My BFR was due last week. I was going to combine it with a navex towards my xc endo but the stars didn't line up so Sunday morning left ytyh with a bit of a norwester blowing heading for Lismore and Wayne. He gave me his usual going over and I'm signed off for another two years. I was planning to go to Casino for their BBQ but thought I'd be clever and head back to Tyagarah befor the wind got up. When I noticed the ground was not going backwards as fast as I would have liked I realized I could of gone to Casino after all. Averaged 24kts with the wind increasing the closer I got to the coast and when I got to Coorabell ridge I could have turned the engine off and just soared back and forth. Heaps of whitecaps on the sea and on short final I haven't had as much fun since the last visit to the dentist. Anyway the Drifter is still usable and it was still a nice flight. cheers John
Sounds like a good flight. Stars haven't been lining up here either. Sunday here was a bust. Several of us had planned to fly to the Benalla Festival, but the weather report was pretty average. My plan had me getting to Benalla in 24 minutes and taking 90 to return with an estimated 40kn head wind for the return. Four aircraft assembled and we figured we would give it a go, but keep a close eye on the weather and return before the predicted front arrived in the afternoon, which would likely mean cutting short the visit. It was a very bumpy climb out and the GS just kept dropping. Head wind was already 30kn at circuit height, plus very gusty and rough. We had a quick exchange on the radio and decided that a forecast extra 20 kn on top of what we already had as well as more predicted turbulence wasn't worth it, so apart from a very quick local flight, we turned back and landed. Wind on the ground by then was 17G27 and flicking between 50 and 90 degrees to the runway direction. Kept us on our mettle for the landings, but it was good practice as its quite a while since I've landed in those conditions.
Nice story John You get to fly another day and that's what's important! David, you are talking 40kts?? My plane would have been hovering!
We hovered a few times I recall Darren in the Bantam !!! ... BTW it's still on the aircraft lifter in the hangar , as far as I know it hasn't flown for at least a couple of years . Johns gone up to Maryborough , so it's any ones guess what is going to happen to it now . Incidentally I flew a Cirrus SR20 a couple of weeks ago in the UK , very nice indeed .... Dave C
What a waste Dave. Maybe you can buy it? Probably just fuel lines or something since I had the engine trouble in it. Has it ever flown since? Nice on flying the Cirrus!
