farri

A Porter turboprop aircraft made by the Swiss manufacturer Pilatus has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Crete. A pilot was killed. The machine was only delivered new on Monday.

https://www.tellerreport.com/tech/2022-12-16-brand-new-turboprop-plane--pilatus-crashed-off-crete.HkQst8Zqdj.html

https://www.globalair.com/articles/final-pilatus-pc-6-crashes-in-sea-near-crete-on-way-to-delivery-killing-1?id=5336

Franco.

Still no shortage of those wanting the 'Drifter experience.'

Some of my family and friends, I`ve taken flying, over the last couple of weeks. 

Franco. 

G`Day Nev, Yeah! good weather up here at the moment and I`m certainly using the sky! hope everyone else is, also. 

Jason Crane and Myself, flying for the 'World Ultralight Fly-In' (W.U.F.I), event, held over this last weekend.

The World ultralight fly-in (WUFI) is an annual global event that takes place in October. All pilots of small aircraft are encouraged to participate by sharing the sky on the same day together.

From the RAA, Fatal Accident Communique, dated, 15 September 2022, that I received!

Although it would be unwise to speculate as to the cause of the accident, I can confirm the aircraft, a Jabiru J230 with one person onboard, collided with terrain in rugged bushland southeast of Mt Elliot.

Franco.

Thanks for the info...I`d seen that photo on social media and been wondering if it was real.

Franco.

Jason Crane has already been back for his second fly with me! we did this one over the last weekend.

Jason has caught the bug and would like to take it up so I`ve been giving him all the information and assistance that he needs, to start learning to fly, but unfortunately! there`s no one up here in the Cairns area, running an R.A.A flying school, using a Drifter.

Franco.

It`s guys like these that keep me doing what I do, with the Drifter...Jason Crane, found me on facebook, saw some of my flying videos, contacted me and asked if I`d take him flying! he told me he`d missed the opportunity to fly with me when he was 10 years old, so last Saturday, I took him flying! after the flight this is what he wrote on my facebook page.

Jason Crane

I grew up in Deeral watching the ultralights fly over and even hung out at the same airstrip. When I was 10 years old I missed the opportunity to have a fly with Franco Arri as I needed my parents permission, 35 years later (no parents permission required ) I finally got to go for a fly. Thanks Franco....your a legend!

This is Shayla Ganly! Shayla is one of the locals here, at Deeral! today is her 19th birthday and she wanted to go flying with me, so we did.

Franco.

4 minutes ago, IBob said:

Not my taste in backing music, but that's subjective..........)

That`s ok Bob! tell me which music you prefer and I`ll do the next one just for you!!!  

Got it wrong in my previous post, this will make it easier!!!

Ok Guys`, time to stir up this thread again!

I`ve been trying out different placement positions with the GoPro and here`s one of them.

Franco.

https://youtu.be/WId3RgetrCQ 

My figures won`t be accurate but I reckon the accurate figures would be higher, rather than lower...Keep in mind my figures are based on my, one Robin Fuji 440,  4 x Rotax 582 grey head and my current Rotax 503DCDI. 

Flying hours over 38 years, 3,000 plus.

Fuel used @ 15lt per hr X 3,000 = 45,000 lts.

Oil in fuel @ 50:1 = 900 lts

Average fuel cost @ $1.2 per lt = $54,000

Average oil cost @ $8.7 per lt = $7,830

Total, $ 61,830.

Franco,

Ps, I`d never given it much thought and wouldn`t have believed it, without doing the figures.

But wait! there`s more!!! one with a better outcome, 😉....When I was sugar cane harvesting, I was turning the harvester around at the end of the row to go into the next row and I caught the stay wire, with the top of the elevator, high up, on a wooden power pole, at the end of the paddock! I wondered what was holding me back until I saw the pole shaking violently and the farmer standing beside it, with a look of horror on his face.

I knew the pole was there but wanting the job done as quick as, I forgot about it! had the pole been a bit weaker or the machine a bit stronger, I probably would have brought the whole lot down on top of me and the farmer.

Franco.

Continuing Off Topic! 😉... A banana farmer friend of mine, had a spray rig with the booms up, attached to his tractor and parked near the shed, heard an explosion, went out to find a rear tyre on the tractor, blown out. A new tyre was fitted but it didn`t take long for it to explode.

The cause: The tractor was parked close enough to the powerlines going to the shed, that the wind had blown the lines onto one of the spray booms.

Franco.

https://www.flyingmag.com/four-killed-following-midair-collision-in-las-vegas/

Ron was wearing a 3 point harness! he ended up in that position because he pulled his legs out of the nose pod and attempted to release the seat belt but due to his weight he couldn`t release it so he just had to hang there.

I reckon the belt did it`s job! had he been able to undo it, he may not have survived the fall.

Franco.

One of the few pilots to survive a powerline strike...This happened up in the Mulgrave Valley, quite a few years ago, to my old mate, Ron Biondi. Ron knew the powerline was there but had simply forgotten about it.  

Franco,

Ps, Ron retired from flying a couple of years ago and sold his beloved Drifter.

Tributes flow for John Mercer killed in ultralight plane crash in Bowenville! A well-known Oakey man has been remembered as a larrikin who supported his community and loved life, after he was killed in a plane crash in Bowenville.

2 hours ago, farri said:

The pilots name has been made public on the facebook, Drifter Aircraft Appreciation Society, site, in a post by Peter Williams, titled, " Wondering Who Crashed At Bowenville".

 

This could be the Drifter in the accident as it`s the one in the pilots cover photo, on his facebook page!

I posted this believing the information I had was correct! I`ve done more research and it turns out it wasn`t! I sincerely apologize...Another lesson learned.

Franco.

The pilots name has been made public on the facebook, Drifter Aircraft Appreciation Society, site, in a post by Peter Williams, titled, " Wondering Who Crashed At Bowenville".

This could be the Drifter in the accident as it`s the one in the pilots cover photo, on his facebook page!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-26/pilot-dies-in-bowenville-light-plane-crash/101184998

51 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Where did the fuel overflow come from? 

 

Yes! and I`d also like to know how the fire started!!!

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

 Hi Franco ...Nev

Hi Nev, All good at home here and I`m still flying. 

1 hour ago, BrendAn said:

Sorry to hear that. As long as you are ok is all that matters. 

Not me or my aircraft!!!

From facebook! 

"A fuel overflow caused a small grass fire under the plane which quickly spread through the rest of the plane. I was able to open the canopy and exit the cockpit without any burns or injuries. Could have happened on take-off or in the air."

Franco.