boleropilot

Hey thanks for the info Kiwi, nice to hear from you - how's the little lamb going??? Did you always have the 800x6 wheels? They don't look like the ones you used to have on 404 when she was at Boonah... just wondering, what take-off method do you use - just let it fly off, or lift the tailwheel and then rotate? btw, did you see that post about the guys from Victoria doing a run to Airlie Beach and back in June '18? I asked them if I could tag along for the Queensland legs, haven't heard back from them yet... Greg, m8 - holy cow - that's what you call a "good check over" - the inspection going all good so far? You've got a Drifter Legend watching this thread with K1W1 on board, what he doesn't know about Drifters ain't worth knowing - he even knows how to crash 'em !!!!! BP

hey Greg, how's the red rocket going. and merc - can you let me know the reasoning behind changing the bigger pneumatic wheel to the smaller solid one? cheers BP

OK, I use NOD32 and I have found it to be perfect - i'll do the updates now - thanks

sorry, forgot to ask - how do I check for a keylogger?

yeah I didn't think the RAA website was a problem but I put the post on Justin Case...ya never know - can't wait for the grubs to turn up at their 'click and collect' place to have security waiting - hahahahaha ! BP

g'day All, The only reason I am posting this is because I was once told that in the event of credit card fraud, check the last good transaction before the bad one/s. I paid a renewal using the RAA website system yesterday and I have had over a dozen fraudulent transactions since then. I am NOT saying for a moment that the RAA site is the problem but it may be - at this stage I don't know. I can't contact them until 0800 Friday EDST so I am posting this just in case. Why not be safe and check your computer banking records just in case..... As it stands with my fraudulent transactions I am not particularly concerned because Westpac has assured me that all bad transactions can be identified - the card was cancelled some hours ago so any further attempts by my little friends will all be "unable". BP

g'day Glenn, sounds like a fabulous trip! twood be wonderful to see the flight do a little detour through the Scenic Rim region, aptly named I might add. if you detoured to the North West from Tyalgah the track (abt 70nm) takes you over Mount Warning and the McPherson Ranges to Boonah. some tiger country there so the best track would be via the Numinbah Valley and Beechmont. from Mt Warning it is abt 40nm to Boonah. to get back to the coast from Boonah you would track East to take you over Beaudesert, past the airfield at Jacobs Well and on to The Spit (just North of Surfers Paradise), where you would turn North for the run up the coast and Caboolture. you would have three options for landing/accom around Boonah: 1. Boonah Airfield, Flying Tigers Clubhouse for acft tiedown parking, motels, pubs and caravan park not far away - I should be able to help with transport 2. Roadvale airfield, private owner, 6nm North of Boonah. Camping onsite but I would need to confirm permission from owner - fabulous airfield, I could provide portaloo... 3. Woolooman airfield, at my residence. only 200 metres long and surrounded by hills - advanced pilots only and insurance may be an issue (look it up on Google Earth at 620 Woolooman Road) BP PS - any chance a Drifter pilot and his mighty machine might tag along for part of the journey???

thinking of selling my AvMap EKP IV, it's a bit big for my Drifter - it has all the accessories, anybody got an idea what it might be worth? (needs a map upgrade). BP

Hey, just saw a Drifter fly over our home just south of Flinders Peak - looked like it was tracking something like Kooralbyn - Esk, about 4,000 and with a nasty headwind. Anybody wanna say g'day ? A little bit further to the South and he wooda seen my little airstrip...got a six foot yellow windsock, LOTS of colourful Bougainvillea to the West of the house... BP

Hey Phil - I made the misteak of holding a door open for one of those "ladies" (at a university, it so happens) and the abuse I got in response was not only foul, it was amazingly vitriolic - and then "it" barred up when I told her to Fook Off.... I hold the door open still, and I don't care if they like it or not ! As for the Gyro Girl - she's got toys and she's happy for everybody to see 'em - what cheeses me off is those that wear incredibly revealing clothing (let's not mention yoga pants) and then get antsy when you look PAST THEM as you go by - I usually say the same thing - "You got tickets on yaself, girlie" - yeah, I know, gonna get slapped one day...us old buggers are not a part of the target audience - know what I mean ? BP

all I can say (other than "Crikey") is that I am so proud that this forum isn't dictated (?) to by the PC Police - well done youse guys !!! (and gals - sorry) BP

well some would say that I'm a bit windy but that's just me - my writing is automatic, straight from the poor old brain, I type at around 100 words a minute (touch - I don't look at the keyboard) and I have written hundreds of flightsim articles for just about every GA magazine in Oz - flightsimming is one of my obsessions and being able to fly 'my' Drifter from my study desk is just awesome. Thanks so much for the kind words, much appreciated m8. My aviation background includes (at varying levels of involvement) skydiving, Army Aviation (7 years), paragliding, gliding, hot air ballooning, and radio control aircraft. An aviation tragic for sure...but my greatest love is my Drifter - can't wait to get 0455 back in the air after the motor swap is complete. You are truly blessed to be not only the owner of a Drifter but to be able to utilise this forum and take advantage of all those who have spectacular levels of knowledge and experience of not only all things aviation, but hands-on knowledge of the Drifter as well. Not only that, they are only too happy to share that knowledge and experience with you, and that is Gold...the little I have to offer is hopefully of some value to you. cheers for now BP

thanks m8 !!! BP

I came across an interesting method of preventing crankshaft rotation, in a video about Rotax gearbox overhauls. The method is apparently used when certain tightening/loosening of bolts using the pin method could result in some degree of twisting of the crankshaft etc. The method is to place one piston at bottom dead centre and then feed in a length of soft fibre rope through a spark plug hole (obviously with enough hanging out so the rope can be retrieved). Apparently the crankshaft can then be rotated and the piston will raise up the bore and not be able to reach TDC because of the compression of the rope, and the bolt will 'click' and loosen. The system is supposed to be able to be used for tighten and loosen. I would really like to hear from anyone who has used this method, plus any comments from anyone who has anything to say in relation to the method. BP

Hey Greg, you're not alone in secretly loving Drifters - I was exiting an A380 past the cockpit and I saw the pilots at the door, I asked if I could say hello and they said OK, one an Aussie and the other a Kiwi ! They said I could have a quick look at the cockpit (I knew what it would look like from my flightsim) but I was gobsmacked by the size of it - you could have a party in there m8 - and all so simple and uncluttered. When I mentioned the Drifter I said that they fly the biggest and I fly the smallest, the Aussie said he'd always wanted one, the Kiwi said he'd seen one at a fly-in somewhere and thought it was a great little machine - they went off talking about where they could hangar one if they went halves in it !!!!! That was one of my favourite aviation encounters. I had a TIF in a trike a few years ago (wanted to see Bright in Victoria from the air) and was amazed by the reversed controls and delay in control inputs to the aircraft, compared to the Drifter it was so different. The Drifter has very light and precise handling with quite minimal pilot inputs (a lot like a glider). Those full length ailerons the reason why they are so sensitive in roll, and the tail-feathers are actually quite big for the size of the aircraft too, so same same. You will hear people call the Drifter a "hands and feet" aircraft - particularly feet, primarily during the take-off roll. With the light weight and pusher prop throwing prop wash over the rudder, take-offs are the hardest thing to learn, at least for me it was. It's all about a gentle application of power (around 3 seconds) and rudder inputs that are both quick to react and with enough authority. Once I got those concepts going I went solo in an hour. There are two types of take-off procedures - the easy one is to just leave the tailwheel on the ground during the roll and when the aircraft reaches flying speed it will simply lift off. The other one is (I think) practiced by most tailwheel pilots, this is how I was taught - a little forward stick is used at the start of the roll and the tailwheel will lift off gently once elevator authority is active. The tailwheel is held there as the (level) aircraft accelerates, at about 50 knots the main wheels are popped about a metre off the ground until 60 comes up, then rotate and climb away. Enough rabbiting for now, hope the weather is good on 4/11/2017 for you and your new obsession. Looking forward to seeing some more pix of the lil' beasty once you get it home. Added a photo taken by one of my lucky passengers (16 year old local girl) over Wyaralong Dam (near Beaudesert). BP

not sure really, probably refers to the empty weight of the aircraft, 'tis a strange thing - MTW - maximum tare weight as in tare vs. gross weight? gotta be empty weight methinks... BP

man I am so glad you are not pissy about all the stuff I wrote - as I said, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to Drifters but I do have 200 hours up (not a lot compared to many others) and I have spent a lot of time fooling around with 0455 - twood not be a bad idea to get the flightsim version for practice, I and a few other Drifter drivers put a lot of work into getting the flight dynamics spot on for the model. The Ants Airplanes Drifter is very close to the real thing - I would pull the throttle in 0455 at different locations at Boonah and if the flightsim version under development did not land at the same place as the real one, Anthony would subtly alter the program. Not all FSX aircraft will sideslip, but Ants Drifter will do so with a definite degree of realism. You can even practice things like lifting the tailwheel during takeoff before rotating - it all works as good as it can be considering it is a computer program! Keep in touch (this thread is perfect) about your training and flying experiences - I have a big anniversary coming up - 18 November is my 10th anniversary of going solo in a Drifter - won't ever forget that day!!! cheers BP

Wow flyerme the link worked great and I am indebted to you! What a document! I've been right through it and I am amazed how much of the detail is virtually identical to my (Austflight) Drifter... Greg, if I were you I'd be printing out that document and getting it bound - it's priceless m8! BTW, I did notice in the manual there is no mention of a skid, only a tailwheel. All the detail is there on the parts needed to fit one. Cheers, BP

thanks flyerme, don't know much about maxairs - obviously...is the skid standard? and would you recommend changing it to a tailwheel? BP

OK mate, I'm sure the other Drifter drivers will comment on what I print here, it's all based on the little I know about Drifters... the 503 will be fine for you getting to grips with the lil' beasty but I would definitely consider upgrading to a 582 in the future the 25 rego is a good thing, not only because of the factory build but also that it can be used for training - having said that, I believe that virtually any "unofficial" modifications to the aircraft since manufacture will make that training option not quite within the 'rules' - not much of an issue I think but one to be at least considered when I read that the 'skid' had been changed (and then watched the video and saw how low the tail of the aircraft is to the ground) I must admit I didn't like what I saw. Others will know more than me but I don't know if a skid is standard equipment. I have seen some Drifters with quite small solid rubber tail-wheels but even they make me cringe. My Drifter has the 'big' pneumatic tyre on the tail, it gives the aircraft a much flatter 'stance' and I have been told it makes take-offs and taxying easier. The main thing I don't like about the skid is that unless the ground is quite smooth, there would have to be considerable shocks and vibrations transmitted through the entire aircraft. Do you have any figures for hours on the airframe? I noticed on the video that the dash hourmeter showed 900? Definitely a low hour airframe if it is, my lil' 0455 has over 3,500 hours... The fuel tank behind the passenger seat does not look standard, only an issue if you need to use the 25 category = training. If you were to run into some CASA people and they are in the mood for a picky ramp check, they might not be happy about the placards in the cockpit - could be an issue if you fly in to an airshow somewhere. Finally, the cockpit doesn't look very standard either, again probably not really an issue - that's the same radio setup I use and it works perfectly. M8 I hope I haven't burst your balloon, having your very own Drifter is a big deal and you are joining a very elite group - there's just nothing like a Drifter. BTW, if you want to see what a fairly standard Drifter looks like, if you get Microsoft Flight Simulator 10 (FSX) you can download the Drifter for the sim (payware, from Ant's Airplanes). Once up and flying (so you can zoom in from all angles) you will be able to get a real good look at 0455 - unfortunately, you will also get a good look at me - I'm the pilot in the red helmet! Looking forward to your replies, and of course others here on the forum. welcome to The Best Club in the World, BP

g'day All, the refurb of 0455 is coming along nicely (yes, slowly too) and I have decided to replace all the wires. can anyone please let me know who is selling complete sets, including the u-shaped turnbuckles...and now I'm off to rob a bank........ cheers BP

G'day Greg from a low hour Drifter driver (200 hours). I had a look at the video and the pix and I have quite a few comments, but I won't do that until I hear about where you are with the possibility of buying this aircraft. cheers, BP

hey Oscar, nice story - only ever seen Porters and Caribou do beta approaches but I guess anything with fully adjustable props could do it - as long as the PIC has the goolies (and the skills) obviously military flying is always taken to the extreme (practice for war at 90% and when it comes you're 90% ready) so like many others involved, I saw some magic flying and was lucky enough to be onboard quite a few times... I'd love to do some flying through the trees with my Drifter but I don't have the skills (or the goolies) to do so - when 0455 and my little airstrip are both ready, the approach from the north west will be exciting enough methinks really looking forward to posting a video of that, actually... cheers BP

I served 7 years in Army Aviation so have spent quite a lot of time in Porters - during flood relief in NSW Northern Rivers in the early '70s there was so many people isolated that the rotary wing aircraft couldn't keep up - I was tasked to support on one of the Porters and we were landing anywhere we could get a Porter in/out, using beta approaches. On one occasion we came across a farmhouse surrounded by floodwater, the only dry area was the house and a very short section of raised driveway leading up to a gate near the house. The pilot set up for a beta approach on the driveway and the poor old farmer was having kittens trying to wave us off - he obviously hadn't seen a beta landing before and was certain we were going to go straight through the gate and through his front door! The pilot pulled off a cracker and the porter shuddered to a stop well short of the gate - we unloaded supplies for the family, the farmer said "well thanks but now you're stuck here until the water goes down - there's no room to turn around or take off!" The pilot smiled and said "it's OK mate, we'll just back up and there's plenty of room to get off". So in he went, reversed down the driveway, I signalled for the tailwheel position at the edge of the water, and climbed in. The tailwheel was bouncing a foot off the ground with full power applied before brake release - I will never forget the look on that farmers face as we roared over the gate with a metre to spare. Happy times - got a nice RC Porter I have to get in the air one day, will have to work out how to change the colour scheme to AAAvn... BP

hey Bill just saw this thread after I posted elsewhere asking if your avatar was a Drifter - got it! just wondering if you do any flight simming on your computer - my Drifter was developed for Microsoft Flight Sim 10 (FSX) and is a lot of fun when you can't fly a real one! cheers BP