XP503

Haha dazza. Not quite, my grandpa Keith mason founded the club in the 70's and was president for 25 years so I spent a lot of my childhood there, probably where I got the flying bug, these days I'm just a member but get down there whenever I can.

Fly to Boonah and pick me up Tomo we will have a refreshment at Mason Field on the GC. Lovely place to visit.

Mine is an original XP503 Maxair, imported in kit from USA and assembled by austflight, refurbished 2006. Has original bucket seats flies like a bird. Yes very light, could use a backyard as a runway.

My drifter weighs 190 kg on it's own, and has the same wing as the one you flew in. Which means it climbs near vertically but can be like a rollercoaster at times. Lucky for me though I genuinely enjoy riding turbulence.....perhaps I'm strange.

Wayne is the Drifter guru for sure. Did a great job with mine.

Was flying from my field at diggers bridge to Boonah yesterday for a meeting and got overtaken by a storm front, had to land on an old farm strip at roadvale and shelter my poor bird from big hail!!!! The turbulence was kinda fun though

Nice aircraft, hopeless performer, several design flaws but great to see that they have loyal supporters

Good onya mate

As a kid I washed them for a school as a hangar rat, absolutely loved them, such a pretty a/c. You could say I was obsessed with them. But when I fly these days my biggest concern is that the aircraft I'm in is built strong where it counts.

Flew them back in the day,not too keen on them now, bit sluggish and cramped. Shame really as I think they look beautiful.

Sounds good.

I own an original maxair xp503, such a beautiful machine to fly

Thanks guys. Still shake my head when I think about it. Lucky for my sake the drifter is tough but I've promised her I'll never let her down again due to my silly mistake.

Thanks daz. I appreciate that mate. Yea it sure was a good lesson and wake up call! Also, even though I was distracted, it's noones fault but my own. Chalk it up to experience

Just looked at the website, says they are approved to use several different piper wings.

Or so I thought until looking at some pictures. Maybe it's a different type I'm thinking of?

Breezys are built using the wings off a super cub

Land on the grass at Kooralbyn, bitumen runway is unserviceable. It is a ghost town these days, fences up around hangars. Something to do with council. Mason field is definitely on the other end of the spectrum, but is a private field.

Gday Pete! Thanks, yeah I'm still kickin myself but learned a good lesson. Looking forward to my trip up to Gympie

Brilliant event

It was completely my fault. I had been building brackets for wheel spats all day and had the wheels on and off and then on again and then off again, plus a few other minor jobs on the aircaft and it was getting late in the day, I was over it and all I wanted to do was go for a fly so I put everything back together to start the preflight, including sliding the bush over the axle extension BUT then couldnt find the blot that held it on.....sooooo I looked around for it and kept looking, then something distracted me for a bit then I went back to looking for the bolt, then someone turned up, so after chatting - I said I must get back to my preflight so I started again and checked every little thing before pulling her out and starting up..........or so I thought. Take off down the hill into the sunset and pull on the brakes to stop the wheels shaking, look right to check the wheel has stopped, yep, look left to see the ....OH SH*&^ the left wheel is perched on the very tip of the axel extension like its about to fall on some farmers head. Had a chuckle at rocky stretching his legs out into the sllipstream trying to get the thing to slide back on. Tried flying knife edge so the thing would slide down the axel.....nothing worked so I just took her home landed on one wheel and when we were at walking pace I lowered the leg and she slid around almost a 180.......... found the wheel and pushed it home. I always used to think that I did the most overly thorough pre flights and I feel embarrassed about this, but more so I am dissappointed in myself for letting it happen, as it is not the type of pilot I wanna be. I guess you could say its good that it has happened to me because I dont plan on letting anything like this happen EVER again.

Have fun Kiwi and Ian, say G'day to Tony for me. I saw you guys departing over Moogerah, shame about that 4500' limit, wish they would change it! Kiwi I forgot to say thanks RE: spats, I have a pair being made by Andy right now. I took Rocky for a fly in the Maxair today and the left wheel came off on take off (long story) = had to land on one wheel (up the hill) then slowly let the u/c leg bite the grass gently and then around we spun haha...... Not a single scratch or bend to the aircraft at all (gotta love drifters) She'll be up in the air tomorrow......

Will be heading over to JCW, after the meeting at Mason Field with Bruce in a Tecnam I presume. Weather looks good so cant wait to see all the different types of a/c at Hecks Field!!!!!!!!!!!! Please come and say hi to me -anyone - I will be wearing a white ''Maxair Drifter'' shirt

Yep that is a Savannah wing, the photo was taken inside the Flying Tigers den at Boonah Airfield, club president owns a beautiful Savannah. There is also a large range of other types at/around Boonah