farri

When Electric Aircraft were first mentioned on here, I was skeptical and didn`t think it would happen in my lifetime! Now I`m beginning to get excited that I may be able to go electric on the Drifter in the not too distant future! Here`s hoping!!!

 

I would stay up there forever if I could but realistically! I`ll be happy with one hour and a bit to spare! at this stage, I`ll even settle for half an hour!!!

 

Franco.

 

 

" Hoversurf, say that the product is ready for sale."

 

I find it amazing that anyone would build something like that and offer it for sale without adequate guards around the propellers! Absolutely crazy!!! 

 

Regulations? Well, if there are none, I`m sure some will be drawn up!

 

Franco.

 

 

I was looking for any information I could find on an Electric engine/motor system that could suit the Drifter, found this and thought it was worth posting for others interested in Electric Aircraft... In no way am I promoting Electro.Aero.... Moderators remove, if this can be seen as Commercial Advertising!

 

https://www.electro.aero/index.php/en/

 

 

Aerochute have been working on an Electric model for a while, 30 min flight time. 

https://www.aerochute.com.au/aerochute-electric/

Thank You Mike, I wasn`t aware of it!... Hopefully, there will be electric capable of powering the Drifter before I get to old to use it!!!   ... Seriously though, I would go electric!.......Franco.

 

 

Guys, please bear with me! In an attempt to find the cause of the problem I`ve been having, I`ve made a couple of changes at my end and I`ve had to write the post again to see the result.

 

Some great flying this morning with Jimmy and Andrew! I took Jimmy for his first flight two weeks ago but my camera was out of action so no photo then! Jimmy is 137 kg, we were still below MTOW and the Drifter handled it easily! He`s so impressed that he is considering becoming an Ultralight pilot and would lose weight to achieve it! I`ve offered to assist however I can so we`ll see what happens. 

 

This was Andrew`s first Ultralight flight! he only came along with Jimmy to see what this Ultralight flying was all about and take some video of Jimmy but after seeing me take Jimmy up and listening to what I had to say, he was sure he wanted to go up! the result? he got back a very happy excited man and now they`re both adamant they will be back and bring others with them.

 

 

 

Franco,

 

Ps, Keep it safe, keep it fun and there`s no end to people wanting to have a go!                                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

Some great flying this morning with Jimmy and Andrew! I took Jimmy for his first flight two weeks ago but my camera was out of action so no photo then! Jimmy is 137 kg, we were still below MTOW and the Drifter handled it easily! He`s so impressed that he is considering becoming an Ultralight pilot and would lose weight to achieve it! I`ve offered to assist however I can so we`ll see what happens.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This was Andrew`s first Ultralight flight! he only came along with Jimmy to see what this Ultralight flying was all about and take some video of Jimmy but after seeing me take Jimmy up and listening to what I had to say, he was sure he wanted to go up! the result? he got back a very happy excited man and now they`re both adamant they will be back and bring others with them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Franco,                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ps, Keep it safe, keep it fun and there`s no end of people wanting to have a go!                                                                                              PPS, I set the post up the way I want it but when I post it, it comes up different to the way I did it! I`ve tried to edit 4 times, with no success! is anyone else having similar problems? This is happening to me all too often, don`t know what the problem is!

 

 

 

 

 

Beefed up version

http://www.worldaircraftco.com/surveyor/

Saw a price on it somewhere, not so long ago and I think it wasn`t too far under $100 K!  Way far too expensive!!! I wouldn`t clean swap my Drifter for it... Franco. 

 

 

Give me an electric setup for my Drifter, that can give me the same performance as my current Rotax 503 DCDI, at a cost roughly equivalent to the 503 and keep me in the air for a minimum of 1 hour and I will fit it at the next engine change... At the moment, it looks like my next engine may have to be a Hirth,  

 

3202 2 cycle 55hp  

 

or the, 3203 2 cycle 65hp both engines are free to air or fan cooled!

 

Franco.

 

 

Now that`s better, a start anyway! I was beginning to think everyone was intimidated by the PC police!  .......Franco.

 

 

Is the Drifter group still active? Seems most posts are years old, like me, or I’m probably doing something wrong.........I’ve got a Fisher Drifter and I like reading the old posts.....

AS active as you choose to make it!!!!......Franco. 

 

 

Gee Whiz! 109 views and not 1 Merry Christmas from you guys!!!  .......Franco.

 

 

Drone`s fault??? The IDIOT flying it, where it could hit the aircraft! or, was the intention to hit the aircraft?

 

 

Well! we missed the wind we were supposed to get from Tropical Cyclone Owen, last night, but we got one hell of a thunderstorm, with a total of 210 mls of rain so this afternoon I couldn`t use the strip, down at the Drifter shed, due to water on the strip and had to come up to the one behind the house! got off and back on, just fine! 

 

Andrew`s first Ultralight flight! A couple of weeks ago, Andrew and his partner, Lynne purchased a house here on Ross Road and became locals so I reckon I`ll be taking Andrew flying again! Lynne has flown with me several times! 

 

 

Franco.

 

 

 

Found this little beauty on facebook! looks simple to build, without buckets of $$$ required. 

 

Buzz Shannon‎Magnificent Men & their Flying Machines

 

 

Franco.

 

 

I`ve copied Emah`s post on facebook and pasted here! Emah is the lady who made-up the skins for Wayne Fisher... Franco.

 

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1419567688295037/?multi_permalinks=2188752354709896%2C2188269558091509&notif_id=1544340299861269&notif_t=group_activity

 

      Emah Silberstein  

 

Hey guys, I’m advertising this for a friend. PM if interested and I’ll pass his contact details on:

 

Wanted Buyer/Syndicate .

 

Drifter Austflight manufacturer 25-0415 Wire Braced 582 Blue head 330hrs, Great stick and rudder Classic .

 

Last 3 years extensive refurbishment, Usual instruments , ICOM Radio, G.A. plugs, intercom, Garmin 196C , Certified Bolly (3) props ,E.O. for Ceonite with 2 pack , Ailerons, Tail Feathers, recent Main Sails replaced, Strut wire bracing (8) with release cert , Fly s Well

 

Registered Nov 2019 . Price $18,498.00 ono

 

 

 

 

At 7:07 into the video! "At about 3.50 LA Center offers the pilot an IFR clearance to Henderson" 

 

Apart from all the bad decisions the pilot made, LA Center offered a VFR pilot, who had lodged a VFR flight plan, an IFR clearance without knowing if the pilot if  was IFR rated. 

 

 

Not the first, won`t be the last! 

 

 

As Carlo Prete was an AUF/RAA CFI operating his flying school from Mundoo (Innisfail) Aerodrome, since the very early days of the AUF, I thought it appropriate to notify those on this site who knew Carlo but may not be aware of his passing... I`ve copied from Carlo`s facebook site and pasted here... Franco.

 

Carlo Prete 

 

4 hrs · Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and well wishes Dad/Carlo Prete passed away yesterday, he is now resting in peace.

 

 

We`ve been getting heat-wave conditions here in the Cairns area for the last week and yesterday it came to a head with a powerful thunderstorm! Here at Deeral by the damage done to the trees where it hit most, I guestimated the wind to be around a category 2 Cyclone, there was rain and hail also! fortunately for us here at home, most of the force of the wind went through along the Bruce Highway, just 2.5 km up the road... Another thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon but by far better than the fire`s that are burning throughout Queensland at the moment!

 

After the storm comes the sunshine and this morning started with perfect flying weather so I decided to take Peter flying! Peter lives just a couple of hundred meters up the road, loves flying with me and I love taking him! Peter was born totally deaf and still is but he is extremely skillful at lip reading! once we`re in the air we communicate with hand signals, works just fine.  

 

 

Franco,

 

Ps, I don`t know why I give him the headphones...

 

 

 

 

Farri Great shots with your manual dexterity. I owned a Fugi Finepix for years. Finally broke.Bill Catalina Florida USA

 

 

 

 

3

Thanks, Bill! Here`s a couple more for you!!!

 

Well! They just coming!!! Pia and Ingmar are from Germany, back-packing through Australia! They`re staying just up the road with friends of ours, saw me flying and just had to do it, so this morning, I had the pleasure of taking both of them for their first Ultralight flight!!!

 

 

Franco.  

 

 

 

 

 

You said "muscles" Farri....you were spot on! Big guy indeed!

What's his weight? Easily a solid 100 kilos anyway. I was trying to see your motor. Is that a 503? I have a 503 in mine and had no problem lifting a 225 pound guy along with my 205 pound frame.

 

Anyway, great shot!

G`Day Callahan! Matthew is 103 kg or 227 lbs, at the moment!

 

My current engine is a 503 DCDI, (purchased new) turning a Rotax E-type, 2.62:1 reduction gearbox, with an Ivo, 3 blades, 60-inch ground adjustable, Ultralight prop. The Ivo Ultralight prop is 72-inch diameter and has to be cut to size! the engine has now gone over 500 hrs without missing a beat, but I`ve pulled it apart, de-coked. honed the cylinders and changed the piston rings and all gaskets twice and the parts in both Carbies, once! Last week I fitted a new muffler can.

 

I had that gearbox on 3 of my 582 grey head when I was instructing, it never gave the slightest bit of trouble so I decided to put it on the 503! I replaced the oil seals before putting it on and it`s still going strong with well over 3,000 hrs done.

 

I`ve been using a Fuji Finepix 120 camera for a couple of years! I take all the photos of those in the back seat by holding the camera out to the side! Works fine for me.

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, we had a family get-together here on our property to celebrate our youngest Daughter`s 49th birthday and I had the privilege of taking my eldest Grandson, all 103 kg of muscle, flying! I`ve copied and pasted what Matt said on my facebook timeline! For me, there`s no better reward in recreational flying, than having family members and friends wanting to fly with me... I took the photo.

 

Matt Cheetham

 

33 mins · 

 

It's been a while since I,ve  been up in the air with Grandad, so yesterday I couldn't pass up on the chance to go flying. This is Franco Arri (Grandad) who's been flying for 39 years and still is doing what he loves. I've been flying with Grandad since I was just a kid and about 70kg lighter! I consider myself very lucky to have the chance to do this regularly.

 

 

Franco.

 

 

Don`t you just love it!!! "No good can come from people flying themselves around in little planes".......  

 

 

On the NSW Police Force facebook site!

 

Macca Straede Glad they're ok but I think the government should seriously think about a light aircraft cull and putting nets in the sky.

 

Tyra Basilicata No good can come from people flying themselves around in little planes.