Gnarly Gnu

Welcome Kelvin, I was glad to read about your positive attitude despite the setbacks! All the best....

 

 

Let us know how that Honda engine goes Bruce, heard good things about them. Personally I would be more confident if the Viking website didn't just feature computer renderings, are there many installs out there? I'd be looking at the freight aspect also, do you have other components you wish to import at the same time? If not probably waiting a while might not hurt that much IMO.

 

I've been watching the A$ and the gold price a lot, something doesn't add up right now; certainly the trajectory of the sudden changes in the former this month don't seem sustainable. Australia is a bit player in world affairs so our dollar can be toyed with by others and it can drop real fast at times (eg during the recent Rudd tax fiasco). Who knows what's ahead, although a continued slide in the US$ seems fairly certain at least until their leadership changes.

 

 

Isn't this just a TV show? Wouldn't put too much credibility on the fine points at least, and you have no idea what they omitted to juice it up.

 

 

Oh man, that sounds like fun! A part of the USA I must visit next time..... enjoy David.

 

 

Congrats Jim - well done!

 

 

Not an expert but I've gotten two 20' containers of machinery out of New York the last couple of years, the most recent of which arrived in June this year. Price from the East coast is high and is quite dependant on the freight time (simply faster / more direct is more $$).

 

• The freight cost was around US$4000 NY to ADL (for fairly slow delivery)
   
   
  
• Local delivery from the wharf was A$400
   
   
  
• Customs clearances / fees was A$900
   
   
  
• Plus 10% GST (in my case there was no duty)
   
   
  

 

 

 

I thought the GST was calculated on the exchange rate the day that Customs agent processed it (ie around arrival time) but I might be wrong on that. In my case being for business it made no difference to me so I didn't look into this aspect. I would think shipping from the west coast would be both faster and cheaper but I've not done this to date. I said 'about US$4000' for the freight; my NY supplier actually charged me US$3000 for the shipping but I think it did end up costing them closer to US$4000 & they absorbed some difference.

 

I would have no hesitation bringing in an aircraft, kit or parts of such myself if the cost works out & may look at doing so soon. I did some on-line shopping & had the items included in the container. Many things in the US are half the price they are here or better, I shop there quite a lot.

 

 

I believe Ozzie is right. The other thing is that at least one of the best companies in the world at this casting technology is right here in Australia, Jab should be going this way for the heads at least IMO.

 

 

Unfortunately electricity prices in Australia are starting to spiral out of control. At work I just received a notice that my power is going up to 23 - 26 cents kWh (winter / summer) and that's before the proposed Greenie tax that Labor wants to bring in. And for some bizarre reason the more I use the more expensive it gets. This is outrageous when you consider in most US states they are paying 10 to 12 cents. By the time the battery technology becomes viable for flight I wonder if the recharging costs will still be.

 

 

There are water cooled heads coming for Jabirus, maybe even includes port for injectors

This sounds promising, just what the Jab engines require to improve their power and reliability. The company that supplies water cooled conversion for Lyc's report a significant power increase not to mention top end reliability improvement which would be the real bonus.

 

 

May depend upon which side of the city you live / work. I'm training at MB, it's a 1 hour drive but works for me. Parafield is closer to work but more expensive and much busier (potentially less time in the air per lesson). Aldinga sounds great but is also a little more expensive and windier being near the coast.

 

 

I read that most folk can only scrape about 65HP from the Aerovee in typical operation, seems the specs are a little over-rated and/or peak power happens at too high RPM. Great economical engine though.

 

 

....they have a A/c, in a container sitting on the dock at fremantle.Cost $300 at day.They also said a Cessna 182 was in a container, opened up by customs.It was full of spiders.The container was removed to a island to be Fumigated.The cost $25 000. This is a advert, because they would rather people buy a a/c from them i suppose, than take the risks of personaly importing one.

Ha ha, that company cracks me up..... I feel one leg is definitely longer than the other now just from reading it. Must be using the Labor / Greens advertising Agency, "moving forward" and all that guff. They should go all out and say about the containers full of aircraft that regularly fall overboard en route to Australia and a guy was ruined only last month because his private import sank the ship & he got a $30m bill. Not to mention all those who found out too late their insurance was void because their self imported aircraft was non compliant.....!

 

Whatever it takes to protect their fat local markup.

 

 

Fantastic Deb..... sounds like you have an ideal set-up there too! (longing....)

 

 

Thanks for the welcome and the tips folks!

 

Went up for an hour today, moderately strong and a little gusty wind down low & had to use the grass strip which was a good experience.... all part of the learning curve. I hope to get through the rec course as soon as possible then go on to get a PPL as well (I think Tomo and some others here have / are doing the same).

 

Where's Murray BILGE? Nev

Uhh that's a nickname some of us city folk have for Murray Bridge Nev, presumably based on the Murray not being so healthy down the bottom end so to speak. Somehow I doubt the locals in MB appreciate this touch of humour however....

 

Gnu

 

PS this is OT but is there a reason the RAA licence / student card thing is so boring looking?

 

 

Howdy folks, just started learning at Murray Bridge last week so green as they come! I'm reasonably pleased with progress so far I guess (famous last words?) just need to sort out the final couple of seconds of my landings. Take off is sorta OK, still a little 'snakey' though. Figured landing is important so I have to crack it.

 

Hey there is a lot to learn, much more than I imagined there would be when I first walked into the hangar but it's getting to be more fun in the cockpit as I start to relax a little bit more. Also never came across an industry so drunk on acronyms, it's just nuts (that would be IJN I presume)! :cool_shades:

 

Gnu