Lior

Thanks for the tips. I've been soaring a bit in Grob Twins, so I do try to stay on the windside of any slopes and find thermals (even of the blue variety). 65 knots is a tad fast in my drifter with its diminutive pod. Even in a Flycom Helmet one can feel that the aircraft is not happy, and without an elevator trim tab a lot of forward stick pressure is needed to maintain straight and level.

Last time I flew I calculated a density altitude at field level of 2500 feet, and I was flying at a mean density altitude of 4500 feet (e.g. 2000 feet ASL). Few are the days in which the temperature here is that of a standard atmosphere, but my field's altitude is 200 feet ASL. M16A1, Your fuel burn sounds good!

Hello, Drifterites. A question if I may. I'm still a bit new to the Drifter 582 flying business, and have noticed that fuel calculations change dramatically with the added weight of a passenger, hilly terrain and winds, even on "there and back" flights. My Drifter is a Maxair model put together in 1994. So what is the best cruising rpm to conserve fuel and maximize range assuming one is in operating limits? I can stay up to enjoy the view at 4700 rpm/ 50 mph IAS and take on Middle Eastern headwinds at 5200 rpm / 60 mph IAS, but still don't know how to max my range on 60 liters. A pleasure flight over Nazareth during the weekend nearly would have my Drifter into a glider after 2 hours 40 minutes had I not monitored fuel levels carefully. Landed with a modest reserve after that experience. Was hoping to get 15 liters an hour :( One theory that I had was that increased angle of attack in a fully laden Drifter with its fat ultralight camber results in a dramatic increase in induced drag compared to when flying solo. I'm no expert yet but I don't intend to stop learning any time soon. Helpful tips will be welcome.

In the good old days, my hangar wasn't even locked - I was sure that thieves couldn't fly.

Hereabouts the only pilots who get jailed are military ones on disciplinary offenses. Unlicensed pilots do not usually live long enough to be punished by the state.

Thanks for the welcome, folks. Being a pilot often means reading one's friends obituaries at least. The weather here is fair and predictable and the terrain and ladies beautiful, but a thirsty 582 on a draggy airframe makes fuel calculations interesting. Like other parts of the world, one shouldn't fly where one would feel unwelcome on the ground, but there is enough freedom to be found between the airspace restrictions. Many of our landing strips are austere 200X7 meter jobs surrounded in farmland and runway excursions involving sexy new aircraft are commonplace. Until about a year ago we were limited to 500' AGL, but with new maps 2000' AGL regions in some parts of the country give us reasons for aeronautical mirth. Gnarly, re combining my hobbies, other people have expressed similar sentiment. It would be a blast if I could get an STC for a Scarff ring on a Drifter. I usually fly armed out of personal preference (Glock 19C), but most pilots here don't bother. My current steed, 4X-HFQ, was the first ultralight aircraft to fly from Israel to Cyprus on auxiliary pontoons, but I shy away from such aquatic adventures.

Hello folks. At the behest of the site's spirit, I'm introducing myself. I'm an ULM/LSA pilot from Israel, started to fly in 2007, owned a Zenair 701 for a while and now own a Drifter 582. Besides flying I shoot a lot as a hobby and both fields are places where governments are constantly breathing down my necks and having us being ever vigilant to defend our freedoms. As a busy self-employed office wallah, I have to compress my fun into a few hours a week, which makes flying from a nearby drome just the ticket. I took some gliding lessons recently, but prefer the lower logistic challenges of powered aircraft for now. Thanks all for reading - there is an apparent wealth of information hereabouts.

Dear folks, Avner was my hangar mate and I can only confirm what my fellow countryman Tanaz14 has written. Notwithstanding derigging for flatbed transport, the late Avner's drifter was intact when it was returned to my hangar. Sad tale combined with an interesting aeronautical curio.