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44 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

When I clicked on that video I just happened to be listening to some loud music on my excellent new headphones. The engine roar was more enjoyable!

Nothing quite like a Lycoming.

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10 hours ago, NT5224 said:

After a month grounded first by monsoonal skies and then awaiting a replacement tractor tyre so I could slash Robin Falls International (RFX). I finally got airborne. 

 

Hoped for an early departure but after a thorough preflight and then a last minute decision to take on extra fuel, I then find my battery dead. So I have to fetch the wife and dog to help me jump start.

 

Didn't get off the ground until 0930 but flight conditions were beautiful. Flew into Batchelor for circuits and bumps and shared a coffee with a senior aviator mate

 

RFX is looking good and my wife filmed departure

 

Alan 

 

I'm curious as to what the dog did.

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10 hours ago, onetrack said:

The dog barks at you when you're going to do something wrong, such as crossing the polarity of the jumper leads. They're smart, those dogs!

Kelpies would tell you before you leave home.

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The dog and the wife come as a package. He follows her everywhere. Actually his contribution to my take off usually comes after start up,  chasing roos off the strip at RFX. But at 0930 it was too late for them.

 

Alan 

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Today did a bfr; as it was due on 26 January.  Not flown since 8 Jan as completing 100 hourly and new tyre, waiting for carb floats, etc.  Also wanted to space it out away from xmas holiday period.  So all ready to take the bird for a fly after the maintenance and good for another two years.  Safe enjoyable flights to all.

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Pics of the Gazelle in her new West Sale home. Nose art indicating the old life and the new! Such a pleasure with the Gazelle so much more accessible distance from home wise, and we don’t need to fold wings! 
Had a fun flight YWSL to YLTV, went walkabout to see for any open hangars for a chat and came across a David, who was prepping a nice looking Piper Pacer for startup. Interesting as this aircraft he said, started life as a Tripacer, but was converted to a taildragger Piper Pacer….apparently as are a lot of Tripacers. It looked good, with nice fat off airport tyres. Dave was off to the run up bay/compass swing bay, to give the engine a run up and power check. Battery was bad so I offered to man the cockpit, held the brakes and selected left impulse mag on his shout, and she started quite easily on the third or so hand swing. Good fun! After that it was a fun flight back to YWSL, with a swing over Sale township, before landing. 
No better way to spend a few Sunday hours!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Took Thursday and Friday off to go to Mt Gambier.

Left Lilydale at 9:30am

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Tracked across the City via the Coastal VFR Route,20220310_094020.thumb.jpg.b40c4cc53089012152cad75681554971.jpg

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And then ran into this before we got to Geelong, and still under the 4500ft Class C step 20220310_100015.thumb.jpg.a2397b001d715f753ba3ada2ba84b7a7.jpg

So tracked north for a while, until we could pop up over it, which ended up being close to Ballarat!

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Over hamilton, had a quick chat to a REX pilot departing Mt Gambier who confirmed VFR conditions at YMTG, which allowed us to press on knowing we could get down.

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Well worth the trip, plenty to see and do.

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Not quite recreational flying, but I did my first flight in controlled airspace this week! I've been putting this off for a long time, but need to get it out of the way for my CPL.

Hopped in a Piper Warrior that I barely remembered how to fly (I'm an RA guy usually), route was YLIL - YMEN - YMMB - YLIL. Coming into Essendon was easier than I was worrying, but then they threw a curve ball at me on take-off and vectored me out into the ether to avoid an incoming medivac flight. Got to buzz past the CBD over to Bolte Bridge then get my head into gear for Moorabin, which I'd also never been to. Moorabin tower warned me I'd be landing with a slight tailwind, which was fine, then when I reported downwind they changed runways on me and got me to do a 180 degree turn and land on the opposite runway. Brain fried somewhat. Flight home was easy after that. 

Very cool experience! Does feel nice landing on enormous runways and watching the big jet traffic overhead. Landing fees are painful though!

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I had my first flight yesterday after retrieving my aircraft from the flood. I just had wheels and brakes to sort out as nothing got in the engine or fuselage. The engine started first go but then ran rough at low RPM. I got it warmed up & shut down. The battery wouldn't turn it over again. An hour on the charger was all it needed but then turning the prop by hand I felt a grinding sensation. Off with the cowl to discover it was surface rust on the flywheel magnets. I didn't get this when turning the prop before the first start so it must have been heat expansion that did it. The gap is only 0.01". Sitting above water in a hangar for a week at 100% humidity must have done it. Anyway some 600 grit wet & dry, a spray of inox & wipe off & I was all set. 

 

With the engine still warm the start was instant but Mag 1 had at least one plug missing but it came on with more rpm. Runup & takeoff was good so I ran at full power (3300 rpm) for about 5 minutes up the river to Yamba then settled back to 2800 & it was running very sweetly. The scattered cloud was at a tad over 1500' & the thermals creating them were small and punchy so it made for a rough ride. There was surface water everywhere. I turned South at the Yamba breakwall & headed towards home. Smooth as a baby's bum, it was hands off flying to Corindi where I did a couple of circuits & got the wife out on the driveway. I dropped down to 500 feet & did a high speed run to Woolgooga following the beach and round the headlands.

 

I returned to Corindi & made a full power climbing pass over the house & back to South Grafton. I had to land on the seal as the grass is still too wet & the taxi back to the hangar meant going through a water course. I have not yet reinstalled the spats or undercarriage fairing & the underside got a good splattering of mud from the trek to/from the sealed taxiway. The idle mag check had everything back to normal. That is the last flight with the current plugs anyway. I have a 100 hourly and Annual to do next week.

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It was fly your Thruster to work day at Cowra airport today. Mate and I have a nice pair of matching singles.  I was surprised how economical the 2 stroke draggy machine was, same fuel use as the turbo diesel ute, 44km by road, 16nm by air.

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