FlyingVizsla

Footage from Northern Territory News

Dave was to fly Timor to Darwin, but encountered 25kt headwinds and occasional cough from the donk, so he diverted to Truscott in WA, then flew to Darwin the next day. He is still in Darwin. Sydney Morning Herald did an article on him in May so they will probably cover his arrival too. He's also on Crikey. Fortunately there were some people (& media) to welcome him to Darwin.

Nearly there mate ...

Sue

Our local Elders agent used to say "If it floats, flies or fornicates ..." meaning boats, planes and bulls. Bulls you insure against shooting blanks, injury that prevents breeding, death, etc as they cost a small fortune to buy, sometimes more than the plane and the boat together and if they don't perform you can only sell them for pet meat (being too old and rank for humans).

Farmer Sue

Barcaldine (my old stamping ground) is putting on a welcome for Dave. The Mayor Rob Chandler will be there and offering accommodation and meals, the local pilots are also rallying. Depending on the timing I am hoping to get there too (4 hour drive or 160NM fly). Depending on the type of fuel - this may be donated too.

He'll have to dodge 100,000 fruit bats. There's 10,000 in one back yard alone.

Sue

The Darwin news article

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/08/02/251065_ntnews.html

Sue

Landed at Dawin International

Sue

Landed on Aussie soil (bitumen) at Truscott YTST in the Kimberley WA about 1:40pm EST. Was doing about 60kts over water from Timor. Good on ya Dave!

I used to be with a GA Flying School / small charter op, which shared the hangar with a LAME and GA charter, joy flight and ultralight business in the early 1990's when there were vastly more new CPLs than there were jobs. Anyone with less than 250 hours was uninsurable and therefore unemployable. Those were the days when "guaranteed employment" meant that when you finished your instructor rating they let you find students and teach them without pay. Some even charged their grade 3 an hourly rate to work for them to get those early hours. The young pilots working for the charter company were "contractors" who got paid only for the hours they actually flew, but were expected to man the office, do the books, wash planes, run errands, operate the bowser, full time. Once they realised they were only going to fly short town scenics and only when the owner & senior pilots were unavailable, they usually left or starved. I housed and fed two CPLs who worked for a shonky operator who didn't pay them for 6 weeks and left them to cover the plane hire too. They were terrible days for anyone looking for a career in aviation.

Another thing - do some research on the company and locality and alter your application to suit. This shows you are keen, have an interest, and better fit their employment profile. You might have to tell a few furphies to get there - telling a small operator you love flying C150's whale spotting, and telling the big one you really aspire to Dash 8 mine charters. We binned the ones that asked for a job with our little 2 man outfit "so I can get a job in the airlines ...."

Look at the CASA website for AOC holders and then look up the GA aircraft register (you can download it in an Excel spreadsheet) and search for the types of planes operated by the AOCs. Google and read the blurb about them so you can target the ones most likely to want you. LAMEs sometimes need a pilot to ferry aircraft - those that offer a pick up and return service - they are worth a try which will give you exposure to operators. Send the resume and blurb, be prepared to follow up with a phone call, visit if it looks promising. You may have to do one area at a time.

Good Luck

Sue

News from another forum .. David Sykes is all repaired and awaiting favourable winds for his Timor to Dawin leg. At this stage he plans to do the 800km over water leg on Monday 8th August. Dawinites - dust off your glad rags and welcome him to Oz.

Sue

When you do your resume include your other non-aviation skills. I got tired of low time pilots sending me a printed resume that told me nothing about them as a person but recorded every nano second in every aircraft they had ever seen.

Given that your first job will probably involve a lot of non-flying duties, the fact that you have done some hospitality work, love fishing, camping and horse riding, will tell me you'll be able to handle customers & money, fit in with the locals and enjoy your stay. It also tells me you may be able to pick up extra work which means not having to leave as soon as the flying $$s get thin, and you will be 'promoting' the business to potential customers.

Skills that are handy - customer service, tourism knowledge, business promotion, admin, rostering, payroll, cleaning, first aid, interests in popular topics (so you can chat easily with people), drivers' licence, etc. Include a photo (not a mug shot). Once you have given them a good impression you are half way to getting that phone call.

Good luck

Sue

Husband still hasn't received his July magazine. Contacted RAAus regarding his voting papers and they requested that I not photocopy my blank form for him, they will post forms to him. So if you are in the same boat, ring or email the office, ASAP, as time is running out, especially if you are interstate country (4 working days delivery & same return).

Sue

A boy has built a plane in his garage from scrap. The reporter says that he can fly it without a pilot qualification provided he does not fly over built up areas. The ABC news footage shows Mick Poole.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-01/refugee-builds-homemade-plane/2818326

Sue

Hey Aussie,

Not such a dumb idea! If you have a look around this site there are lots of posts concerning personal propulsion, from the Martin JetPac to body suits for base jumping (looks like a glider possum with webbing between arms & legs). There's pretty cool flying bike - well, two that I remember - the Hover Bike that's being tested now and a flying bike that's on one of the videos. I was reading yesterday about a flying jetski in the EAA magazine.

Were you considering some form of engine or relying on launch and thermalling / glide performance? The rise of solar and electric really has opened up marvellous possibilites. So - GO FOR IT!

Sue

Hi Jlm, from just down the road in Springsure. Are you learning with John?

Sue

Yep, perhaps blunt but 100% true...... However if I had to have a winge why is it that the banks only allow some ridiculously small number of chars for internet banking. Using Sues explainations above you could get "donatio" theres barely enough to put a full invoice number and rarely room to prefix it with inv..Given that storage capacities continue to rise exponentially for fundamentally the same $, I fail to underatand why the scroogy B's cant give us some room to write something meaningful to both parties....

 

Andy

Banks #%^#..... Sue

Ignoring the tone of the missal I can sympathise with the intent. I am treasurer for several organisations which allow members to do direct deposits and it is a pain when you get a deposit with no info, not even a name, especially if it is a membership payment and there are about 130 members with outstanding dues. If you write to all of them there is certain to be some who get annoyed because they "paid" and the treasurer should have worked that one out, and others who paid, then forgot and paid again. The only advantage I have is that we have only one bank in town and if it was made over the counter they usually remember who or can decipher the signature. Otherwise they have to get a copy of the history which can take up to 3 weeks.

The Show Society has an income of over $140,000 mostly made up of sponsorships, nominations and trade site fees where the amount and the intent can change - we write asking Bill Bloggs for a $50 sponsorship for the poultry section and he deposits $30 for Fine Arts - Most Points in Floral Display some months after and it shows up on my statement as IFS Sheds donation $30. Try matching that. At least with a cheque you get some more info like William G Bloggs Trading As IFS Sheds and usually a note saying what it is for or invoice number. Being a not-for-profit I have to reconcile and report each month and inform each section how much sponsorship & nominations they have and which adverts have been paid before we go and publish schedules and posters.

Sue

David Sykes :england:has arrived at El Tari airport near Kupang in Timor - next stop DAWIN - he could be in Oz Friday afternoon!

:aussie::aussie:

Will depend on the weather as this leg is 800km over water.

Wishing him Blue Skies & tailwinds.

Sue

David Sykes has left Bali and is in the air right now heading for Bima, Indonesia. Next leg takes him to Kupang on Timor, then the really scary bit - 800+km over water, Timor to Darwin. Hope some Trikers, RAAus guys are there to welcome him to Oz.

Sue

Hi Jeff,

How did you find the buying and importing of the Maule from the States? There are a few on this site who are toying with the idea now the exchange rate is so good. Did you use an agent, share a container, what was the CASA - registration experience?

Sue

Got my magazine today (husband is still waiting for his ...) and we have to VOTE! All the talk around has been that we didn't have anyone standing, so it was quite a surprise to find ballot papers. My husband knows Myles from years ago when they both worked at the same mine, I know him from his annual visits to the Barcaldine Club, but have heard little of him in the last 10 years. John I know from the forum, and both sitting members. But Kelvin Hutchinson, I know nothing. Knowing of people is one thing, but really knowing them and what contribution they would make (or made) is quite another. Not much time to find out either. I looked on the RAAus site and found nothing about the election - a bit of forewarning, rather than waiting for the magazine, would have been preferable. I am thinking if the magazine takes weeks to get here, how long does a ballot envelope take to reach Canberra? AustPost says 4 working days so I am thinking 6 days at least to get there safely.

Sue

David Sykes arrived at Juanda airport yesterday (Indonesia - west of Denpasar). He has a leg or two to go in Indonesia, then Timor, then Darwin. He could be on Aussie soil this week! His proposed landings are listed on his site and you can keep up with his progress on his blog and on Spot and donate to his cause (and his costs). Would be good if there is a welcoming party at each stop. I am hoping to get to Barcaldine to cheer him on.

For those who don't know - David Skyes became a paralegic after a motorcycle accident on his way to work in 1993. Initially did parachuting (until he broke his leg landing), then got into Trikes. Has done 29,500 miles in them. This flight is the first by an unsupported paraplegic in a microlight England to Australia and celebrates the 80th anniversary of Amy Johnson's flight. He doesn't have any support team following him around.

His Australian route is (from his website and subject to change) - Darwin to Tindal, Renner springs, Barkly Homestead, Cloncurry, Barcaldine, Charleville, Nyngen, Dubbo, Somersby before arriving at Sydney Bansktown - then one final leg on to Newcastle where the journey ends.

_

Sue

The story is here http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-22/helicopter-crash-in-sydney/2805896

Initial comments suggest weather.

Sue

Haven't got my magazine yet - where is the option for "I would but there's no candidate to vote for"? ie there's was no contested position in my State.

Sue

Just checked up on David Sykes' progress in his Quik (England to Aust) and he has been stuck in Kuala Lumpa since 7th July waiting for a permit to enter Indonesia. Probably the hardest part of the journey, waiting, waiting, waiting while good weather goes to waste. At this rate I may get my wish and be home in time to get over to Barcaldine to cheer him on his epic journey. His blog is a good read. Navigated 9,000 NM and then got lost in a KL shopping mall.

Good on ya Dave! Chin up - it will all come together soon.

Sue

Relfy,

Springsure is sending out a local nurse to start on the Charleville RFDS - she has been acting Director of Nursing at Springsure until the real one decided unexpectedly to return after about 2 years away. Be nice to Tammy - she comes highly recommended and we will miss her here.

I had a free flight on the RFDS about 3 years ago and the whole experience, including picking up a footy casualty in Moura, landing at Rocky, went seamlessly. Plane landed as the ambulance arrived and I was nodding off I was so comfortable. Lying in A&E waiting for a bed was longer than all the other things combined. The eerie thing was, I got evacuated the same day as his first wife, to the same hospital to the same bed (a floor below) and discharged the same day his first wife died. I put it this way. He put one in and got one out.

RFDS gets our donation for an awesome job.

Sue (the one who survived)

Welcome D-J - congrats on the licence!

:ecstatic:Love those smilie things too! Now what do you fly? Agree - Frank Farri's a gem & NQ is a great place to fly.

Sue