DenisPC9

I believe that more than a few also roster the students for after class room cleaning etc.,

Good on him. I spent 4 years at 2FTS as the IT fellow running their Training/Missions database for the Unit. The studs (as they are known @ 2FTS) sweat bricks under the stress. Those who get through have really earned all they have. An interesting side fact approx 60% ever make and that % hasn't changed much since WWI. Many years ago I spent nearly a decade in PNG and we used to get both the RAAF and PNGDF through Mend in the Southern Highlands. On one of these missions the PNGDF Psych came along as I had a fairly long chat to her in the Clive Steel Club (RAE and RAEME were doing the Aust Aid bit in the District/Province) and surprisingly approx 60% of the PNG nationals got their Wings.

Its a case of Australia has been there and done that. Man who taxied plane to Newman pub faces charges He took the wings off. But the cops still got him.

It has roughly the same performance as the Handley Page Airliner, admittedly they took up a little more aerial real estate ;-)

If you want to see a Drifter on Steriods, check out this Pterodactyl ;-) http://www.worldaircraftco.com/surveyor/

Who pulls the Plug? The US with its system Europe with its incoming system Russia with its incoming system And I wouldn'd mind betting the Chinese are working on their own system Short of a Space event, they all wont go offline simultaneously, there is lots of ego driving these things.

Expecting a bit of rain topside are we ;-) The gumboots on the Co-Pilot are a giveaway :-P

[ATTACH=full]38688[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]38689[/ATTACH] I love the photo of Mt Beerwah with the cloud beard. I thought it was a ski ramp. Then I thought "Hmph, Qld Govt has got this Climate Change arse up" Then remembered that Can-do was done.

Whilst working at RAAF Pearce I heard the story that the real estate trade used to take people around the Port Stephens peninsula area on weekends, the RAAF weren't flying Sats or Suns. Another one I heard, was a newbie to the Sqn was posted on the phone to deal with the public and 1 fellow rang up complaining about the low flying aircraft scaring his turkeys, who aren't the brightest of birds, they would all rush around and huddle in the corners, crushing each other. Apparently Newbie told him that the RAAF had the ideal solution. To which Turkey Farmer eagerly asked to be informed. Newbie told him to build round sheds, they didn't have corners. After that, experienced staff manned the phones.

It would be an expensive little club. Not every Sports Light Aircraft organisation have their own VOR

This happens every several years "Tenterfield View from Office 17Jul15" But more often than not in Winter, its balmy like this "Chilly Morn 24Jul11"

Thanks Gareth. Here's an update. Located 13km out of town, signposted (on the road ;-)) but not that well in town. I went out there this morning and its recently been mown, so recently, that you can see the tyre tracks. So I will retract my "corrugated iron roof" statement. I checked the Tenterfield Shire Council Website, as they supposedly own the strip and there's nothing there. Searching various combos of the word aerodrome/airport/airfield drew a blank. But this doesn't surprise because whilst some parts of the place are almost up to date, most of it is somewhere back there in the past, especially mentally ;-) Here is http://ourairports.com/airports/YTFD/pilot-info.html Pix "YTFD 5Sep15" was taken from just up the road. I imagine on a day like today it would be quite scenic to fly into. With the Valleys and greenery. Pix "YTFD Welcome 5Sep15" is a bit of faded glory. That's what greets visitors after disembarking ;-) Pix "YTFD Pax facilities 5Sep15" and Main (and only) Taxiway Pix "YTFD Past dreams 5Sep15" was probably the sight that met Gareth. Had he wandered around he would have come across Pix "YTFD Past nightmare 5Sep15" in the scrub behind one of the "hangars" [ATTACH=full]37713[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]37714[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]37715[/ATTACH]

Evening Adam It is and despite what I have written, quite enjoyable. The scenery of the Darling Downs is incredible. There is lots of clear airspace and not too much traffic, in fact just about none. So I can concentrate on the basics and gradually introduce myself to the other complexities that make up and also occupy "up there". Although there is always the ever present "threat" of low level Fast Jets tracking east or west to and from RAAF Amberley or Helos low levelling around the place from Army Oakey, in the northwest. As well, in the future there is the challenge of the Brisbane Rim to fly along and hop over.

Thanks Gents. I think I have the right mental approach its just the aerial attitude I have to work on I have had a look at the local strip about 12 months ago and after seeing and working around many PNG Strips and a fair number of RAAF ones, I am severely underwhelmed. Although I do realise that ~1 movement a month or less doesn't really justify 60" of reinforced concrete. I will have another look over the next weeks or so but from memory it resembles a corrugated iron roof. I believe there is only 1 aircraft using the strip. Although I recckon that 60% of the Council would qualify a Balloonists, the amount of hot air that emanates from them is astounding.

I have just removed the chocks and have barely got past the "Clear Prop" stage ;-) I did quite a bit flying around PNG in the 1970s as a pax and chartering lots of aircraft in the Highlands, then was the IT bod at 2FTS at RAAF Pearce 2001-2004 and running their Flight Scheduling and Training Database. I have been aloft in the PC9s, hence the suffix to my name. So, being retired, I decided that I would try my hand at formalising lots of little bits that I have seen and done and see if it was as effortless as all those people with 100s, and 1,000s of hours in their logs. I have started at Lone Eagle, at Clifton on the Darling Downs. So far I have got up ~4 hours and am getting the hang of "Straight and Level". I quickly worked out that the "effortless" bit required quite a bit of "effort" to become so. I am scaring myself in a Drifter and probably frightening the crap out of my FI. But he keeps asking me back, so I hope its more of the potential than personality ;-) I have just finished building my own house out of Insulated Concrete Formwork (bloody large Lego blocks) and people keep asking my "What will you do now that the house is done to stop you getting bored?" Being retired, time is not of the essence.