Riley

The high turnover in important positions (where the pressure is), has been happening for years. For what I see we overload them and expect miracles without enough support. CASA doesn't help by pinching 3 of them although their circumstances might be advantaged and the decision is theirs. (Those who accepted the offer). Nev

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

 

 

After a lot of rigging we finally took off today.Thanks guys for the help with the rigging.

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

 

 

There was a photo on here recently, was made to go with this joke, can anybody remember which thread it was in, the one with the meat tied onto the wing struts.

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

 

 

Sounds like we have the same number of birthdays LOL.I was born in NZ 60 years ago, so born the brunt of sheep r@@ter jokes for years ... except no one hardly can tell now so every now and then I take the pee out of the odd Kiwi or two as well. LOL

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

 

 

Change the tyres??....quite clearly there's nothing wrong with them, unless you feel it might perform better with knobby ones.

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

 

 

Bit late but you sent a PM

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

 

 

Hello fellow aviators,If you are interested in acquiring a brand new set of Drifter or Thruster skins, that are both high quality and Australian made, you need not look any further!

 

I am operating in the aircraft skin industry, following on from many years of experience at Spectrum Aviation.

 

Wayne's legacy will continue, with respect to the sail making he provided for 30 years.

 

If you are interested in ordering a set, please don't hesitate to contact me on 0430 207 783, or reply to this thread and I can begin making you new skins, designed to your needs.

 

Thank you and kind regards,

 

Emah.

Emah, You have a PM. cheers Riley

 

 

Search for Benson and Hedges Air Race.

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

 

 

Hi,Is there anyone left in SA that has a Lightwing Tailwheel available for a training/checkflight?

 

Have asked James at RPA but all that appears to be left are Sportcubs at Aldinga. I have done a couple of BFR's in Lightwings over the years so looking for a checkflight in one of those preferably. RAAus wont recognise 130 hrs of single seat tail dragger time, including Lightwing BFRs to replace the missing TW letters on my certificate.

 

Cheers

 

Richo

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.

 

 

Yep I'm sure it's the same as I have here. Just get me measurement and we can check it out.

Tks thommo. PM sent.

 

 

This might be a source of newer skins plus spares for your project?http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brahma-lodge/other-sports-fitness/aircraft-t300-thruster/1037653178

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

 

 

I have a set if skins that may be used.Can you tell me the number of batterns fitted and what the tip looks like.

Or better still some pictures.

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.

 

 

You have a PM reply Riley.I'm not sure what difference Pol's wings are to yours but it would have to be worth a try - At least run a tape measure over both machines to see what the difference is. I'll talk to Pol tomorrow and see what he thinks. Maybe talk to Stuart Maddigan to see how much difference there was.

 

Pud

Tks Pud. I'll check out your other chinese whisper - yah neva no eh?

 

You could try and track down the original sail maker. Long retired but maybe of help.Kevin Mitchell. Last known in Balgowalah Hts Sydney.

You could try and track down the original sail maker. Long retired but maybe of help.Kevin Mitchell. Last known in Balgowalah Hts Sydney.

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sFRiacvNYo

Done.rgmwa

Likewise Riley

 

 

The sight of a dead deer doesn't faze me at all. What gives me cold chills is the sight of 200kg of un-aerodynamic ballast casually tied to the struts.

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.

 

 

Has there been any revelations from that little ole WA country boy?

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

 

 

I just spoke to Daniel. He has a Luscombe under repair/overhaul. It is not currently for sale as he intends to bring to airworthiness, with Maintenance Release, before considering offering it to the market.Riley, if you want Daniel's number, text me on 0407 252505. Daniel has ok'ed me passing it to you.

Fred

Tks Fred. Will contact U shortly. cheers Riley

 

 

Hey RileyCall the Peninsula Aeroclub and ask them the name of the young LAME with the Luscombes. I know he purchased an 8A that suffered a failure of the right gear leg in a taxiing accident at Coldstream a few years ago and intended rebuilding it. He already had another.

 

Kaz

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