River

Gold Coast New Online March 14, 2008 12:25pm Update... Mates Find Missing Plane and Bodies A GROUP of friends who vowed to stop at nothing to find a lost mate have finally brought closure to the widows of pilots Garry Sweetnam and Andrew Mitchell. The eight, led by Mr Sweetnam's long-time friend, pilot Peter Gash, said they could not sit back and let the families continue to suffer, so they joined forces in a bid to locate the doomed Zenith Zodiac which crashed into the ocean off Narrow Neck beach on Friday afternoon. They set out yesterday morning, battling 2m waves and rough conditions. Mr Gash said the men did one dive and found some wreckage but no plane. Exhausted, they came up for air but something told them to keep going so Mr Gash said they did a second dive at midday and, exactly 23 minutes later, they had success. One of them found a piece of the plane and as he picked it up to examine it, he looked further ahead and spotted the wreck. All that was left of it was the engine, a steel rail, the seats and the bodies of the two lost pilots still strapped in. It was sitting on the ocean floor about 20m from the surface. It was a moment of both happiness and devastation for Mr Gash and the men. While he had found his friend, he had also confirmed his death. "Garry Sweetnam and I have known each other for a long time," said Mr Gash. "On Friday afternoon I flew over the top of Garry about a minute or two before he hit the water. "I was heading back (to Coolangatta) from Lady Elliot and he was heading north. "I heard his voice on the radio and he was happy as he always was. "I was back for about half an hour before I heard what happened. "We realised by Sunday that it was in a difficult location and the police were having their challenges with it in the conditions, so we decided to get together a group of people who might have had the ability to perhaps help the families, to bring them closure. "From the footage (of the crash) it was obvious no one was getting out of that. "We needed to bring it to an end. "We got the co-ordinates of the last known site. "Four of us went out on Monday in some pretty horrendous seas." While Mr Gash and his friends were diving, helicopter pilot Scott Menzies took to the skies to look for clues. "While he was doing that, he spotted an oil slick," said Mr Gash. "We worked around it but Paul and I on our own at the bottom with visibility at 2m or 3m ... it was pretty ordinary. "We didn't have a lot of success then and there but it's the old 'one step at a time'." Mr Gash said another pilot spotted the oil slick again on Tuesday afternoon. "It just reinforced to us that the oil slick was really there and that at least the engine was there," he said. They gave the police the information but rough conditions prevented them from searching properly. "So we put together a team of blokes," said Mr Gash. "Everybody here gave up their day, their time, their money, their fuel, because they are committed to the families. "We went out there with a really basic plan ... a bit of paper and a piece of rope, and we stayed with our plan. "On our first dive we found several pieces (of wreckage) which encouraged us. "We had enough air for one more dive. We went back -- we were all pretty tired. "As I went down in the water he (boatie Phil Tattles) said to me, 'Pete, just go off the anchor about 20 or 30m more to the southeast'. "That was the 20 or 30m that made the difference." The men were connected by a 40m piece of rope and as they made a sweep of the area they found the plane. "The objective was to find the fellas. The fellas were there," said Mr Gash. "We marked it, put a big rope on it and a buoy at the top ... and I said my goodbyes to an old mate. "It felt great. "The images of the blokes aren't what we saw. What we saw were the images of the family having some closure. "We felt we may have contributed in some way to ease some of the pain. "My heart was breaking for those families. "We just kept at it. "But, I have to say it was going to be our last go. "When I got out of the water I was so tired I could hardly use my phone. I didn't realise how hard I'd been working." They eventually found the wreck about 100m southeast of the site where the plane crashed. Mr Gash said he was beginning to believe a bird strike was behind the crash. "We think he hit a big bird and it just came through the cabin. "I think they were incapacitated very quickly." Their actions drew praise from both police and the pilots' families yesterday. Mr Sweetnam's wife Kay was too distressed to speak publicly of her loss yesterday but Mr Mitchell's wife Anita gave a brief statement. "They have been very generous and I thank them for that," she said of the men. "We've been overwhelmed by all the love and support we have received from family and friends as well as the hundreds of prayers on our behalf from our church family around this country. "I feel really blessed that we had our time together." Mrs Mitchell also thanked the water police, some of whom had worked in their own time to help find her husband and Mr Sweetnam. Acting Inspector Barry Day said police had managed to identify the site of the plane yesterday morning after days of searching with both sonar equipment and an underwater camera. "Some private divers who are friends of the family went out to that location and dived on the site prior to the water police divers arriving and fortunately located the aircraft and confirmed it was the location," said Insp Day. He said they contacted police who sent divers to the site late yesterday afternoon to finally retrieve the two men. "The discussions I've had with all the friends and family of these two missing pilots have demonstrated to us how very much loved they were in the community. "We have had requests from every facet of the community, wanting to go out there and dive on the site. "Most realised that they couldn't because of the severe conditions but these friends decided to brave the 2m seas (yesterday). "It's an absolute amazement to us that these people have great support in the community. "Our goal was to get the pilots back to their family." Insp Day said police were hoping once the aircraft was recovered, light would be shed on what led to the tragedy. "At first reports the aircraft has been damaged severely," said Insp Day. "In fact, most of the aircraft framing and cover has been removed leaving only the seats, engine and one steel rail that supports those two items."

Gold Coast News online Update... March 12, 2008 03:46pm Camera to aid search for lost men IT'S yellow, has a headlight, a high resolution camera, can operate underwater for hours and water police hope it will help them find the bodies of two pilots missing after a kit plane crashed into the ocean off Narrow Neck last Friday. The state-of-the-art, $75,000 Sea Otter underwater camera has been loaned to police by the Gold Coast campus of Griffith University. Water Police boss, Acting Inspector Barry Day, said it was hoped the camera could be used in the search. He said the police boat was over the crash site again yesterday morning and although weather conditions had eased from Monday, the sea was still too rough to carry out any underwater search. The water police have been in contact with weather scientists in Sydney and they have indicated that Friday is the most likely day to carry out an underwater search. "We are at our wits' end with the weather. I have everyone ready to go but we can't control the weather," said Insp Day. "But we remain committed to finding the aircraft and the men, and as there is little current movement in the crash area we are confident the wreckage will be in the vicinity and we are also confident that we will find them." Pilots Garry Sweetnam, 48, and Andrew Mitchell, 33, were on a 20-minute flight in the home-made Zenith Zodiac plane, as a check before an air show, when the aircraft plummeted into the ocean. Many Gold Coast pilots believe a bird strike caused the crash. Acting Insp Day said Griffith University experts showed water police how to operate the Sea Otter yesterday and they would test the camera near their base while waiting for the weather to change. Griffith University PhD student Darrell Strauss said the Sea Otter had a sophisticated electric motor propulsion system with two motors, for forward/reverse and vertical/lateral thrust. Mr Strauss said it was capable of travelling at five knots at depths up to 20m and was attached to a 76m cable. The system included a colour camera that sent images back to a screen on the boat. The university used the Sea Otter for marine surveys and had offered the equipment to police after Coastal Watch staff raised the issue, he said. Acting Insp Day said sonar imaging had detected some possible sites for the wreckage and these would be investigated as soon as the weather broke. Police believe the wreckage is lying between 12m and 17m down.

G'day Gav, There was a 'croppie strip' at S28 36.594 E153 10.203. About 5.5 kms west/west south of Nimbin. I doubt if it's still operational and it was a inconspicuous and minimalist strip. Reckon the advice of others would be your best option though. Cheers,

ABC Online News Homemade ultralight 'broke up during flight' Updated March 8th 2008 4.30 pm Gold Coast ultralight wreckage found on roofs Police now believe an ultralight plane which crashed into the ocean off the Gold Coast yesterday started breaking up during flight. Pieces of the homemade Zennith Zodiac - including parts of the wing, nose and windscreen - have been recovered from the roofs of buildings near where it plunged into the sea. Personal items from the two men on board - a 49-year-old local pilot and his 33-year-old passenger from northern New South Wales - have also been found. The men are still missing. Police Inspector Barry Day says the plane took off from Coolangatta Airport yesterday afternoon on a routine trip around the Gold Coast. "The aircraft has been in service for a number of years and has been very reliable," he said.

News Item from the Gold Coast Bulletin Newpaper... March 8, 2008 11:23am Two Die in Coast Plane Plunge TWO men are missing, believed dead, after their two-seater kit plane began breaking up before it spiralled nose first into the sea, 700m off Narrow Neck on the Gold Coast yesterday. Police divers will search waters up to 40m deep early today but there is little hope for veteran light aircraft pilot and aircraft engineer Gary Sweetnam, 48, of Currumbin Valley, and his passenger Andrew Mitchell, 33, of Murwillumbah. The pair were heading north along the shoreline in Mr Sweetnam's single-engined, twin- seater Zenith kit plane when disaster struck shortly after 4pm. Mr Sweetnam is married to Kay and they have two daughters -- Taylor, 14, and Shani, 10. A distraught Mrs Sweetnam said last night her husband was the love of her life. "He loved his family," she said. "He was a wonderful husband and father. He worked so hard for his family, to provide and to send his children to a good school." Mrs Sweetnam said her husband, an aircraft engineer, was at the top of his field. "He was a very respected man in the industry, a very well respected engineer," she said. "He was a very, very experienced pilot." Gold Coast City lifeguard Mark Pringle was in Tower 38 when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "I saw this plane about 200 metres high and seven hundred metres from shore spiralling rapidly into the sea about 4.10pm," he said. "It hit the surface very hard, stayed on the top of the water for about 15 seconds then sank. The whole thing just took seconds. "I called the authorities then radioed all the lifeguards from Broadbeach to Surfers and we had jet-skis out there in five minutes, but all they found was a shoe, a plastic bag, some other personal items and an oil slick marking the spot." Mr Pringle, who has been a lifeguard for 30 years, said he thought the plane would have sunk to the bottom immediately. Another witness, Canadian tourist Kevin Kish, said he was on the beach with his family when he noticed something red and white flashing. "It was about a 1000 metres up and I thought it had to be a radio controlled plane and then I realised it was real plane and it was just spiralling nose first into the water and I thought it had lost a wing," he said. "About half a second after it hit there was a big pop and it was gone, but although it had been quick it was a really distinctive plane." Airconditioning mechanic Shan McDonald was working on the roof of a high rise when he saw something white crash. "I thought it was a whale because there was this big splash and then nothing," he said. Other witnesses on the beach and in high rises told The Gold Coast Bulletin that it happened so fast they were unclear about what they saw. "There was just a a big splash of water and it was over. At first I thought it must have been a whale then I saw people running and jet-skis heading out," said a surfer who did not want to be named. Another witness, who did not want to be named, said he had been at the Southport Yacht Club when he saw a white single-engined plane with red and yellow stripes plunging . "It was just spiralling out of the sky with no smoke or anything. "I'd say the prop stalled," he said. "I thought 'if that's joy flighting it's not going to pull up in time' so I drove around the corner to see. "The plane was just heading for the bottom of the ocean and you could see where the av (aviation) gasses had leaked out of it." Police regional duty officer Acting Inspector Geoff Palmer confirmed that two men had been on board the kit plane when it crashed. "It was a local aircraft on a standard flight and at this stage we don't know what went wrong," he said. He said apart from lifeguards on jet skis, helicopters and the Water Police being quickly on the scene, there was little they could do. There are indications the plane began breaking up in the sky. Witnesses said they saw debris continuing to fall to the ground after the craft crashed into the ocean. Two pieces of light-brown tinted perspex, believed to be from the plane's windscreen, fell on the roof of the Southport Surf Life Saving Club. A third fell on the ground just outside the Southport Yacht Club in Sea World Drive. Police called in firefighters to help retrieve one of the pieces from the roof of the surf club before they moved to the yacht club to retrieve the third shard of perspex. One man watching the retrieval of the plane's parts worriedly asked reporters if the plane was a 'fixed-wing' aircraft. "My friend has one," he said. "Do you know if it's him?" Within minutes he received the news it was not his friend inside. "I feel sorry for who it is though. That's really sad." More pieces of debris are expected to be recovered in the coming days. At the crash scene, several rescue helicopters hovered overhead, working with a flotilla of boats below as the search continued for any sign of life. But as time dragged on, the search for survivors became more a search for debris and there was not much to be found. The Emergency Management Queensland and RACQ CareFlight rescue helicopters scoured the coastline around where the aircraft crashed while news helicopters hovered nearby. On the water the Volunteer Marine Rescue, Coast Guard and Water Police boats, and lifeguards aboard jet-skis, circled the point where they believed the aircraft sat on the ocean floor. At one point the RACQ CareFlight chopper hovered above a certain point for several minutes as lifeguards, wearing goggles and flippers, took turns diving down to search. But they were unable to locate anything. Police are urging anyone who finds any wreckage from the plane to contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. It is not clear what Mr Mitchell's role was yesterday, other than as a passenger, but Mr Sweetnam is based at the Gold Coast Airport with a company called Zodiac XL, which produces $30,000 kit planes. When The Bulletin visited the Zodiac XL hangar about 5.30pm, a female staff member said they were still establishing whether it was their plane that went down. The woman said Zodiac XL sold and maintained aircraft. By 6pm, a federal police officer had attended the Zodiac XL hangar, accompanied by an Australian Wings Academy staff member. A man from inside the Zodiac XL hangar then walked outside, visibly distressed, telling The Bulletin he had no comment to make. A promotional sign in the Zodiac XL office advertised building your own kit aircraft. People at nearby hangars said they had heard of the crash but did not know who was involved. Mr Sweetnam was also an engineer who certified aircraft for their airworthy certificates and was well known in Gold Coast aviation circles for his work with gliders and kit planes. He had previously been involved in Gliding Adventures, taking passengers on gliders and also Aerial Burials, which released the ashes of the deceased over land and sea.

THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK: 1. Innovative 2. Preliminary 3. Proliferation 4. Cinnamon THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SA Y WHEN DRUNK: 1. Specificity 2. Anti-constitutionalistically 3. Passive-aggressive disorder 4. Transubstantiate THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN DRUNK: 1. No thanks, I'm married. 2. Nope, no more booze for me! 3. Sorry, but you're not really my type. 4. Taco Bell? No thanks, I'm not hungry. 5. Good evening, officer. Isn't it lovely out tonight? 6. Oh, I couldn't! No one wants to hear me sing karaoke. 7. I'm not interested in fighting you. 8. Thank you, but I won't make any attempt to dance, I have no coordination. I'd hate to look like a fool! 9. Where is the nearest bathroom? I refuse to pee in this parking lot or on the side of the road. 10. I must be going home now, as I have to work in the morning. ;)

Pilot Error Cited In Crash Near Marine Base Sailor failed to tense abs to counter G-forces, report shows... :;)4: By Chris Amos - Staff writer Posted : Wednesday Jan 16, 2008 7:17:35 EST A crash that killed a Blue Angels pilot during an air show April 21 was caused by a Navy pilot making a sharper-than-normal turn to catch up with his five squadron mates and then failing to take steps to prevent blood from rushing from his brain during the maneuver, according to a report released Monday. Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis, flying in his seventh Blue Angels show, was attempting to rejoin a formation at the end of a Blue Angels performance when he crashed his F/A-18 into a wooded residential area about three miles west of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C. Those forces caused by the maneuver  6.7 Gs  were within the range expected for that maneuver, but their quick onset left Davis temporarily disoriented. Navy officials say the squadron’s culture of perfection contributed to the crash. “The culture of the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron is that they constantly strive to perform a perfect show, every show,†the investigating officer, Lt. Col. Javier Ball, wrote in his report. “I believe that Lieutenant Commander Davis was simply trying to meet this standard, just as he would have at any other show.†Investigators say Davis compounded his error by failing to flex his abdominal and leg muscles to keep blood from rushing away from his brain, as all tactical aviators are trained to do, investigators said. Failing to do so can lead to loss of consciousness, also known as blacking out, or loss of space and time perception, which they believe Davis experienced, known as a “grayout.†Investigators say they believe Davis never lost consciousness because he maintained control of the Hornet’s control stick until impact, attempting to right the aircraft until it struck the ground at nearly 350 miles per hour. Davis was found at the end of a debris field that extended several hundred feet. Rescue workers arrived within four minutes and attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene minutes later. Witnesses said metal and plastic wreckage  some of it on fire  hit homes in a residential area about 35 miles northwest of Hilton Head. Eight people on the ground suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Davis, 32, of Pittsfield, Mass., had been an F/A-18 pilot since 1999 and had logged more than 1,900 hours in the Hornet, including deployments aboard the carriers Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy and extended operations in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He worked as a Navy adversary pilot before joining the Blue Angels in September 2005. Capt. Jack Hanzlik, spokesman for the chief of navy personnel, said he had performed more than 100 training flights with the Blue Angels  including the exact maneuver that led to the crash. The Blue Angels were grounded for nearly a month while investigators studied the crash. Before Davis’ death, the most recent Blue Angels fatal crash was in 1999, when a pilot and crew member died while practicing for air shows at a base in Georgia. An investigation determined that the pilot likely developed tunnel vision because a recent rib injury kept him from flexing his abdominal muscles. After the 1999 crash, the Navy’s air training chief ordered the Blue Angels to consider wearing G-suits, which automatically inflate around a pilot’s legs and lower torso to prevent blackouts during tight maneuvering. Most tactical pilots wear them, but the Blue Angels do not because their sudden inflation could cause a pilot to accidentally bump the control stick  a potentially deadly move when flying inches from other planes during training and performances. Since the 1999 crash, the Blue Angels pilots have received a series of waivers that allow them to fly without G-suits. Those waivers, investigators recommend, should continue. Hanzlik said investigators recommended a number of steps be taken to prevent a similar accident in the future. Those recommendations included ordering Blue Angels pilots to complete mandatory weight training  after studies found that 10 to 12 weeks of training focused on muscles used during “anti-G straining maneuvers†can lead to a 50 percent decrease in blackouts  and yearly centrifuge training geared to the unique stresses Blue Angels pilots endure. They also proposed developing a G-suit that could inflate without risk of bumping the control stick and looked at relaxing time standards for certain parts of the show to take some pressure off pilots. But the best way to prevent these accidents, Hanzlik said, is to proprly use the straining maneuvers. “If you don’t properly perform this procedure, it can lead to a fatal impact,†he said.

FairfaxDigital News Online BrisbaneTimes December 28, 2007 - 6:41AM Crashed Ultralight Sinks In Lake A pilot and his passenger escaped injury after their ultralight plane crashed into a lake and sank in far north Queensland yesterday. The men were flying over Lake Tinaroo south of Cairns about 4pm when the plane lost altitude and crashed into the water. The men, both 39 from Cairns, were able to free themselves before the craft sank and they were collected by people in boats. Police have spoken to the pilot and a number of witnesses. Plans are being made to salvage the aircraft for a police investigation. The Australian Dec 27, 2007 Pair Unhurt As Plane Crash Into Lake THE pilot and passenger of an ultralight were lucky to escape injury after the aircraft crashed into a lake and sank in far north Queensland. Police said the men, both aged 39 and from Cairns, were flying over Lake Tinaroo at about 4pm (AEST) yesterday when the aircraft lost altitude and crashed into the water. They were able to free themselves from the craft and were rescued by people in nearby boats. The aircraft is expected to be salvaged today and will be inspected by police.

AVwebFlash Newsletter item... Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air" Heard at Lawrence, Massachusetts: Tower: "Arrow Eight Two Xray, slowest possible speed. Traffic ahead is an ultralight on a half-mile final." Ultralight: "Tower, we'll climb out so he can land." Tower: "Roger, climb and maintain 1700, runway heading. Arrow Eight Two Xray, cleared to land, caution, mowing in progress, right side of runway." Arrow: "Roger, duck under the lawn mower ahead and avoid the one on the ground. Cleared to land, Arrow Eight Two Xray." Who said GA pilots do not have a sense of humour... Merry Christmas 'team'

Thai Helo Pilot Grounded Over Unauthorized Recovery Operation Wanted Mushrooms For His Mother..! We're familiar with the call of duty... but the call of mushrooms? A Thai air force pilot has been grounded after he apparently landed his search-and-rescue helicopter last week, against orders, to collect wild mushrooms for his mother. Spokesman Capt. Monthon Satchukorn told ABC the air force has ordered an investigation, after villagers in Kanchanaburi reported the November 28 incident to police. Investigators found the helicopter in a rice paddy, but the pilot was absent. When he returned, he told the officers he had gone scouting for mushrooms. "The pilot will face punishment for abandoning his helicopter without anyone to look after it and also for violating other rules," Monthon said. "It's obviously wrong to leave the plane unattended for one hour -- it could risk terrorist sabotage." For the moment, the pilot is on a provisional suspension.

Of old dogs and Lightwings.... G'day Chris, Yes, very good point... :;)2: I ponder as to that myself too and asked via the 'old' RAA forum site when it was running but had no replies. Hmmm. Whilst it would be quite possible to improve the drag on the lightwing with the possible use of VG's the performance figures being spoken about did seem somewhat high on the improvement scale. It's always disappointed me that further development of the Lightwing did not take place as I believe it has the basics for lending itself to a 'Mk2' version as a damm good 'rag an bone' aussie utility aircraft. Cheers,

VG's and Lightwings... G'day Brett, I recall a couple of years back talking to a pilot at 'The Great Eastern Fly-In' at Evans Head, northern NSW who owned a GR912 tail-dragger Lightwing. He indicated a friend of his who flew out of Casino (Northern NSW) in a similar Lightwing had fitted VG's to the wing and fuselage area just to the rear of the cockpit area with considerable improvement. Reckoned he gained some 8 knots extra cruise speed and around 200/300 fps improvement in climb performance. Cheers,

Latest Doppler Rain/Wind Imaging... Hi 'team' :) Looks as if the new BoM doppler weather (Brisbane/south east Queensland area) may be quite an asset if these images (just taken) are any indication of using the radars wind analysis is anything to go by. Looking at both images the rain radar image shows only very light overal rain or moisture but when looking at the same view using the wind radar image the situation appears to be more informitive. Either way it would appear the use of this system could help us recreational/ultralight aviators in understanding and or deciding flight one's activity... :;)3: Cheers,

Noted this line with quite an interesting photo to indicate what 'they' were really taking about... "The Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology (ADVENT) program aims “to develop and demonstrate inlet, engine, exhaust nozzle, and integrated thermal management technologies that enable optimized propulsion system performance over a broad range of altitude and flight velocity.†That sounds boring, but what if we put it like this:" [ATTACH]2276[/ATTACH]

G'day Ian, I not sure of the cam-unit brand shown in the link (looks quite a good unit) but a similar styled lipstick camera with all the associated equipment including a wide-angle lens did not leave much 'coffee change' from $4000... With that, the replay resolution was 525 lines which is getting close to our standard TV quality. Cheers,

Brisbane BoM Weather/Wind Radar..? G'day Darren, Think there may be more to a than the auto weather station readings as image (as shown) appears to cover where-ever there in wind is... Either way, the service is impressive and quite possibly quite helpful to aviators especially if one has a PDA/Smartphone or other electronic device that is able to call up the internet whilst flying and be able to check the wind and rain :;)3: :) Cheers 'Team'

G'day David, Thanks, I'll check out their ops... The only new radar equipment that I'm aware of that has only just been installed in the past month or so is a new doppler weather radar located just to the south (roughly) from Brisbane. This unit is a different unit to the new Dopple radar now being used as the main weather radar around the Brisbane area that is sited south-east of Brisbane on Mt Stapylton. What they are using this new doppler weather radar for, I don't know. It may be just a coincidence but the Doppler Wind service appears to have come on-line around the same time that this southern unit appearred... hmmm. any thoughts? Cheers for now.

Doppler Wind Radar too... Ok... try number 5 ;) as was being 'dropped-out' eveytime I tried to write a reply over the past day or so... (I note the problem appears to have been fixed though ;)). Re the new additions to the BoM weather radar... the Brisbane radar now has a Doppler Wind display similar to how the rain is displayed, a very impressive show indeed. Only thing is I wondering how they read and are able to show both wind direction and wind strength as I was not aware that radar(s) were able to indicate wind? Cheers,

You could consider the Suunto X-Lander watch at www.suunto.com and go to the products page, find the wristop computers section then look for thier X-Lander page to read up on all the features... I've been using one for the quite a number of years and have found it to be quite a useful watch. Features include... Altimeter: Altitude, vertical speed, altitude alarm, logbook, altitude difference, automatic 24h altitude memory, logbook capacity 8kB, recording intervals 20s, 1min, 10min and 60min, with respective times 10h, 12h, 7 days and 10 days. Barometer: Sea level pressure, absolute pressure, pressure difference, pressure trend indicator, 4-day barometric memory, temperature. Compass: Cardinal bearing, North-South arrow, bearing tracking, declination setting. Chronograph: Stopwatch, countdown timer, calendar, three daily alarms... Makes for and excellant backup to all our aviation instruments if any fail. Cheers, Rodger

Re the photo... and the date/stamp. Checked with owner and yes the date/stamp was incorrectly set. It's the "Real McCoy". The local clubs newsletter will have a pilot story of his flight, etc in its next edition. Cheers 'Team' Rodger

Date Stamp... Hmmm, :confused: that one I don't know but I'll ask. The info usually supplied to me from this person as usually 100% bona-fired but that does beg the question??? I'll find out... ;) :;)3: Cheers 'Team',

Answer... Aircraft not an ultralight, a 'VH' experimental and pilot with full GA licence... Further, earlier when the last carrier, the USS Enterprise visited Brisbane he was also able to conduct a 'fly-by' after obtaining permission from the carrier as to how close he may fly to them... ;) cheers,

A friend of mine was able to conduct an 'authorised' over-fly of the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft-carrier as the ship sailed into Moreton Bay on its final visit to Brisbane last week... Photo taken from a fellow nearby aviator. Image is a little poor in quality due to both the viewing through the windscreen and the deduction in quality to allow for uploading but I reckon we all get the feeling eh! Lucky bugger... ;) Cheers 'Team'...

The Courier-mail Brisbane Queensland 23 July 2007 A pilot has walked away uninjured from a light plane crash north of Brisbane. A police spokeswoman said the man's plane took off from Caboolture Airfield about 1pm (AEST) today, but crashed into trees at the end of the runway. The sole occupant was freed from the wreckage and received no injuries. =========== ABC News Caboolture, Queensland Man escapes injury after light plane crash Mon Jul 23, 2007 A 73-year-old man walked away uninjured when his light plane crashed into trees. A Buderim man has walked away uninjured from a light plane crash at Caboolture airport, north of Brisbane, this afternoon. The 73-year-old was the only person on board the homemade, two-seater kit plane when it crashed into trees. Police say the plane appears to have had engine problems on landing, forcing the pilot off the runway =============

Further media update... Pilot had lucky escape 20 July 2007 SunShine Coast Daily by Jane Gardner Engine failure at 1000 feet could have ended in tragedy for an Adelaide pilot today. Australian Search and Rescue received a distress call from the man at 9am, who was flying somewhere above the Woodford area when his engine shut down. He managed to land the ultralite plane in a private paddock at Delaney’s Creek, near Kilcoy, with only minor damage to the fuselage and no injuries. Energex helicopters were tasked to search for him at 9.50am. Energex pilot Brent Hall said they spotted the man at 11am leaning non-chalantly on his plane. “He was quite unfazed by the whole thing,†Mr Hall said. “He is very lucky he wasn’t over terrain that didn’t provide him a landing area. As a pilot, I am always concerned about flying over areas where you can’t land, but between Kilcoy and Caboolture, there are numerous farms and sufficient areas to land.†Mr Hall said the Energex crew went out to ultralite crashes and emergency landings about three times a year. “It’s certainly not an every day thing,†he said. The man, in his 50s, had just bought the ultralite and was flying it back to Adelaide. Friends from Caboolture picked him up from the paddock.