Riley

Nev you have summed it up correctly and the part of your statement that sticks out like a diamond in a goat's arxe is "it's been happening for years". Rightly or wrongly I hold the previous and existing Board responsible for not addressing that very fact. Cripes, if the recruitment system and/or the follow up support system is repeatedly proven inadequate, it's incumbent on the Board to do whatever it takes to resolve the problem. Hiring, firing, releasing by agreement etc, ad infinitum obviously is costing us dearly in all manner of resources. I'm truely frustrated by this seeming blase acceptance of continueing senior personnel swap-outs. It shouldn't be a bloody lottery! yours in perplexion Riley

Unfeckingbelievable!! Each and every one of the outgoing participants must surely have been aware of and accepted the fact that it historically has been a poisoned chalice before throwing their hat in the ring and then, (some before the ink was dry) end up chucking in the towel before they've earned their first annual vacation. I've lost track of the resignations over the past two years. I cast no aspersions on the retiring individual because not one of us can know what they've gone thru but if the Board can't identify and resolve the re-occuring problem areas then RAA (we - us) are truely doomed. Is the Board so insensitive to the needs of the position that they can accept this sort of turn-over as being the norm? Just when it appears that some progress is being made, along comes another massive upheaval. It's almost as if it was a component part of the annual business plan (if we had one). I'm aiming my vituperance at the Board because either they ratified an unsuitable candidate at the outset or they didn't handle the requirements of the position correctly. A circus of this magnitude wasn't evident during my three years of local business administration in West Africa. In desparation I challenge anyone to show me (as an unwilling and captive audience) where I'm wrong. Riley

Well done Howie!! If it handles as good as it looks you've done a mighty job. Gotta say that your finished product makes the T83 Thruster that the floats were originally fitted to look absolutely 'stone axe' in comparison. Keep the forumites posted as to your progress with test flying. Congrats! cheers Riley

"Moose Anyone?" Doug Evans posted on 17 Mar 14.

Too many bloody foreigners in this place. Give it back to us Aussies!

At least with the knobbies, you'd pull up to a dead stop quicker....... but wait, that's where we came in whot?

If ya tell him anything about a Lea Kestrel on floats, you're gonna have to tell the rest of us too!!

Emah, You have a PM. cheers Riley

Tks djp but 17 pages of B & H Air Race googling didn't get it. Anybody else have any ideas?

Dear wife (op shopping again!) brought me home an 'unbirthday' present today in the form of Participant Crew Briefing Notes for the abv ref air race. No listing of aircraft or crews involved and obviously no record of who/what the results were and my subsequent 'Googling' has produced nowt! Idle curiousity as I wasn't even in the country at the time but can anybody point me in any direction that might provide amplifying data on this event? cheers Riley

Perhaps an empty offer but if all else fails, you can have free access to my 912GR and a reasonably tame S.I. if you wanna come out West for a weekend. Dunno what a rtn cheapie fare is fm Ad/Per but probably wouldn't be too much more than you'd pay a FTF for an hour's BFR in an unfamiliar aircraft. Keep it in mind. cheers Riley.

Tks thommo. PM sent.

On Ya AJ - that's thinking outside the square and may very well be the ultimate answer to my delimma We'll see what comes in from the forum first and keep that option filed for future reference. Thanks much. cheers Riley

Hey Thommo Much appreciate your post. According to a dwg supplied by Pud, each side should have 10 wing batten pockets with a tapered wing tip - NOT the chopped off 'Sydney Harbour" final rib with the flat wing tip. Unfortunately I don't have access to a picture of a Gemini with it's clothes on. If you require more identification, I'll get out my tape measure and camera when I get back to the hangar on Friday. Again. my thanks for your reply. cheers Riley.

Tks Pud. I'll check out your other chinese whisper - yah neva no eh? Thanks Ozzie. Ferreted out a tel nr for a K. Mitchell in nearby Manly Vale but it wasn't our man Kevin. Anybody else have contact details for or know where Mr Mitchell may have ended up? cheers Riley

Anybody??? Anything??? Re-established Thruster Operator's Support Group??? Former members of the original TOSG??? Somebody??? Somewhere??? Needing some outside help to get this old girl back in the air. Standing by with heaps of gratitude. cheers Riley

In response to Emah's (Wayne Fisher's former sailmaker) recent post re: supply of skins for Rag & Tube oldies, I requested a quote for a full set of Thruster Gemini coverings. Unfortunately she doesn't have any templates or patterns for the Gemini and I didn't get any dacron bits & pieces when the Gemini skeleton followed me home a couple of years ago. So... does any forumite have either a set of redundant Gemini skins that they'd be willing to loan/trade to me in order for her to get started? Alternatively, is there a Thruster freak out there with a tired old Gemini who's skins are shabby/dangerous who might be considering replacing them soon? I'm willing to loan my Bettsometer fabric tester to anyone who isn't sure. Or...... (and now I'm really in tooth fairy territory), is there an AUF drop-out anywhere in this fair land that might have a set of useable Gemini skins stuck on the shelf in the shed that are looking to get back in the air? Any and all leads will be followed up. Help folks........! cheers Riley

Likewise Riley

You can warm up Marty. Moose & deer can get pretty big but a mature pronghorn antelope will normally weigh in between 35 and 60 kgs. Given that the entrails have been removed , that carcass probably wouldn't be much more than 55kg max. I quite agree with you tho, lacing it to the lift struts seems to be totally irresponsible at the very least. But then, it is North America and it's the hunter's God-given right to strap whatever game he's managed to massacre across the front fender of his car (or in this case like hanging on a clothes hoist) for the drive home to display his prowess. These things I know 'cause I've been guilty of it myself in my youth in Canada.

Yup. It eventuates that, what was deduced and worked out by a rec flying small business owner (motor engineering) in a little WA country town (viz the piston orientation), had already been identified and attended to by the South African importing agents some 8 or so years previously. It's said by the S. Africans at the time that the Bundaberg organization didn't acknowledge their findings or issue any SBs regarding reversal of the pistons. As you probably are aware RS & Co recently went public with a first time ever acknowledgement of this 'urban myth' (???) and went to great lengths to assure the paying public that their engineering studies proved that piston orientation played no part in the number of maladies being experienced by their low time engines. It is believed that Camit now have a very comprehensive upgrade of the 4 & 6 cyl engines (previously being manufactured strictly to certification code under licence) ready for marketing. Big light at the end of the tunnel and interesting times ahead with the possibility that a great little Australian aircraft will achieve the recognition that has been denied it thus far. cheers Riley

Welcome and well done on the retrieval! As long as we have geezers like yourself ferreting out and rebuilding rag & tube fun machines, AUF will never go under! (tho we may well end up hiding behind trees and having to fly in the dark of night). Keep us posted on your progress with the revival of the X Air. cheers Riley

Don't know if anything in this regard has changed over the 5 years since I last attended but the international visitor's tent (near the tower) used to have a large notice board where one could post personal details (local contact nr, campsite location, where/when to meet up, etc etc) for mates arriving at different times and staying in different places etc. The Int'l Visitors volunteers also used to put on a terrrific free 'Beef & Beer' nosh-up near the Museum towards the end of Airventure week (and the barmaids were spectacular - not that I noticed!). I suggest that 'forumites' who will be in attendance this year post their forum (and real) names/details on the Australian section of the notice board with the plan that we could possibly look at meeting up at the free BBQ to share a beer and put a face on the names that we've been inter-acting with on this webpage over the years. cheers Riley

Tks Fred. Will contact U shortly. cheers Riley

Morning Kaz. Spoke to the Penninsula Aeroclub receptionist this morning who spoke to Dave?? & Chris ?? (supposedly the oldest , wrinkley-faced, grey-haired knowledgeable old geezers in the clubrooms) and no-one had any knowledge of my target. Can you provide any amplifying details please? cheers Riley