Greg Spiers

You didn't used to drive that Womens Weekly bus did you?? Greg

Don't stay away from the flying too long, you'll drop skills and mindset. My nephew did that and never got back into it again, the catch up was daunting as things change pretty quick if ya not watching. Keep flying if you can. I suggest you ring Bob McDonald, put on ya best voice and sus him out as to what he expects. I know he looks for pilots who are very personable and with experience handling people and can deliver the touristy garb. That's as important (in many ways) as flying the buses. I have seen some of his guys roll up without having all the experience with differing aircraft and they get checked out on the job with his Chief Pilot. He will be best to advise. You'll get to the big shiny AC in time. The Wet season is slower than the Dry but the best flying, smooth as a babies whatzit, fantastic scenery. Pilots are not so common either, prob pick up a bit too. Also try Air North in Darwin (if their still going) they do a lot of stuff out to the Tiwi Islands, Bathurst Island etc. There are a good deal of charter operators out of Darwin, might be worth getting on the web and or having a trip up there but, don't set your expectations too high, also try the Aviation Fellowship (can't remember the proper title and ya don't have to preach the Good word or anything, just fly the truck), they fly to all the Aboriginal Outstations in Arnhem Land carting supplies in 206's mostly (stuff gear in until the front wheel comes off the ground then take something out ??!!). They also ferry pax from the outstations to Darwin and other locations, always good to keep the vents open on days like that??!! Greg ps. tons of work in Darwin (well paid too) in the building industry, they can't get people up there. I have a daughter and grand kids there, can't get work done on their house for months on end, no one to do it ya know??

Hi, I don't fly anything at the moment, did fly out of Murray Bridge to do my BFR and get back into LSA but too far to travel. I am into Gyros at the moment so I can get in and out of my own property at Montacute, hopefully. Greg.

If you live in Cairns then the climate in Jabas will be ok, lot hotter and dryer but the flying will be over the most scenic in Australia, I kid u not, if you haven't flown over Jim Jim, Twin, Double and Magela Falls in the wet or tree tops the full length of the East Alligator river, wet or dry, then ya haven't flown over anything worth seeing. The Arnhem Land escarpment is awesome (1500' at it high point, straight up all the way) and you fly along that for 40 min to get to JJ and Twin. I spent 15 years flying over all that country from Kununura to Arafura Swamp in Western Arnhem Land (biggest swamp in the Southern hemisphere) mostly in choppers and my li'l Colt 108. Don't get me started!! Bob normally used to have a couple of houses in town (12 k's from the airport) shove five of his pilots in there at 100 bucks a head/week and he only paid a fraction of that, you know the deal? Greg

Hi, I lived and worked in Kakadu for 15 years and a good friend to Bob McDonald of Kakadu Air. He often took on novice pilots with low hours but has all Cessnas (207, 210) also had a Nomad, Partinavias and a couple of other species but not sure what he has now, haven't been there for 10 years. Give him a ring at Kakadu Air Services in Jabiru. It's all tourist work, don't think he pays much and by all accounts a tough boss but, aren't they all? Good Luck with it, keep at it, you'll get there. Greg

What a larger than life character he was and you're right, an inspiration to all aviators. I think I owe the forum an apology (probably more than one if I think about it) I mentioned Ken Wallis a li'l while ago and mentioned his involvement in 'Live and Let Die', It was 'You only live Twice', silly me, should be more accurate with my knowledge of Bondy things and everything else.

Look up [email protected] The distributor is Adam Nagorski D-Motor Australia P/L. I know one engine is flying in Australia (his I think) and another either here or on the way, Adam will gladly tell you I am sure. Greg

Reminds me when I was talking to the owner of Mundoo Island in Lake Alexandrina (1970's, can't remember his name), he had a station up north and had taken supplies out to a crew who were some way from the homestead fencing or something. He flew out there in his Cessna (can't remember what species) misjudged the landing and put the thing in a dam. He borrowed one of the vehicles there and drove back home, sent a crew out with a truck to pick it gently out of the dam and transport it home. It arrived in pieces. They had tied a rope around the nose wheel and ripped that off, tried the prop boss and tore the engine out of it, not much left to grab hold of so tried the wing root and gratefully had at least one wing out of the bog and so it went on until extracted. He had a sense of humour about the whole incident as we were laughing uproariously, not sure I would have felt the same if it was mine. Greg

Interesting, I would have thought the military aircraft on-board radar would have picked up the glider before the pilot, unless, for some reason, that wasn' t the case. I was informed by a Hornet and a F111 pilot that there are so many fail-safes in detection of forward and approaching obsticles that they rarely get warning after they visually see something. Those aircraft, I was advised, will instigate its own avoidance action if the pilot doesn't input. I installed a 110 foot tower in the Flinders Ranges (radio repeater) and advised CAA of same (as is the requirement for such things in the landscape) as there was Airforce training in the area frequently. Talking to one of the pilots of an F111, at the time, I was told that the aircraft would ascend at 7,000'/min, on its own, if the pilot hadn't picked up on something up front that the radar did. I was involved in an incident in the NT when I was flying some friends around the falls in Kakadu in a PA28. I was returning to Jabiru airfield at about 700' AGL and had given an inbound call at 15 mls to the East to indicate that. I heard a Military Heavy C130 call to Jabiru traffic that they were 10 miles to the east, low level, tracking south (I'm glad they did). That was where I was. I called them and asked their exact position giving mine at the same time. The Pilots reply was, "look out your port window" I expected to see them to my south and high. Not so, they were to my south allright, but below me. They were right on the trees which were 50 feet high. They had seen me long before they got to me or I had seen them. Ya just don't expect to see a big machine like that down on the trees at 150 knots. It's common in the NT with Tindal, Darwin being military bases. I learnt a lesson!! Cheers greg

Hi Nev, you probably have your answer by now but I have delved into this a good deal. In Australia you have to have at least your PPLH to fly any helicopter whether it be an ultralight type or commercially produced. I did all my CPLH and even now (I haven't flown choppers for 15 years), if I want to fly privately I have to go back to ground school and complete my BAK H and do the flying in a commercial helicopter under instruction and under a CFI H. Probably amount to about $30,000. You will save a bit of flying if you already have your cross country (I did mine in Ultralights), Human Factors and other bits and pieces but it wont amount to much. Only then can you buy and fly a 'ultralight' helicopter like an Angel CH7 or any number of the other available kit built or factory built whizzy thingies. I did my training with Chopperline in Coloundra and it wasn't cheap even then (early 90's) Tony Carmody of Coloundra (I think he is still there) is the agent for CH7 Helicopters and a very good operator. He may still run his own Helicopter Training College in Coloundra, used to run the R22 Safety Course, (early 90's when I went and was CASA mandatory for commercial R22 and PPL pilots) and is very approachable. This is all different ofcourse in the US but, I would advise anyone attempting to build or fly a conventional rotary wing aircraft (not including gyros, they are more fixed wing in application and training) to undertake a fair bit of professional training. They're tricky little things and I haven't flown a single seater but I can imagine they would be even trickier than the light R22. It seems absurd but as you know, CASA have an agenda and they don't and wont change things if it looks like a compromise to safety in any way shape or form or, make it too easy, it seems!!! Greg

Hi, Very sad this stuff but it is inevitable when operating in dangerous situations. The unexpected will always happen when humans are involved. The investigation will hopefully turn up something and prevent further occurrences for the same reasons. I was involved in an incident in about 1981 when a National Parks employee in SA was dropped from a Jet Ranger in the Flinders. I had to attend cos I was the only guy on station (Wilpena) who had medical experience. He was dropped off a hook into bolder country on the side of range from about 20 feet off the ground, on the way up from clearing a helipad for a radio repeater, could have been a 1000 ft. Broke both his legs and I think an arm (can't remember, long time ago) he luckily survived. Couldn't land near him so observations had to happen from the air, very difficult. We winched a guy down, yep, on the broken hook (no choices out there at the time), with a radio, who reported his condition. Worst for the injured man was we had to lift him out on the same broken hook that dropped him, he wasn't told that at the time. We then had to fly him to flat ground a few hundred metres away, unaccompanied, in a stretcher (Stokes Litter) slung under the chopper, get him in the machine and fly him to Hawker Hospital 60 miles away. The hook had some how got twisted and (still unknown how it happened) managed to twist the locking tab inside out thus allowing the harness to slide off. The hook was still in one piece but no locking mechanism, it would have to have been twisted in the cable and hanging nearly inverted for this to happen, not sufficient checking is my guess. Wasn't one of my better days. Greg

Speaking of washing machines!!! At least you'd get the drying cabinet with humidifier as well!! Greg

Thanks, I thought that when I heard it but, hell, gotta take it at face value. I may well have heard it wrong and if I did I apologise for misleading you. I hope Eric is able to help you if I did. Greg

I am pretty sure he said it was out of the 4cyl swift, I know it is being used a fair bit in the US as I have seen reference to it on Utube a fair bit. The guy I was talking to is Eric, NSW 0488016405. Whilst I believe he doesn't use the engine, yet, he was aware of fellow constructor (gyros) who were. Give him a ring he might be able to give better info. Something else worth looking at is the diesel they are using in the US in LSA aircraft. It is out of the Smart Car, toothed belt reduction, 7lt per hour they have it flying. Look it up on Utube, punch in 'diesel aircraft' and have a look for it. It is at a show and the distributor is being interviewed and gives a fairly good run down. It is entitled 'FlyEco Smart Diesel Turbo Charged Engine For Ultralight and Light Sport' with about 4 sponsor adds before the guts of it. Hope that helps. This engine thing, whilst heaps more options than 20 years ago, is a mine field. Cheers, fly safe. Greg

I thought everyone in Ingham was into rafting, too soggy for flying, I lived in Innesfail for a while, every time I went through Ingham (which was often) it was bucketting down. Perhaps it's that big umbrella over you that helps?? Greg