel & congrats on your new drifter. What an interesting background also! Whilst not a drifter flyer I like Florida very much, have some good friends in Central Florida. If you come down to miami we can go flying in the Drifter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsor68 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Mine is a wire braced ex-503, ex- 582, currently Verner powered one.[ATTACH=full]26603[/ATTACH] How is the Verner engine performing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Vee haff Vays of making it TOK. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M61A1 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 How is the Verner engine performing? So far so good......I'm not ready to trust it yet, but then I don't trust any of them. It is a pleasant change to the sound of a 2 stroke twin, goes up faster too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farri Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi everyone, I found a beautiful Austflight Drifter on the internet and I had to have it. Samuel Nodal. Hi Samual. . Thank you for your story. I hope you have many enjoyably hours of flying in your Drifter. In 1987 I bought the very first Certified Drifter sold by Austflight and had a fantastic time with it. Cheers, Alan Hi Allen, Thanks for that! My Certified Austflight Drifter couldn`t have been too far behind yours! Still flying like a dream. I went up this afternoon, in fact. Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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