Riley

You may be onto something there Maj. It didn't look totally perfect after I got it rigged but it has been many moons since I departed the land of '10 months of hard winter and 2 months poor snow-shoeing' so I may have got some small detail slightly cocked up. No matter, send me yer money anyway and I'll work on some mods to the moosehide. Be quick - it's getting warmer every day!

Adventerous entrepreneurs are advised that this fun-filled and financially rewarding concept will shortly be going out to franchise so those who failed to get in on my Vintage Warbird Restoration project of a couple of years ago now have a second chance to become rich and famous. Send me your cash now and we’ll discuss terms & conditions later.

Just a 'heads up' on Tiny Tachs - they are LCD and as such can sometimes be a bugger to interpret in bright sunlight.

Get on the EAA Airventure webpage and they'll tell you everything you ever wanted/needed to know about Camp Schuller & van parking. The earlier you check in w/ the motorhome, the closer you get to the action (it's a damn long hike fm the far perimeter of the camping paddock to the actual airventure gates (and twice as far going home at the end of each big day). No powered sites as I recall but there are specified parking areas where gen sets are permitted but again they're a long way from the action. Have fun!

Pud, you picky little bastard, have you forgotten that the Queenslanders spell (and do everything else) differently? Fancy chipping the Major you horrid little upstart.

Were it a simple (and irreversible) slip of the mouse, would not an immediate repost rectify the un-intended? Why do people always assume I'm too stupid not to recognize the obvious?

Sadly DWF, after an impeccable total rebuild (storm damage whilst tied down) about 12 years ago, your old Skyfox has again bit the dust. Fell unto the strip fm about 20' on landing a couple of months ago at Bindoon (questionable wind shear blamed) with a student doing tail wheel conversion w/ an instructor. Fortunately no injuries but the little CA25 suffered un-economically repairable damage. No insurance and wreck subsequently bought by a scavenger so it's unlikely it will see the air again. Great little aircraft but, to repeat what everybody knows, it would quickly remind you on touch down if you weren't pedalling quick enough.

airsick is right on the money! This 'table tennis treasurer' game must cease! Apart from access to funding for a new employee expense (and that recently didn't seem to be a problem) what would it take for the Board to recruit a suitably-qualified individual/firm to correctly do 'all things financial' while under the scrutiny of whatever Treasurer the Board feels is best equipped to monitor the results? Should sufficient funds not be available then, as others have previously suggested - raise membership fees or set a levy to accomodate the necessity. No offense intended to either of the contenders but we've had too much crappy bean counting diligence in the recent past from 'good-old-boys' who have proven that they didn't know sh!t from apple butter.

"No worries mate, you got two birds with one stone! Like my mate one nut did a few years back..". Quite clever - (and I just about missed it).

Doug. You have a PM. cheers Riley

Lovely bit of history there Ross and congrats to Leslie & Doug for bringing 032 back to life. About 8 to 10 years ago I purchased a motley assortment of ultralight parts (I was working towards my T300 Thruster Special) from an old geezer in the SW of WA. Amongst the flotsam & jetsam was the majority of Pioneer FlightStar #10-0033 which is the second member of the 'Across the Guts Odyssey' of the three aircraft you make reference to. I subsequently re-built the aircraft and fitted a R503 as the Kawasaki 440 from the historic flight had long before been junked for PRU problems. At that time, the third aircraft of the sortie (again a Kawasaki 440-powered single seater Flight Star Pioneer) was owned, and I believe still being regularily flown by a fellow in Victoria. I have a video disc documentary of the trip from Geraldton in WA to Port McQuarrie in NSW that I'd be happy to make a copy of if the Evans don't already have one. Thanks again for documenting significant history that can easily get forgotten. Cheers Riley

" Will they do anything? Of course not! Some nice policeman who most likely doesn't know a rudder from an elevator will prepare a report for a coroner who wouldn't know a stall from a flare who then will most likely find that the poor gentleman died from a severe impact. My condolences to his family, they are unlikely to get any closure from the process. Perhaps a bit emotive jamel. Some of the doomsayers would crap themselves to learn that we, in WA, have at least one dedicated and experienced current RAA-GAA pilot/aircraft owner/career copper (who obviously is multi-experienced in forensic everything), and...guess what....he's been CASA-schooled in the requirements of aircraft accident investigation and reporting! So there already exists a modicum of ability within RAA ranks to at least participate in (if not conduct) the establishment of reports re: these unfortunate fatalities. With RAA being so far behind the 8-Ball in so many respects at present, only the good Lord knows how long it might be before the system is modified to allow us to be involved in our own house-keeping. Despite all of the above, I too offer sincere condolences to the Pilot's family and friends.

turbs: I've read your post, I've given it some considerable amount of thought but my assesment is ...."60% codswollop"! Having met Ed some years back, I have no reservations regarding his content and ability to do RAA a hell of a lot of good; I also believe that he made his contentious decision with the very best of intent; I anticipate that with a good crew supporting him RAA will eventually claw their way out of this cesspool that the previous board have generated for us, - all of the above;....BUT...... the creation & filling of this position was done in a manner that is both unacceptable by our constitutional format AND without due regard to the general membership of who's welfare he is directed to support. However honourable the motive, there cannot be a wash-off of the fact that we, the paying public, were not accorded either knowledge of, nor the ability to participate (by way of our regional representation) in whether constitutional requirements needed to be by-passed to achieve the most acceptable resolution to an urgent situation. As others have said, RAA management decisions in the past have been much less than brilliant and the bottom line is, despite the pressing fiduciary situation, (even though having re-acted positively) Ed was totally out of line in his implementation. Whether ratified or rejected at the Sept meeting, the fact is that the unconstitutional, non-promulgated and un-budgetted expenditure will remain on our expense line. I reject the bulk of the content of your justification post however, I'll stand up and eat crow if you can ultimately shown me where I'm wrong. Purely & simply - I believe ED will be good for RAA but only if he totally dismisses the 'shoot-from-the-hip' procedures of the previous board that have brought us to the low level that we currently exist in. Again, I'm open to sensible and legal rebuttal advice. A seriously concerned Riley.

This most recent RAA appointment brings 'Alice in Wonderland' to mind, (viz. to quote Alice: "it gets curiouser and curiouser!") In fact, Board activity over the past couple of years could well be likened to Lewis Carrol's works. In company with Dodo, methinks at the moment, there are much bigger fish to fry rather than the appointment of a temporary bean-counter recycled into a safety guru. I will accept that most Board members had/have the best of intentions but I'm damned angry that the Old Boys Club's clandestine efforts have taken us to this parlous situation. In absolute disgust I've resigned from my L-2 endorsement (that'll really get their attention and make them change their ways - not!) and can honestly say that my ex-wife's high rating on my disdain meter has been well and truly overtaken by RAA. This recent appointment only adds to the fire. Somebody show me that I'm being unfair.

Only one 'B' Boy?? I can immediately think of two more of the old boy's club who need to go home and enjoy their grandchildren, or their dog or anything! Think of the piece of mind they'd get in not having to worry about how they were going to blame other people, circumstances, met conditions, Canberra's dirty footpaths or whatever else for the bloody mess they got us in. Bye Bye Breitkreutz!

I don't have his contact details but Spencer Ferrier certainly knows his onions around aviation. Bon Chance at any rate.

Nah, OME - we're talking about the passenger with the smile - not the pilot with the face full of terror!

A rather curious and impetuous title for your thread. You are more than entitled to air your thoughts on the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the Board but calling for a vote of no confidence if you don't have a very well planned and immediately-able-to-be-implemented alternative is tantamount to operational and administrative suicide. If, as a new member you DO have such a plan waiting in the wings then please let all of us who've been wearing the pain over the past couple of years in on it. If not, perhaps you should talk it up amongst your club members and come up with one. We've had a surfeit of 'call to arms and sabre rattling' during the last 18 months but it will take seriously motivated new, young blood ( like yourself?) along with the diehard few on the Board to get us thru this mess. Don't lose your fervour - channel it in the right direction! Welcome aboard. cheers

Don't recall ever going for a walk with my girlfriend's Beretta but, having been around a few bears whilst growing up in the frozen north, I find the attached to be of great assistance as regards human factors around bruins of any persuasion. Read & Heed!

Very scenic viewing but, having been to the Lytttleton Harbour area a number of times over the past half-century, I have to ask where "Plan B" would be implemented in the unlikely event of the Jab quitting 'Jabbing" at that altitude. I didn't see anything long & flat within gliding distance on the eastern side of the razorback ridge excepting the ocean and that nosewheel didn't look particularily aquatic. The sound track - "Point of no turning back" seemed rather appropriate for a student pilot even tho his instructor must have approved of the flight plan. Someone tell me I'm an old woman and that there are many achievable alternates in the area and then I can go back to thinking "great footage'! cheers Riley

Please confirm that it is an RAA UACR inspection that you require and also advise what specific aircraft is to be inspected. cheers Riley

If your mate doesn't do any good with a damaged freebie I can perhaps get him back in the ball game. It's not a give-away and it's not for sale but I have a surplus two-blade, grd/adj 55 1/2" Ivo Prop that I'd be happy to loan him for an extended period for his testing. R503 hub bolt pattern & LH rot fm rear. He pays postage both ways and agrees to walk naked (backwards) in the Sydney Mardi Gras if he breaks/loses it. Standing by. cheers Riley

Boys , Perry's pulling yer pissers!

MTOW for any RAA aircraft is the maximum permissable 'all up weight' of that specific aircraft as stated in it's certificate of registration, NOT the general MTOW limit set by CASA for that particular category of aircraft. For example, a early Lightwing GR912 can be registered under CAO 95-25 or CAO 95 -55 (both categories have an upper weight limit of 540kgs) but actually may be limited to 480kgs MTOW whilst later models of basically the same airframe/engine are certified to 540kgs. If in any doubt, check with RAA Tech Mgr.