Clansman

Welcome Jen. Now I'm sorry we didn't stop over on the way home from Temora to Murray Bridge. Overflew on the Sunday and the airfield was a real picture! Will add you to our "must stop" waypoints. Cheers.

Getting away from this incident and the people involved, and just talking generally, if I owned an aircraft hangared at your field, and I was exhibiting repeated flouting of the rules, then as a senior instructor, how would you go about bringing me back to a safe standard? Great question Turboplanner and worthy of another thread.

This accident is bewildering, as are many of the posts here. I'm sensing much of our expressions are rooted in a mixture of grief, disbelief, anger and immense sadness. My sincere condolences to the family. In defence of Natfly attendees and RAAus and CASA officials, most were in attendance at the Natfly dinner at the time of the accident. The first bus left at 5:58pm from the airfield. I was sitting at the table adjacent to them and noticed incoming phone calls and very concerned faces around 7:30pm or 8pm and I got a distinctly uncomfortable feeling that something was up. Imagine what these people had to deal with - news of 2 deaths in the surreal environs of a celebratory dinner! Nothing was announced, which was only right of course at that very early juncture. We all (or most of us) left the evening feeling how successful the weekend had been. I flew out at 7:05 am Sunday still unaware. As far as anyone left at Temora who could chastise or counsel by radio anyone leaving at sunset, I doubt that anyone at that time would have had a live handheld radio to hear the departing call because all were intent on organising dinner or showers. We were probably all aware of late circuits by a Foxbat and a gyro presumably running joyflights just before 6pm so a trike would not have attracted any unusual attention. I don't think the Unicom was operational either. From what's emerged in this thread, dismay seems uppermost in everyone's minds. Let's hope we can all learn something meaningful, whether a late flight exacerbated an equipment issue, or whether it was purely poor light as sole cause. Stay safe everyone.

Well done - Natfly thoroughly recommended as a great way to help consolidate your XC endorsement.

Not a place for little ones. Attractions spread out and really aimed at older kids probably at least 10+ with an aviation bent who can tolerate tired legs walking an aerodrome space. Not aware of anything there to help the younger family. Might be worth a call to the organisers to ask specifically.

Hi folks, 2 of us in J170 from Murray Bridge. Flying in Wednesday, leaving Sunday. 416 nm for about 4h 30m plus P stops plus headwinds. Hope to leave around 0800 local, arrive for lunch and best camping spots above 1956 flood level! We'll be micro tenting under the wings. This will be my 3rd Natfly, Narromine 2008, Temora 2010 and 2012. Thoroughly recommend it as best way to see and chat about lots of types, good forums (fora?). See you there Wx permitting.

Great sense of freedom DoubleB , well done, hope this weekend's rain isn't too serious in Wagga for you. Mark, have you tried OzRunways yet on your iPad2 - brilliant!

PS Jeremy - Ross is Adelaide based and therefore easy to meet

G'day Jeremy, can't recall meeting you, but I'm usually only at YMBD Fridays instructing at Hangar 2. Had a nice day today despite the hot weather. Flew to Aldinga for coffee, Victor Harbor, coastal to Murray Mouth return to YMBD with a friend for his 50th b'day gift TIF from his wife. First time in a light a/c of any sort and loved it. Air was smooth as ever despite the 38C temps. Don't know anyone in particular who has done what you're planning, except perhaps Ross Vining who has done it in his Searey amphibian. You could contact him via the Seaplane Pilots Assoc Aust website. He's done lots of circumnavigation of the coast plus inland diversions right through the centre. http://www.seaplanes.org.au/contact/contact.htm Good luck with your RPL and the J160.

In the aftermath of such a disaster it's at least gratifying to read so many posts encouraging counselling, debriefs and contact points for these services. Too many try soldiering on and eventually find it returns to bite them bigtime. Maybe this could be a topic for RAAus mag - don't ever recall reading one? My sincere condolences to family, friends and witnesses.

This is the outcome our families fear most when we leave home to go flying, even if they don't say so. It's why I call my wife once or twice during every one of my instructing days to let her know I'm fine - Some may think I'm daft, but there you go. I fly at Murray Bridge and Rob's hangar is right behind ours. Although I didn't know him well personally, more as a hangar neighbour, I do know he was much loved and respected by everyone who did know him well. I have no idea about aerobatics or Rob's endorsements, but his routine was spectacular and he practised relentlessly. On the Friday before his Sunday accident he was going through the first of his sessions around 8.30am and I was using his radio calls to help me train 3 of our students on the ground to understand the concept of the aerobatic box being declared open and closed. While we watched ( our hangar is in the frontline facing the runway) it also became abundantly clear to these newbies as to why joining the circuit mid-field XW at such a time is so dangerous and therefore forbidden, hence the importance of listening to and understanding such calls. Later that morning each of them had an opportunity whilst doing circuits to see where Rob was relative to them - it was a great lesson in situational awareness for them. Unwittingly Rob was helping to train other pilots whilst doing what he himself loved most! On the Sunday, three of my pilot friends, including one of our instructors, witnessed the accident first hand from our hangar apron, one of whom was first to reach Rob's plane. Our CFI was on final with a student returning from a navex. These people have been deeply affected. One of our other students had earlier been admiring Rob's Pitts at the bowser and spoke briefly to him before he commenced his final routine - we think he was the last person to speak directly to Rob just minutes before the accident but left the field before it happened. Consequently he too has been more reflective since. Two weeks later I and many others from YMBD and elsewhere attended Rob's funeral service held in one of the large hangars and Chris Sperou's eulogy (thanks djpacro for that post) was very moving, as were the other contributions by family and friends. Following the service, Chris and 2 other aerobatic pilots did a "missing man" formation flyover which was the first time I'd ever witnessed one, and it clearly moved the entire group of mourners, several hundred in number. Whether you are near or far, these tragedies affect all of us but to varying degrees, and these forums are a great way for us to share thoughts and support each other. That's why I've decided to put more into this post than any other I've done. Our thoughts pale however against those of Rob's family - we can but offer sincere sorrow and condolences from afar as an aviation community. Finally, this forum certainly is no place for speculation about accidents, it doesn't help anyone but the speculator. VALE ROB.

Yes, if you are ever near Ross and his Searey he'd be happy to oblige. The SPAA has plenty of events/fly-ins where you'd get an up close feel for a wide range of amphibians. Surges Bay looks very nice indeed. All the best in your flying and longer range plans.

Welcome Flytrikes, Once did a trike TIF with Steve Ruffels at Porepunkah mid-winter to 6500' over Mt Buffalo. Fantastic! My wife flew with Lisa Ruffels in her trike in formation with video and still cameras on opposite wingtips. Great b'day present and we still drag the video out occasionally to brag to the grandkids!

Mark, Perhaps you already have done so, but I'd recommend you join the Seaplane Pilots Assoc Aust. (www.seaplanes.org.au) It's free and Ross Vining, their Newsletter editor flies a Searey. Their president is NSW based so may be more accessible for you than Ross who's here in SA. Their newsletters are worthwhile. Where's your Tassy block?

Welcome Mark, fellow Civil Engineers always welcome! Though I'm now long retired from that fraternity (1985). Practised for about 12 years in water resources, and have since had a highly varied career, computers, recruiting, now career counselling. Actually yearned for aeronautical engineering at high school but Sydney Uni had the only degree course at the time (1969) and folks had no way of funding that from Adelaide, so did civil at Adel Uni. Agree with you on the Seamax, very tempting. One day..... Interestingly one of my former flying students also plans a Seamax-style retirement into Tassy in a few years time. My flying started with a discounted TIF from the Barossa Air Show in 2000 - till then I'd always figured costs were beyond my means but Jabirus changed all that. From memory they were around $75 per hour then, now up to $170. Recently stumbled on an old (1965) advert in Readers Digest for TIFs for $2 in C150s at Parafield! In the end costs are all relative to the economy I guess. Welcome again.

Hi Kev, I live in Angaston, ran a B&B for 9 years there and still live on the property. Have an HR business in Gawler Place, Adelaide and stay at Glenelg mid-week. I fly at YMBD, and have used Gawler as a way point/touch & go for my students' navex. Sounds like YGAW would be the right place to start for you, Murray Bridge is about an hour from Adelaide with different aircraft choices, and school choices too. Probably best to try before you buy, and that includes the whole deal, school, a/c, people etc. Good luck with progress, and no doubt will see you around the hangars some time! Cheers,

Welcome to Oz, to RAAus and the joys of real flying Adam. Get yourself to Natfly for a great way to meet some characters and see the wonderful range of aircraft available.

Welcome Rob, Hope your interest turns to wind in your hair! Try a Trial Flight with your nearest airfield flying school. That's how I got hooked 12 years ago.

Just to get rid of that pesky message, here goes. I've posted in 2 previous threads under 2 previous website versions, so I'm not really new. Thoroughly enjoy the lively banter, but can't possibly devote the time to do much justice to all that goes here. Worst part is my wife claims I'm now doing "facebook" stuff on this site under the guise of "aviation research" after resisting facebook and twitter with much posturing about people not having enough sense to use their time more productively! Got to give her that one, but don't tell her! One warning - although my iPad2 is more friendly to my nether regions than my laptop when propped up in bed or in front of the TV, there are genuine limitations to functionality - Smilies don't work, nor can you alter your Avatar, but so far all other things are fine. I've had a conversation with Admin about it, so please, no-one else needs to do so too. Finally, I'd encourage everyone to make a donation - if you continue logging on to tap into the threads then you must be getting enough value to put some cash up too. Cheers,