NT5224

For my part, I don't see clearing Mulga (or anything) as a long term solution. Our rural industries and communities depend long term upon healthy country (that's something our blackfella neighbours have taught us!). We need to protect and conserve our natural environment within the context of our sustainable production. Somebody struggling from drought starts pushing Mulga to save 5000 head. That scrub might not appear particularly useful (other as emergency fodder), but I would be surprised if it doesn't play a role in capturing and holding water and directing it into the groundwater systems and rivers downstream -and of course stabilising top soils. Push the scrub, then you lose your soil and the systems' stuffed. And there's your next drought exacerbated: its a vicious cycle. Even in good years you'll get grasses back, but the scrub will take years to re-establish. These droughts are felt most acutely on cleared lands that have been flogged and ecosystems degraded. As I wrote before, I also believe that many producers are operating on an economic knife-edge (high debt and highly variable income). Poor financial decision-making and prices driven ever downwards by profit-seeking agricultural commodity brokers will also exacerbate vulnerability to the effects of drought. If margins weren't so tight, maybe more producers could agist, or bring in fodder during bad years. Those 90+ % of Australians squeezed into the urbanised south eastern states really depend on a tiny proportion of the population who remain active in land management and food production across the inland. The situation s becoming precarious. We need people who know and understand the land, which is one of our greatest national resources. We need the insights of our blackfella neighbours and their rich culture, but also need the knowledge graziers, growers and farmers who have worked the land for generations. Around where I live, youngsters tend not to return to the land after higher education, prefer city life and careers, and life free of generational debt, high risk and isolation. I can imagine that 'urban flight' and people leaving the bush is another terrible consequence these episodic droughts down south. Alan

Hi folks Interesting discussion here. I have to agree that understanding weather and land productivity cycles are key to successful production. However, the point has been made that prices at the farm gate have been driven increasingly lower in markets monopolised by one or two major players. I reckon this latest 'drought' down south is as much an economic creation as a natural phenomena. The same trendy urbanistas wringing their hands and wailing at the treatment of emaciated stock have come to expect milk from our dairies at unsustainable prices. Here in the north we are to some extent insulated from the current problems down south, not only because we get regular rainfall, but because we for the most part export to markets where pricing is more competitive. I believe that, if we want to protect the sustainability of our agriculture, food production and secure our rural industries (which are among this nations' greatest productive resources), we should forget about charity, handouts, and clips of skinny sheep on You Tube. We need to expect to pay fair prices at the farm gate, and care less about the profits of the shareholders in big corporates. We need people working on the land, understanding it, and knowing how to conserve it. Oh, and in my mind there is little doubt that weather patterns are changing and becoming less predictable. Here in the Top End we understand climatic variation: Wet Season and Dry Season! But in the last ten years this picture has become increasingly mixed. For example just Saturday (end of July) we had a heavy rain shower. What's that about? So Im not sure to what extent the old knowledges or rules apply. Speaking to an indigenous mate of mine this morning he was telling me that some species of bird that's migration to the Top End traditionally signals the onset of the wet has just turned up. He was scratching his head and saying it was really odd, arriving three months early. We are heading into uncharted territory. I'm just glad Im not a beef grower with a big mortgage in inland NSW. My sympathies to them and their families. Alan

I’m so proud of my wife Yesterday I watched her solo for the first time, without any trepidation, knowing her to be as competent, self assured and business-like about her flying as she is in everything else. She came back frustrated that her landing had not been her best: The extra float from the lightened aircraft. She was disappointed when her instructor wouldn’t let her go up again and prove how polished her flying could be. And the thing is, she’s not passionate about flying the way I am. It’s just we have an aircraft, and it makes sense she knows how to operate it. So it just boils down to her perservence and the experience and patience of her instructor. She’s no spring chook either, just eighteen months younger than I. Good for her. I’m sooo proud! Alan

So my issue of Sport Pilot reached us via our PO Box at Adelaide River. Much as I enjoyed Brian’s tenure with the mag, Mark and his wife seem to have done a great job with it. So good the editor and deputy editor remain aviators themselves ( I assume that was a selection criteria for the contract?) Well done Mark. Flying dog articles always welcome Alan

Hi Folks Im not normally one to critique RAA, and prefer to give the benefit of the doubt to the blokes doing the hard job of steering our organisation when there are 10,000 of us all wanting different things. However, I have just renewed RAA membership and received the new plain orange card with the inaccurately postioned sticker with my name and member number. Does anybody else have one yet? What do you think? I appreciate the cost savings to members the permenant card might have, with pilot information stored online, but couldn't we have had something that looked a little more interesting, perhaps like an official pilots certificate and less like a cheesy 1990s video rental store memebership card? In my view the previous cards (although there was room for improvement) were far superior. Does a permanent card necessarily mean it has to look cheap and cheesy? Very unimpressed. RAA you could have done much much better than this. Very disappointing. Alan

That happened to me once. I had flown across the Dividing Range at about 9000 ft to stay above some cloud, and had been running at high rpm for an extended period. I descended normally at one of those airfields on the other side (can't remember which, 'Gondawonda' or something similar) and found my throttle had stuck open (not on full revs, but something high enough to make a braked deceleration difficult). Touched the aircraft down normally (albeit it a little faster than i would have liked), and just killed it with the Mags. Pushing myself clear of the runway, I gave the throttle spring a good working and oiling and never had the problem again. I suppose I could have killed it on base or long final but wanted to keep my options open as long as possible, just in case. Alan

Personally I support this initiative and hope it materialises soon enough for me to get my Rebel certified RAA again ( at 760kg ) once my Lycoming 0320 is installed. Otherwise I’ll have to go VH experimental. If regulation and maintenance requirements for aircraft under 600kg will remain unchanged and new restrictions and regs only effect the new G category, I can’t see why folks are complaining. Of course nobody wants to see membership and aircraft reg fees rise across the organisation, and it wouldn’t be fair to do so. So as a potential G category owner, I would expect to pay higher reg fees than my neighbour with his rag and tube machine. Who knows? A ‘high end’ G category may end up subsidising other parts of the organisation and so bring fees down for existing members. I would happily absorb a higher membership/reg cost if it gave me the freedom to safely fly my aircraft the way I want to, within its design parameters. Alan

Just to clarify, we have been fortunate to source a near-new 0320 at a very reasonable price, already configured for a Rebel. So finding one isn’t the issue, just whether it’s the right decision. And the consensus here seems to support my own view that the 0320 is strong,reliable and proven motor Thanks for all the wise counsel, and opinions much appreciated Alan

My recollection is that it was somewhere not far from 400kg. With two on board (combined weight 150kg) we were limited in how much fuel we could legally carry under RAA. Luckily most of my cross country flights were solo.

The Rotec was 115 hp and struggled. 160 hp will be much more suitable to the Rebels size and weight - and enhance its STOL which is really important to us. Also here in The Territory there are a lot more 172s flying than ultralights, and so support and supply should be simpler.

Many on here will know that a couple of months ago the Rotec engine on my Murphy Rebel unexpectedly seized in flight over Tiger country and forced me down in a swamp. Im now in the process of getting airworthy again and seek opinions on whether a Lycoming 320 might be a better substitute for reliable bush flying. I realise this will probably push my Rebel out of RAA to VH rego, but ive been flying it well below design MTOW as RAA. Ive got a trustworthy and helpful LAME for the install. Any considerations im missing here? Cheers Alan

Facthunter, I will of course update on the engine failure when I have news. I’m sure all will appreciate since there is an insurance process underway I can’t say too much until that is settled. Yep, the Rebel has been pretty much the perfect airframe for our bush flying needs. Alan

Hiya Bought the Rebel in Jan 2016, so have had it a couple of years now. Excellent aircraft, although always been wary of the temperamental non-standard motor. I’m not sure why it was never taken down off aviation advertiser after it was sold to me. This aircraft is necessarily grounded and going through inspection. I’m hoping it will be rejoining the fleet shortly, with a more suitable engine for serious bush flying. Cheers Alan

Hiya Bex and Old Koreelah. Bex, you ask a great question which has given me pause for thought. Will I fit a BRS into my aircraft after this? On reflection, im not sure that I will. Its true that on this occasion I JUST made it over the last trees to the clearing (believe me, it was close!!!) but I did make it. If we had hit the trees and lived to tell of it my thoughts now might be different. I will certainly learn from this experience and will try to improve some aspects of my airmanship but im not sure about the BRS. Cheers Alan

Hi everybody. Thanks so much for the comments of support and encouragement. That's what you get sharing your story with other aviators rather than non-flyers. What frustrated me yesterday was the local media reporting of our spectacular 'crash'. A local radio channel apparently reported that we had miraculously survived (and I didn't hear this myself) when the aircraft had fallen from the sky or flown into the ground inverted, as shown in the picture! Of course the flip had only occurred at low speed when the wheels stuck in mud at the end of the landing roll. Understandably, we had relatives seriously worried for our lives... Also we were reported to have 'injuries' or 'minor' injuries. We were both unharmed by the incident and I just drove us home after the misadventure. Its unfair how our sport is tarnished by this sensationalism. Anyway gripe over. On the issue of STOL raised by nicephotog, I'd consider my own Murphy Rebel a serious STOL bush aircraft, designed and built for the Canadian outback. Funnily enough, I currently have on order some 29 inch Alaskan bush tyres to be fitted to it. If they had arrived and been fitted before Sunday they almost certainly would have prevented my rollover on landing. However, they weigh 15kg each and if they had been fitted its likely the weight and drag would have compromised that lengthy glide to the clearing we pulled off. We might have dropped into the bush. I'd rather take the roll-over than fly my wife into trees. Have been in touch with the insurers and plans are afoot for the recovery. Its going to be a bit of an adventure getting to the landing site at this time of year and getting the aircraft out. Cheers Alan

It was a Rotec 2800 7 cylinder, but between the initial seizure and the roll damage who knows what it is now?

This was me. It happened yesterday. I’ve often seen these type of reports and wondered what lay behind the hype and the sensation. I’ve tried to keep and open mind but now I I think I better understand the forces at play. My incident was all over the media, especially here in The Territory. My wife and I were described as an ‘elderly couple’ who had astonishing luck to survive after undefined engine problems... Yep, we were called ‘survivors’ of a crash, with the image of our inverted plane all over the media. I couldn’t really explain to my non-flying colleagues at work, but I want to run over what happened and how I feel about it here, in the hope that somebody will either learn from it or perhaps relate to how deflated I’m feeling. My wife is just plain cranky at being described as being aged ‘in her fifties’ by the media, a complete fallacy. . Here’s what happened. We were flying back from Crab Claw to Batchelor at about 2000 feet because we had just come out from under the 2500 ft step into G class airspace. That’s much lower than I would normally fly over bush but I had just given a 10 mile inbound and we could see home. The aircraft had been flying for over an hour and had already taken off twice that day. All indications were normal, and the motor was running fine but suddenly it seized. The prop jerked to a stop, and we were whistling through the air in silence, a fat barrel-shaped glider. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, I trimmed for best glide. Had a glance around and then called ‘Pan’ on the Batchelor frequency, describing my engine failure and location. I tried to prime with the fuel pump and restart but something told me the engine was completely broke. Most concerning, we were over extensive woodlands and hilly terrain, no roads or anywhere to set down. But we always lookout for places to set down as we fly, and we had already discussed a couple of spots earlier during the flight. Together my wife and I spotted a small clearing a couple miles away, to the north but it looked awfully far. I trimmed to stretch the glide as best I could, keeping an eye on the ASI knowing that 50-60 would give me my best chance. I gave a radio call of where we were heading. My wife’s instructor was somewhere around doing training and called back that the message had been relayed to Brisbane Central. We also heard a couple of other voices responding and relaying our message. Oddly enough that was really reassuring to know that our situation was known, not that it was much help for our immediate predicament. Dunno how long that glide lasted, in my perception it went on and on, reluctantly trading height for speed to stay away from stall. We just made it over the edge of the clearing and as I got over the last of the trees I put out extra flap and floated down to make probably my best landing that day, but into shoulder high spear grass. That grass slowed us down pretty quick, but as we decelerated on our landing roll our wheels started sinking into the bog. And we pitched forward, not at high speed, but enough to flip the aircraft onto its back. The roll happened quite suddenly and was quite diseorientating, but my ‘elderly’ wife proved remarkably spritely and called “right, everybody out!” We scrambled out of the aircraft into the bog. We were shaken, but we were otherwise unhurt. An R44 tourist flight was overhead in about ten minutes as we were trying to ascertain our damage and how we might get out of the swamp. The pilot landed and told us help was on the way and he would return after his tourists were unloaded. Top bloke! But within 30 minutes the CareFlight guys arrived from Darwin and extracted us, the pilot being very careful not to set down in the bog. They were fabulous, and really pragmatic about the incident. They ferried us back to Batchelor where they checked us out, I spoke with AMSA and gave a report to the Cops. We drove home that night still rather bemused by the whole experience. But our confusion was nothing to what we experienced this morning seeing our story all over the media this morning with it’s bizarre inaccuraries and sensationalism. So tonight our beautiful aircraft lies inverted in a swamp and we’re waiting to hear from our insurers. Yes we are lucky, but we worked as a team and flew the plane to the ground a long distance without power. My wife who is undergoing flight training herself was calm and reassuring, and her amazing competence was infectious. She made me a better pilot. This sounds crazy, but I’m so glad she was with me through it. Shes gonna make an awesome aviator. In 13 years flying, I’ve had an emergency landing before, but in the circuit, where it’s fairly clear what to do. This was different. So why did the engine seize? Had I preflighted and pulled through the prop on the radial and managed the oil? Yes I had, but unfortunately on these radials it’s possible a bent rod could go undetected for weeks or months before it cuts loose. It’s really hard to tell without opening the engine and I had no reason to suspect that anything was amiss. The aircraft follows a regular maintenance schedule to GA standards. When we get the aircraft back it’ll be interesting to see what happened. This can happen to anybody, quite unexpectedly. You never think it’s gonna happen to you. Walking away from this was testimony to some great instruction and sound advice I’ve received over the years. I hope I never have to apply that knowledge again.

Yesterday I got an interesting new perspective on my wife's flying. I flew into our local airfield while she was training in the circuit. I first heard her voice just before I gave my own ten mile inbound call, then could hear her giving her circuit calls. She sounded great! I crossed overhead midfield as she was on finals and dropped into the downwind leg. It was just our two aircraft around and because her instructor wanted her to experience more circuit traffic, I followed her in the circuit for two 'touch-and-goes', before she stopped for a coffee break. Its the first time I've been in the air with my significant other -both of us flying separate planes! As I wrote before, I'm extremely proud of her progress.... She'll make a great aviator! Alan

Gotta admit I love the old Stringbag too! But flying them off pitching carriers over a stormy, icy North Atlantic would have taken extraordinary courage. So agree with others here that its aircrew who made it the legend it has become.

Hi folks! I’m really proud of my wife who’s currently going through her RAA flight training. Each weekend I’m there at the strip on pretence of mowing outside the hangar or tinkering with our aircraft, watching her flying her circuits with her instructor and doing a little dance each time she greases her ‘touch and goes’. I reckon she’s showing really aptitude and I’m really, really proud of her! But also we now spent time discussing aspects of flying and the RAA training syllabus. She has questions for me and I try and explain things as well as I can to help her understanding of flight and airmanship. But funnily enough, the process of thinking things through to construct my responses and offer her advice on her training is almost certainly making me a better aviator too. I’ve already realised a number of errors and shortcuts I take with my own flying and am determined to correct them. My wife isn’t bitten by the aviation bug but just sees flying as a practical skill to have, given that we own an aircraft. Anyway, as I said above, really proud of her progress. Anybody else had a wife, husband or significant other go through flight training? If so, did it help your own flying too? Cheers Alan

Jaba-who said: ↑ Depends what you mean by “north”. To us in North Queensland “north “ equals Townsville or north of it. To southerners “North Queensland” is anything north of Brisbane and south of Mackay. Anything north of that just doesn’t count as civilization. ....... Click to expand... It's funny how people in the north become so parochial about their particular patch of it. When I was in Australia's 'proper' north we used to think of you Cairnsians as 'Southerner Softies' Ha ha! All you northerners just crack me up, comparing the size of your latitudes like that... :) Alan :)

Loop? We’ll be flying all the way down to Brissie to start but luckily finishing at Broome which is not too far from home. No way would we want to turn around and fly down south to Queensland again! I’m pleased we’re doing the extra leg pre-race rather than after. Gives us a chance to settle the bird and get a team routine. But I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. Alan