Riley

I don't like change in any manner of all things (excepting first wives and she was round too).

It's the part that 'shakes, rattles & rolls' (and obviously did so too hard sometime in the past and separated itself from the east coast of this country.

You can try Dieter Sedbauer, in Morayfield, Qld. (0414 504 116). He took over the Sweetapple prop facility when Richard finally retired. No idea as to how pricey his gear is. Did you get my email re: the 2 blade Ivoprop?

About a dozen or more years back the AUF (predecessor of RAA) actually had an internet member's forum. Not surprising, when member's questions of the Board (Middleton's days) became too difficult or embarrasing to responsibly answer, a board member moved that the site be closed. The Board supported the move unamimously. What has changed?

Books in the post to you this morning. Cheers. Bob

Greetings All Now back in Perth freezing my goolies in the wind and rain with conditions rough enough that on first attempt, the 737-800 had to abort landing and do a 20 minute go-around. Got to perve the Caloundra Aviation Museum one day but arrived at TAVAS parking lot 1 minute before closing (15:00) so missed out. Apart from that the weather was beaut, re-lived old escapades with the non-aviator visitors (3 flatmates from NZ days 50 years ago), and came home feeling slightly guilty in that I should have directed the expenditure towards replacing the house HWS but, what the hell. Thanks to all for your suggestions & tips. cheers

No sweat Kev. I've been on the Sunshine Coast since Sat so no inconvenience encountered. Will be back in Perth after the weekend and will get the goodies on the way to you early in the week. Cheers. Bob

Gawd, salt on the wound! Saw the ad for the Watts event too late to modify plans. Hopefully the weather will co-operate to ensure you organisers a success. Were I still a Bribane resident (left in '78) I'd certainly be paying hangar fees at Watts Bridge. Thanks for the invite.

Geoff/Kyle Staying at Nautilus Apts in Mooloolabah catching up with old flat mates of 50 years ago from NZ days. Will probably rent a car for a day or so and hit TAVAS and the Caloundra Museum during the week. Visiting in Brisbane over next w/end then back to Perth. Mob # 0428 338 933.

Thats the one. Mate at Bindoon in WA bought it some weeks back but his ferry pilot isn,t back in the country yet ex Oshkosh so I volunteered to take some photos for him in the interim. My cojones only big enough to take photos, not big enough to offer to do the ferry.

Have been reluctantly press-ganged into a weeklong social visit to the Maroochydore area visiting with old friends (non aviators) and staying in a resort(?) @ Mooloolah. I reckon about two days by the pool will have me at hair-pulling/body scratching stage so would appreciate any tips, hints etc fm local aviators that might point me in the right direction to something of interest (preferably of the airfield genus) that might offer a temporary escape. I do intend to sniff around TAVAS if allowed and hopefully view a Savannah at Caboolture on behalf of a Perth mate. Tks in anticipation. Riley

Blood flow can collect in the space in his empty head from where his brains have preumably leaked away. CFI? Stunt Pilot? Egotistical Screw-loose? There are achievements and some records settings that are very worthy of public recognition but this stunt serves no purpose whatsoever. I doubt that his mother would be proud of him. cheers

Shoving them into a postal bag to 2565 will cost $13.40. I'll be gone for a few weeks as of Sat so send me your address and I'll get them into the mail tomorrow. You can buy me a beer sometime when we meet up. cheers Bob

Greetings Kevin The manuals you identified have your name on them. I'll bag them up and take to the post office to get a price on mailing and let you know. cheers

Greetings All Recently I was offered second bite at a couple of boxes of +1950's era aviation-related books, manuals, documents etc from a clean-out of a deceased estate shed. The WA State Library, the RFDS and RAAF Bull Creek Museum declined any interest so listed hereunder is what's left and on offer to any one who may wish to acquire for the cost of the postage. Apart from the DC-3 wiring schematics, all volumes are in good to very good condition. Ansett Ground Operations Manual, 3 ring binder, June 1972 Pratt & Whitney Gas Turbine Installation Handbook, 3 ring binder, Sept 1955 RAAF Aeronautical Engineering Manual, 3 ring looseleaf, 1944 Fokker F28 Fellowship Manintenance Book May 1967 F28 Fellowship Fatigue Testing Symposium Paper May 1967 Australia's Domestic Airline System (Ansett booklet) Feb 1981 Collection of Electrical Wiring Schematic Diagrams f/ Douglas DC-3c, 47A 1964 P & W Twin Wasp Operating Instructions Sept 1946 Tender Documents to RFDS for Piper Seneca 11 1976 Gulfstream Promotional folder to RFDS for Commander Jetprop 980 & 1000 series 1982 Nomad 22 Technical Description Manuals (4 off) & Promotional Brochures from 1975 Government Aircraft Factory

Getting respectable 'pudding' (compound curvature) into any alloy sheet in excess of 500mm square with a shaped mallet and a sand-filled leather bag is a very difficult task for the un-initiated, particularily when there's a need for two items of mirror image. For the large areas of fuselage skinning, you almost have to have both an English wheel and a gas torch for seam welding/annealing/reworking. Above all else, one needs to have the experience and proficiency to use both items of equipment when working with aluminium sheet. This I became aware of (but didn't learn how) when building the body for the Riley Special. Ended up getting lucky and finding an old codger with both a wheeling machine in his shed and +60 years experience in using it. He would allow me to practice wheeling with bits of scrap but wouldn't let me near anything that was going on the car. Good luck (and be mindfull, perseverance pays). cheers

Despite knowing different, I'd like to think it may have been the driver's way of trying to teach the dumb basterds a lesson?

Totally agree Alf. After +25 years of Intn'l flights thru 3rd world areas, what I witnessed (despite rules and common sense) as everyday normal boarding, in-flight and deplaning/customs immigration air transport activities would shock CASA or ATSB out of existence. One instance on a domestic flight in West Africa, when I complained bitterly about safety of the pile of supposedly 'carry on' luggage (the o'head lockers were already bursting) piled in the isle at the aft end totally blocking the rear stairs access, the cabin staff's reluctant remedy was to use both toilets as baggage compartments for the overflow. On reflection, it was probably a practical move as generally the toilets were blocked and too foul for use anyway. We Ozzies are spoiled in what we perceive as 'acceptable'.

Any builder would be a damn fool not to accept constructive comment from an observer during a build but you're comparing apples to oranges David. Note that Kasper is referring to 95-10 single seat category of homebuilts where there never has been accomodation for protection of anyone excepting the owner/pilot. Houses aren't airplanes and sub 300 kg experimentals have always comprised of "build and do what you are prepared to prove will work with no risk to others" For the higher-paid help to now require four staged inspections for this category by some third party who has had no involvement in the planning & building of the machine has little merit and must certainly curtail innovation. More unnecesary regulation - More "GA, here we come"? Greyhound racing is currently on the nose but it may have more future than recreational avaition. Rgds Riley

From experience, RAA take your paperwork and money, transfer ownership of the pile of components into your name then it sits in 'limbo' until such time as the A/C is either ready to go back in the air (or is passed on to an aspiring new owner) where-in a fresh ACR is required for the change of status. Two such 'gunna's' reside in my hangar at present.

Eugene is.

Why is it unbelievable? Have we not seen the full spectrum of 'unbelievable' activities by various boards on behalf of the mute membership over the years?

Going on recent history, lack of interest will probably rule the day. Couple of months back I had an on-going debate with the CEO about what I felt was the premature and incomplete presentation of the Constitution (and I still feel the same) but ultimate ratification was the result of a small percentage of members casting a majority of votes in favour. Case closed however, with such a dismal participation on such an important item indicating that 'most-don't-care' and the continual sniping from the great unwashed (some of it very justified), not too many sensible persons would want to put their hand up for the poisoned chalice. Some notable achievements have been accomplished by the Board of late but equally, they present us with some unwholesome baggage for the future. Nominating for the Board would seem a guaranteed case of "Damned if you do and damned if you don't", for any new Board aspirant. I had a happy childhood - why am I so cynical in my latter years?

Bex, when you get back to Qld those lovely ladies are gonna put a contract on ya!

on Don, while not wishing to stoke or piss on anyone's campfire (I have no skin in the game) I have personally witnessed an instance of RG failure on landing in a Sabre within the past couple of years that was ultimately identified as lightness in the build of the RG motor mountings. In the quest to include all the 'goodies' (RG, in-flight adjustable prop, 2-seater etc) in an RAA-regoed airframe it would appear that structural integrity was whittled to the minimum to qualify. The MTOW level, by either country's standards doesn't alter the fact that life-time durability must diminish if structural paramaters are reduced. This post is in no way intended as a condemnation of the Sabre, just a bit of additonal info concerning your comments on the gear. Cheers