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NT5224

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Everything posted by NT5224

  1. Hi Methuselah. So you've piqued my interest here -and seem very well informed. Who indeed supplied the weapons to kill 15000 Ukrainians between 2014 and 2022? Alan
  2. Hi Ian. As mentioned previously my hangar is based on a 12m x 12m dome structure with additional steel wall and access door of my own design. The floor is compacted roadbase. I have built the whole thing in the last two years using current material prices for under $8000. The arched structure kit took 7 days to throw up, the wall another 3 days. A good practical solution for my situation Alan
  3. There are many stories and images on the net now including by credible sources (BBC and ABC) highlighting that the Iranian Shahed drones raining down on Ukraine are Rotax powered. The Ukrainians have displayed the wreckage of crashed drones. Its not a good look for Rotax and their Canadian parent company... They are commencing an investigation. My first thought is what a waste! (These are one shot weapons right?) My second thought is how many Rotax aero engines must have been exported to Iran? It must have been hundreds. Didn't anybody consider this slightly unusual? Is recreational flying a big thing in Iran? Or go-carting or snowmobiles ( or whatever else they use those motors for?) This presumably gives Ukraine and her backers an idea of how many of these drones are still out there... Based upon how many Rotax motors were sold to Iran.. I don't think the engines have been locally pirated because they have 'Rotax' stamped on the plastic covers of the engine. Apparently the British and Americans use Rotax in their drones too. Alan
  4. Yeah saw this too. Sounds pretty awful! Hope the poor bloke gets the best possible treatment and is able to recover. Our thoughts should be with him and his family right now, but once he is out of danger it would be interesting to know what happened there. The prospect of fire in an aviation accident is pretty terrifying. I think we can become complacent thinking fires are less likely with our slow moving aircraft which have fewer electrical systems which can be shut down in an emergency. Wishing our fellow aviator for a rapid recovery. Thats the priority now! Alan
  5. Thanks Bruce. Good advice. Fortunately ( or unfortunately!) my Father in Law is a German old school structural engineer who checks engineering designs for a living. Nothing is ever quite precise enough! So the potential uplift of our dome structure was carefully calculated before we hoisted it, and I ended up doubling the weight of concrete holding it down. Alan
  6. Hiya Jack Really interested in your experiment there. We initially planned to do the same thing (we build everything else at our place ourselves) but to be honest the 12m span defeated us, both in terms of design and our ability with equipment available to build and raise it. As I said above, I costed a steel shed /hangar at very significantly higher than the tension membrane dome we ultimately went with. So I'm really interested to see how you go. Very best of luck mate. I'm sure it'll be a great hangar! Alan
  7. That’s a good point which is why I’m not fully closing the back wall and leaving the door open. Just some hessian material for shade which comes down in winds. Alan
  8. Yes that is a solid point onetrack. Our shelter was definitely at the cheap end of the scale and our expectations about its durability are realistic. However a replacement cover is only $2000 and just takes a day to throw over and tension. We couldn't have thrown up a steel shelter of comparable size for less than $20,000. So we get five cover replacements for the price.... That will keep my aircraft sheltered longer than I am likely to be flying... Another factor is that we erect all our infrastructure ourselves because of the cost of bringing in trades. These arched tension structures are really easy to build to get a 12m span and can be thrown up by just two people and a dog. Alan
  9. Ok been a while since I updated this. After months of delay and other chores prioritised, I have thrown up a back wall to my hangar. This keeps the morning sun off, and driving rain out in the monsoon. Used some steel members I had lying around the place and sheeting collected from the Darwin Tip shop. So far, everything you see has been built for about $8000. The Boy (our German Shepherd) loves the hangar and serves as airstrip Guardian and wildlife chaser. Alan
  10. Mo No idea. Might be 6K or 5K but still bloody expensive. They organise accommodation along the route but im guessing it's something to do with insurance or support. But still, it won't be sending them broke... In addition each team has to raise a minimum of 2K sponsorship We were all set to do it four years ago but dropped out due to a professional opportunity which came up for my wife. At such strong money we probably won't go back. Alan
  11. Palmyra's a great name. But for me it's always that sand blasted spot out in the scrub in Homs province. Dust storms and toppled columns. And more recently hoodlums with their black flags. Alan
  12. If you go to the Outback Air Race live tracker you will see 'Once in a Blue Mooney' appears still in Darwin while the rest of the pack are now flying the Gulf Country. Actually the Tracker is in Palmetston -not even at MKT airfield. Be interesting to know what has happened. Have they flown on without their tracker, or is the aircraft still parked at MKT? Some mechanical problems maybe? Darwin is local for us but many competitors will already have flown across the continent just to reach the start line. A few mechanical tweaks might have been needed... Alan
  13. Saddened to read this. Condolences to the families of the deceased. Alan
  14. Those blokes have been flying the race for years! I envy their participation and hope they have another good flight. Wasn't Grafton recently flooded? Glad the Mooney didn't get wet feet. Alan
  15. Apparently the Outback Air Race commences again this morning. The first since COVID. I was driving past into town (not flying because of Pitch Black), so stuck my beak into MKT to see the scene pre-departure. Anybody on here taking part? I'd love to hear about it. We had intended to compete in a previous event but probably can't afford the $7000 per person required. Its much cheaper to flight the same route alone. Pic of the racers (pre departure) attached. Alan
  16. I submitted my rebate application yesterday. I was 251. I haven't tested the device yet Alan
  17. Top End dry season and Pitch Black is back in our skies again. This year (first exercise post COVID), 17 national airforces are participating. My place lies almost directly halfway between Darwin and Tindal (the main operational bases) and with our airstrip it seems to have become a bit of a landmark. Fast jets constantly thundering overhead in waves. I might not be flying this weekend 🤣. We'll be in Darwin tomorrow to watch the fabulous Red Arrows display team. I've seem them twice before once in Darwin and once in Dubai. They never disappoint. Cheers Alan
  18. I just received my skyecho unit. Will apply for rebate this weekend Alan
  19. Haha! Read this wrong. Thought was titled the 'Gairplanes Maule'. Looks a bit like another Mini Rebel.. Thanks for sharing Alan
  20. Hi Raeburn. Great to heard that you and your wife are well. Sorry to hear about any minor scrapes, and hope you both recover quickly. Thanks for the update. Its a relief to know that our fellow aviators are well, also the circumstances of how an incident happened. I fly from my small private strip in thick woodland and what happened with you is entirely possible at my place. Bad luck, unxexpected gust! Incidentally, my wife and I had a forced landing after an engine seizure that made the national news about five years ago. No fun at the time, a bureaucratic nightmare and rather embarrassing but I learnt from it (as I'm sure you will from your incident). Early days still but how's the 152 looking ? Very best of luck and let us know how you get on. Cheers Alan
  21. Its reported in other media now, but I can't read it. Couple on board are OK. Can somebody post the news atory here please? From the Herald Sun: FAQs Log In There is more to this story But it’s a member-only story. Subscribe today to unlock it and more… Plane clips tree, plunges 10 metres in Toowoomba region crash A plane has clipped a tree and plummeted 10 metres to the ground north of Toowoomba this morning. Alan
  22. Just heard about a light aircraft accident at Emu Creek. Was on ABC national news. Apparently struck a tree on take-off at 8am. 2 POB. I think I heard no fatalities or injuries... police and emergency services at scene to observe fuel leak. I'm interested in this one because of the hitting a tree aspect. That is a distinct possibility here at Robin Falls international so keen to hear what happened and learn any lessons. Was surprised that what sounded like a relatively minor accident made the national news.... Hope everybody on board unhurt and aircraft repairable. Alan .
  23. The engine drain on my 320 always gets stuck and I have to manually close it after a fuel drain. This would be an easy mistake to happen. Alan
  24. Thats amazing! Loved it. Thanks for sharing. Where is it? I'm full of admiration for the knowledge and skills of you 'proper' pilots and the incredible things you do compared to a mere VFR monkey such as myself... Alan
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