boleropilot

no luck

actually no, he originally told me he would refund $600, i offered $100, but i have received nothing thumb_down

i have since sent him a letter requesting the money be returned in full or legal action would be taken

he has passed the time limit for the return of my funds so legal action is now being finalised - it's a real pity he didn't return just the $1k because now he will be sued for the $1k, all our trip expenses, the cost of the ferry pilot, and all legal fees

by the way, he is watching these posts

bp

maybe this is the one

talking to wayne fisher this afternoon, he has emailed me a list of acft for sale

top of the list is a nice strutter 582 owned by one of his employees that needs some work - with a new set of sails, a re-paint touchup and new wheel pants it looks like coming in at around the $16k mark

will be driving down to lismore on satdee to take a peek, will keep ya's all informed

if we go ahead with this one i won't be getting involved in the delivery, hopefully Grummo (jab driver) will take one of the boonah drifter drivers for a quick fly to lismore to bring her back for me, then i'll enjoy the short lil flight to me home base at roadvale

fingers crossed, will post some pix if it all goes well, wish me luck :big_grin:

cheers

bp

g'day guys

boleropilot has finally done the business and is now a licenced ultralight pilot

final test to finish it all off was on the morning of satdee 12th, t'was followed up by a spot landing competition at Clifton, about 20 competitors/15 acft

boleropilot won 2nd prize !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

still hunting, hope to have a nice lil Drifter at Roadvale soon

cheers for now

bp

wot happened ?

c'mon, don't keep us in suspenders

how did it all go?

bp

not nice

apparently the silver byron bay 503 has been dunked in salt water

word is it had a salt water splash nr straddie

pix sent to me (thanx m8) show a LOT of corrosion

bugger

bp

hey thanx 767, any info on the wagga machine appreciated

been meaning to ring wayne fisher and have a chat, he emailed me a couple of days ago and said he'd be back at work in a couple of weeks (spinal injury, hit by a car apparently) :black_eye: thumb_down

cheers

bp

g'day ab0767, thanx VERY much for that info m8, unknown to me, the guy selling it is in the USA, in his last email he did mention there was "a little corrosion"

in my opinion there is no such thing as a LITTLE corrosion - scary stuff, actually thumb_down

and hey vorticity, not yet, need to talk to the owner again re how much grass he will cut, i thought it was going to be the full width (24 metres) but so far he's only cut about 8 metres in the middle - something about fodder apparently

still looking forward to a Drifter fly-in there but i really want to get mine first !!!

cheers guys

bp

ps the more i think about it the more i lean towards a new Fisher WB 503

no m8, his name is John Sims (not 100% sure abt surname)

bp

looking good m8

hey bilby, thanks for the ad details - have spoken to the owner, the aircraft are at Dalby and i will be at Clifton this weekend, so will be going out to have a look on saturday - he also has another one he may sell instead of the one advertised

apart from that i'm also interested in giving your machine a new home, $20k is my budget limit so it just fits $ wise - any chance you can email me some pics of your lil strutter?

cheers m8, and thanks again for the info/help :thumb_up:

bp

still lookin

g'day guys, thanx for the input, it's all gold

had a chat to some drifter guys re the ebay machine, it didn't get a bid but that doesn't tell the whole story, not the best avenue to advertise an ultralight

i didn't bid because (a) the belt drive versions have some negatives, and (b) it's a long way from Boonah, distance is always going to be an issue

thinking hard about a V nice Fisher at Byron Bay ($18k) but if that goes b4 i get to check her out that's too bad

me lil hangar an' airfield await, with bated breath - it won't happen overnight, but it will happen

cheers

bp

ps hay callide, i'm with you m8

pps hay bilby, wot necka the woods are yoo at ?

thankx for the support guys

yeh not all that flash but i am looking at it as a learning expereince

hey vorticity - not sure, he may have used some parts from a wrecked one i heard about up there somewhere, number of that machine doesn't match his - big problem is where he got his dimensions/weights/balances from, acft has His plate on it but it sure aint a Drifter (which is what he advertised it as)

didn't know about the 'condition report' thingy, how does that work? and hey bilby, can you ask the seller of that 503 to send me some info?

and thanx big pete, all good info for a bloke just tryin to get a Drifter in the air...

cheers

bp

absolute nightmare actually

g'day Wayne, thanks for your interest

don't want to say too much because the return of my deposit will entail legal action, but basically the 'drifter' was not a drifter (or a fisher), in fact it was someones idea of how wonderful a drifter/fisher type aircraft could be - just a few small problems in the overall result, tis all..........little things like BENT WINGS

if i had known this 'drifter' was a scratchbuilt look-alike i never would have even considered it, the aircraft involved has an extremely limited resale value and acquisition of spare parts in the future would be difficult :yuk:

but apparently the seller felt i was 'obligated' to purchase it and took umbrage at my refusal to go ahead with the sale, hence his refusal to return my deposit in full

not what i had hoped for thumb_down and now i am initiating legal action for the return of my deposit

cheers for now

bp

planning begins for the Drifter Day

well folks it's jumpin the gun a bit but wot the hell

me lil Drifter is still in Rockhampton and won't even be in her new home until Easter

will be having a look at parking options when i visit the 'field tomorrow

i reckon a couple of months time will be OK, also need to clear the idea with the landowner, shouldn't be a problem

basic structure will be a simple gathering with bbq lunch, basic fare

tentative date is saturday 26th april (Anzac Day long weekend)

let me know wot ya's think

bp

Wayne's the Winner

g'day guys

Wayne has won the "Fly a Drifter from Rockhampton to Boonah" competition, we will be getting together here on satdee to discuss all sortsa stuff inc route, gps, nav software, maps, fuel/oil, and lotsa other stuff too.............

will keep yas posted on how things are progressing, up to and after the flight

might try to arrange a Drifter Fly-in at the Roadvale strip in the future ?

cheers for now

bp

g'day

hey thanks drifter driver,

i've heard of peter at kooralbyn, spoke to some guys at the flying tigers (boonah) last weekend re. hangar space and they thought the kooralbyn operation had been sold and that the hangar there was now being used for a workshop? not sure of the details but that may have been peter's setup?

anyway guys it's going well, looked at a disused strip at Roadvale today, lovely old fella there will lease a shed and the strip for the same amount i'd pay in boonah, but big advantages here:

(1) only ONE acft in the shed (mine) - no pushin and shovin other acft to go for a fly (or havin my drifter whacked about by other guys wanting to go for a fly)

(2) the strip is only 15 mins from my door (boonah strip is 30 mins)

(3) old fella will even keep strip mowed for me, if he can't do it i can borrow his tractor/slasher

(4) strip is 500m long and 25m wide - drove me Fairlane along it today and it felt just fine

disadvantages:

(1) shed has open front, but i will be installing shade cloth blinds (or similar) to keep the sun/rain out

(2) strip is north/south and prevailing wind here is east/west, so i need to work on my xwind landings/takeoffs - done a fair few in me training anyway so i aint worried - if i get 'stuck' i can always bolt to boonah (east/west runways)

will have a look at Google Earth and see if i can find a pic for ya's, i got the co-ords with me lil gps earlier today

cheers from a bloke who needs sleeping pills (herbal) at le momento

bp

not enuff time m8

only 5 weeks now, and i want to do my xc endo with trevor at clifton

he has the fly-in coming up in 3 weeks so he's flat strap

i'm happy to drive the support vehicle and fly the occasional (under 25nm) leg

will have a strip/hangar prepared at Roadvale (see Google Earth) by Easter

still lookin, still all ears, but Wayne might get the job i reckon, will post a reply to him direct

cheer guys

bp

?

sorry Darren, i have no idea what that means..........

bp

g'day guys

the little white Drifter for sale in the latest edition of the R A Aus magazine has a new owner - Me !!!

only problem is she's at Rockhampton, and i don't have an XC endorsement - so i am looking for a willing volunteer to do the majority of the flying, from Rocky to Boonah

plan is to do the trip at Easter (so i don't have to take any extra time off work to get the job done) ;)

i'm happy to pay airfares/train fares to get my ferry pilot to/from Rocky (within reason - if you live in Perth or Tassie, it aint gonna work :;)1: )

open to all suggestions, happy to give more info on the lil blue/white beasty to the lucky begger wot gets the 'job'

i'm all ears, guys - who's up for it ??? :;)5:

boleropilot

quick update

g'day guys

been solo for abt 8 hours so planned a licence test this past weekend, wind at Clifton was a real bugger, so no test, but did manage to do some high-wind (digital unit in flight office was reading 20 - 25 knot gusts) practice

wind was almost straight down the strip so it was manageable, exhilerating and scary at the same time, was glad to get down tho, the sink was getting a bit vicious.....;)

had to keep a lot of speed on during final and then had to be ready for flying out of the wind gradient just before touchdown - Wow, tricky stuff

cheers guys, keep in touch

bp

yeh freddy, 'tis what i heard too:-

the guys who really know their drifters reckon the wire braced 503 is the pick of the bunch

bp

hey guys

finally got around to adding an avatar - moi after my first TIF (late last year, with Greg/Boonah)

and yep, that is 1810, b4 her last 'refit'

cheers

bp

hey Darren, only just found these posts

very nice screenies m8, would like to see more pls

cheers

boleropilot

aka dave tonks, flightsim writer Aust Fly and Aviat mags

hey JL, got the article today, thanks m8, that's some Drifter !!!

really appreciate you going to the effort - I suspect that at some time in the future our Drifters will be tied down at the same airfield, when that happens (if we are staying overnight of course) we will share some liquid refreshment, my shout (i'm into reds meself)

cheers m8 and thanks again

bp

thanks JL, looking forward to that

bp

hey callide, gonna be in the same boat as you soon so please keep us posted on how the 'hunting' goes, every little bit of info on what's around (and how much) is all gold m8

cheers

bp