Here are some pix of our big road trip
Sunday 16 September 2007
Day 13 to Goal
Day 13 Temora to Milburlong. By Eddie
We got up at sunrise and prepaired to fly. Mark dropped in on his way to his job to say farewell. Gill and her children came for a look. Andrew Launched and got up. I botched three attemps at launching then got a good effort together for clean, straight take off. I flew tail to ward Coolamon in a strengthening wind.
Andrew had not hung about and with limited fuel had struck out for his goal making good ground speed.
I started climbing to cross a wooded band and noticed a reluctance on the motors part to maintain full revs. A misfire developed but was ok on lower throttle load. I could maintain my altitude of 450mt slowing to make the most of the occasional thermal and speeding through the sink. I was ripping along over the ground at up to 97kmh. The motor got worse and I realised that I would have to land out and could not take off again in the wind. After my experience at Gunnedah I prepared and rehersed for the strong wind approach and landing. I got the wing off right on the touchdown, all was quiet all was well. I gathered up the wing and folded it up and stowed it. The Farmer and some of his friends arrived in some disbelief at what they were witnessing.
I was in a telephone black hole but on one of the car phones I was able to get a garbled call to Thomas that I was on the Coolamon Road. I got to Coolamon and played about with the motor looking for a fault.
Thomas arrived and we had a coffee. I then set about getting to goal on the road making it in to Milburong for a great welcome in the afternoon.
By Andrew
The Final flight to goal was the biggest single flying task we had set. To achieve it would mean a personal best for both of us and an Australian record for longests flight to a declared goal. The fact that the wind direction was almost tail wind meant it could be possible, however fuel and time in the air was always gong to be a limiting factor.
Launching together would need to happen if we were going to arrive together. I made sure Ed was happy to go with out instruction and I set up. The final flight seemed to be a culmination of all the skills and experiences we had gathered in the months that preceded with one added pressure. Fuel. I had pulled up in Temora with zero fuel,,, not even in the filter so when the 10 L come my way which is all we had accounted for I knew it would be cutting it fine. My tank holds another 1.5 which in hindsight would have been better. Hindsight...
Ed and I were lining up for a take off. All preflight checks done, well almost. I gave the radio call and launched, expecting Ed to be right behind me.
Climb out was great with a right hand circuit. I set the speed to slow as I knew Ed was in toe. We were on the VHF local CTAF so it was not possible to chit chat.
Ground speed seemed to be increasing as altitude increased. I was looking at getting a feel for the flight ahead and was assessing the best altitude to flight at. Comfort was important as I knew it would that me around one and a half hours to get there.
While I was one a few km doen the road my GPS alerted me that batteries were low. Oh no.. I took a course line and turned it off. I figured that I could get it going again later done the road to correct my course.
No sign of Eddie still. I switched to the chat channel and kept trying.
Tracking towards the WSW seemed to give me the right path to goal. Unfortunately it was about 60 deg off the goal direction, however it was still cross tail. I stayed flying slow in anticipation that Ed would spring up behind me any second. I knew if the wind was to become more west it would become more efficient to fly fast , but that was eliminate the chance of meeting with Ed. I became more and more aware of my fuel levels and the thought of turning back to meet Ed meant aborting the possibility of making it in. The wind as usual would have picked up on the ground and another take off was certainly impossible. I pushed on reluctantly.
Coolamon seemed to take ages to get to and even longer to leave. It was the half way point. By this time I was turning back around often to check the fuel and I continues to monitor my height and trimmer setting. Conditions were smooth and seemed to only get a little rough at an inversion around 2500ft. It was getting on to around 9am at Coolamon. I decided to reduce height and check for more of a tail component lower. Fort the life of me I could see one wind indicator on the ground and my GPS was still only good for a few seconds. It was rougher lower as I expected.
I motored up and set the trimmers to fast. I knew it was my the best choice since the wind was shifting. By this stage I had tried several times on the VHF, n both chat and CTAF for Ed and figured was not good to have zero coms.
The night before I had spoken to Jeff Hoffman about being in touch on the way through. I switch over to UHF and managed to raise Lorain on the house base radio.
We had a chat and I told her to look out for me. By then I was about 30km for goal. My fuel situation was becoming even more critical. No sign of Ed.
I managed to get one more direction from the GSP before it died. I have the land marks of the Rock and Galore hill which I knew quiet well. On approach to Milbrulong I spotted the camp grounds. The wind was rock and roll and I scanned for the take off paddock. I continued to try for Jeff on the radio to help me hone on the official take off pad. Just as I thought all was OK my belt started to scream... It had come loose. I was still able to maintain height but the ar was soo rough I wanted to land. Continuing to push the motor was only prompt a further problem. I had now ever fewer choices. I had to land.
Goal was in glide and even with an engine out I was in.
The air became rougher and rougher up to the scale of our flight into Gunnedah. Hands on. I went from paddock to paddock, looking for the best option. While I was attempting a transmission with my hands off the brakes the glider began a steep right hand turn. Annoying... I set up for a high wind landing. In a paddock near the railway lines.
Touchdown was relatively uneventful. The quick outs we had installed were put to the test however I had not released the safety latches. After landing I managed to release one side..... The wind caught the other and rolled me gently. I was OK. My flyke was also OK. I rang Ed on his mobile but no answer. Thomas was next. He was safe around Coolomon , he had had engine problems. I raised Jeff on the radio and gave him my location. He came in the ute with a few of the lads. I was left for a few minutes alone with mixed feelings. Happy to have down my personal best, an unofficial Oz record as my GPS had died. But no sign of Ed. Dissapointed that we were not to be together. Frazzled from the rough air on landing. I managed to pack up the wing and begin to process the last one and three quarter hours.
Jeff’s smile warmed me, He was present when Ed had suggested that we fly to the pico this year and we there to meet me.
Back to the camp ground I managed to catch Ed as he zoomed into goal. By Air and by road we had made it.
We got up at sunrise and prepaired to fly. Mark dropped in on his way to his job to say farewell. Gill and her children came for a look. Andrew Launched and got up. I botched three attemps at launching then got a good effort together for clean, straight take off. I flew tail to ward Coolamon in a strengthening wind.
Andrew had not hung about and with limited fuel had struck out for his goal making good ground speed.
I started climbing to cross a wooded band and noticed a reluctance on the motors part to maintain full revs. A misfire developed but was ok on lower throttle load. I could maintain my altitude of 450mt slowing to make the most of the occasional thermal and speeding through the sink. I was ripping along over the ground at up to 97kmh. The motor got worse and I realised that I would have to land out and could not take off again in the wind. After my experience at Gunnedah I prepared and rehersed for the strong wind approach and landing. I got the wing off right on the touchdown, all was quiet all was well. I gathered up the wing and folded it up and stowed it. The Farmer and some of his friends arrived in some disbelief at what they were witnessing.
I was in a telephone black hole but on one of the car phones I was able to get a garbled call to Thomas that I was on the Coolamon Road. I got to Coolamon and played about with the motor looking for a fault.
Thomas arrived and we had a coffee. I then set about getting to goal on the road making it in to Milburong for a great welcome in the afternoon.
By Andrew
The Final flight to goal was the biggest single flying task we had set. To achieve it would mean a personal best for both of us and an Australian record for longests flight to a declared goal. The fact that the wind direction was almost tail wind meant it could be possible, however fuel and time in the air was always gong to be a limiting factor.
Launching together would need to happen if we were going to arrive together. I made sure Ed was happy to go with out instruction and I set up. The final flight seemed to be a culmination of all the skills and experiences we had gathered in the months that preceded with one added pressure. Fuel. I had pulled up in Temora with zero fuel,,, not even in the filter so when the 10 L come my way which is all we had accounted for I knew it would be cutting it fine. My tank holds another 1.5 which in hindsight would have been better. Hindsight...
Ed and I were lining up for a take off. All preflight checks done, well almost. I gave the radio call and launched, expecting Ed to be right behind me.
Climb out was great with a right hand circuit. I set the speed to slow as I knew Ed was in toe. We were on the VHF local CTAF so it was not possible to chit chat.
Ground speed seemed to be increasing as altitude increased. I was looking at getting a feel for the flight ahead and was assessing the best altitude to flight at. Comfort was important as I knew it would that me around one and a half hours to get there.
While I was one a few km doen the road my GPS alerted me that batteries were low. Oh no.. I took a course line and turned it off. I figured that I could get it going again later done the road to correct my course.
No sign of Eddie still. I switched to the chat channel and kept trying.
Tracking towards the WSW seemed to give me the right path to goal. Unfortunately it was about 60 deg off the goal direction, however it was still cross tail. I stayed flying slow in anticipation that Ed would spring up behind me any second. I knew if the wind was to become more west it would become more efficient to fly fast , but that was eliminate the chance of meeting with Ed. I became more and more aware of my fuel levels and the thought of turning back to meet Ed meant aborting the possibility of making it in. The wind as usual would have picked up on the ground and another take off was certainly impossible. I pushed on reluctantly.
Coolamon seemed to take ages to get to and even longer to leave. It was the half way point. By this time I was turning back around often to check the fuel and I continues to monitor my height and trimmer setting. Conditions were smooth and seemed to only get a little rough at an inversion around 2500ft. It was getting on to around 9am at Coolamon. I decided to reduce height and check for more of a tail component lower. Fort the life of me I could see one wind indicator on the ground and my GPS was still only good for a few seconds. It was rougher lower as I expected.
I motored up and set the trimmers to fast. I knew it was my the best choice since the wind was shifting. By this stage I had tried several times on the VHF, n both chat and CTAF for Ed and figured was not good to have zero coms.
The night before I had spoken to Jeff Hoffman about being in touch on the way through. I switch over to UHF and managed to raise Lorain on the house base radio.
We had a chat and I told her to look out for me. By then I was about 30km for goal. My fuel situation was becoming even more critical. No sign of Ed.
I managed to get one more direction from the GSP before it died. I have the land marks of the Rock and Galore hill which I knew quiet well. On approach to Milbrulong I spotted the camp grounds. The wind was rock and roll and I scanned for the take off paddock. I continued to try for Jeff on the radio to help me hone on the official take off pad. Just as I thought all was OK my belt started to scream... It had come loose. I was still able to maintain height but the ar was soo rough I wanted to land. Continuing to push the motor was only prompt a further problem. I had now ever fewer choices. I had to land.
Goal was in glide and even with an engine out I was in.
The air became rougher and rougher up to the scale of our flight into Gunnedah. Hands on. I went from paddock to paddock, looking for the best option. While I was attempting a transmission with my hands off the brakes the glider began a steep right hand turn. Annoying... I set up for a high wind landing. In a paddock near the railway lines.
Touchdown was relatively uneventful. The quick outs we had installed were put to the test however I had not released the safety latches. After landing I managed to release one side..... The wind caught the other and rolled me gently. I was OK. My flyke was also OK. I rang Ed on his mobile but no answer. Thomas was next. He was safe around Coolomon , he had had engine problems. I raised Jeff on the radio and gave him my location. He came in the ute with a few of the lads. I was left for a few minutes alone with mixed feelings. Happy to have down my personal best, an unofficial Oz record as my GPS had died. But no sign of Ed. Dissapointed that we were not to be together. Frazzled from the rough air on landing. I managed to pack up the wing and begin to process the last one and three quarter hours.
Jeff’s smile warmed me, He was present when Ed had suggested that we fly to the pico this year and we there to meet me.
Back to the camp ground I managed to catch Ed as he zoomed into goal. By Air and by road we had made it.
Thursday 13 September 2007
Day 13
The Grand finale
The morning started early as we knew there could be some wind around. The chat with Jeff the night before prompted me to believe it could be done...
As I write this I'm stilling in Milbrilongs Legend's home Jeff and Loriane Hoffman.... Yes we made it!
Eddie did the last bit by road and I'm just about to go meet up with him....
I'll post a detailed story and more pix up ASAP.
Thanks to all the support we had via the web and the text messages. It helped Big time. The people we met on the trip really made it what it was. Unbelievable.
Please come back and vist the blog as yesterday's effort was really amazing. We covered twice the km we normally do and had some more great times.
Off to see Ed and Thomas.
The morning started early as we knew there could be some wind around. The chat with Jeff the night before prompted me to believe it could be done...
As I write this I'm stilling in Milbrilongs Legend's home Jeff and Loriane Hoffman.... Yes we made it!
Eddie did the last bit by road and I'm just about to go meet up with him....
I'll post a detailed story and more pix up ASAP.
Thanks to all the support we had via the web and the text messages. It helped Big time. The people we met on the trip really made it what it was. Unbelievable.
Please come back and vist the blog as yesterday's effort was really amazing. We covered twice the km we normally do and had some more great times.
Off to see Ed and Thomas.
The Epic- Molong- Temora 250km
Day-12
The Epic
Sometimes hope begins when some one says something that opens up apart of a closed idea. Eddies inspiration to make it to our goal drove us today.
Awoke early at molong and sent up a balloon it went up for a bit then shot off we had a leasurly start with coffee and hotel breakfast. We pedaled out got directions then traveled through a wooded area on the Manildra road.the going was easy and very picturesque. In Manildra we were checked out by some workers at the flour mill and photographed by others. We traveled on to Cudal across a high plain between two ridges. The wind dropped as the ridges deflected it. There was clear undulating pasture and the road really smooth. They were easy miles and a good, if a little unorthodox, way to see our country. We stopped for a coffee and a bite at Eugowra. Ben Hall, the infamous bush ranger, staged the biggest armed robbery of its time near there. I noticed I had tyre wear issues so I did a little rotation. We had attracted a little attention by then and were interviewed by a local press agent. We had the road to Goolagong under us and were soon being received by a couple of classes of the Goolagong school. From there we traveled carefully to ‘Henry Lawson’ country at Grenfell. We received exceptional service from Jason and the team at Beaurepairs at Grenfell who very kindly donated a new set of tyres for my flyke. We pushed on to Temora on their advice where we were welcomed by some of the flying community. As we were setting up camp, Gill and Mark, some friendly locals, invited us into there house to share a BBQ dinner with their family. We showed them some video on their big screen, then got back to the camp, to get ready for an early start an a crack at the Goal in Milburong.
The Epic
Sometimes hope begins when some one says something that opens up apart of a closed idea. Eddies inspiration to make it to our goal drove us today.
Awoke early at molong and sent up a balloon it went up for a bit then shot off we had a leasurly start with coffee and hotel breakfast. We pedaled out got directions then traveled through a wooded area on the Manildra road.the going was easy and very picturesque. In Manildra we were checked out by some workers at the flour mill and photographed by others. We traveled on to Cudal across a high plain between two ridges. The wind dropped as the ridges deflected it. There was clear undulating pasture and the road really smooth. They were easy miles and a good, if a little unorthodox, way to see our country. We stopped for a coffee and a bite at Eugowra. Ben Hall, the infamous bush ranger, staged the biggest armed robbery of its time near there. I noticed I had tyre wear issues so I did a little rotation. We had attracted a little attention by then and were interviewed by a local press agent. We had the road to Goolagong under us and were soon being received by a couple of classes of the Goolagong school. From there we traveled carefully to ‘Henry Lawson’ country at Grenfell. We received exceptional service from Jason and the team at Beaurepairs at Grenfell who very kindly donated a new set of tyres for my flyke. We pushed on to Temora on their advice where we were welcomed by some of the flying community. As we were setting up camp, Gill and Mark, some friendly locals, invited us into there house to share a BBQ dinner with their family. We showed them some video on their big screen, then got back to the camp, to get ready for an early start an a crack at the Goal in Milburong.
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Day 10
Day 10 –Monday
Coolah to Goolma
After finding the airstrip the evening before, we were on the right track. Johnny Gill the local Aero man was cued up for 7.30am. Johnny used local guys to sheer his sheep and the word in the pub was that he was a cool fellow. After a quick feed in the Black Stump we made our way to Johns place. John Flies a Robinson R44 however has a strip on his property. His land was well kept and we decided to set up on the paddock near the road.
John's wife Gill and farmer James Thompson came out to meet us. We spoke about Relay for life and had Chris Mc master the Coolah coordinator come out for a chat. The town of 900 raised a whopping $66,500 in the last relay. By far the best achievement of any small town we have been to. David Cam a new property owner at Coolah is mates with John and knew there were some interesting aircraft around. He is also an owner of an R44. Davis landed and joined in the gathering.
I set off a helium balloon to get a local report. It went vertical for 500ft and then went south relatively slowly. I knew we had a window. Eddie has experienced a little hesitation and anxiety on the last few launches so I decided to get him off first before I set up. Wise move. Nil wind and smooth ground we set Ed up between two trees with a relatively clear path. The first few attempts didn’t quiet make the cut. The video playback shows the story. In short Ed almost got off a few times however conservatively pulled the pin on each of them as the glider kept moving around. On the last attempt we noticed the wind from 90 degrees to the left so we moved launch. As we set up the wind came in and blew the trees around... Ed was ready to go... Every one was watching... but I was concerned about the strength. I pulled rank and called the exercise off. I’ve grown accustomed to disappointing people that want a show, as our aircrafts have a small window for flying.
On the road again to Gulgong this time the back way. I left town reminiscing about the people we had connected with. From first meeting Brendon at the service station to massive turn out at the pub where we put on a show displaying some footage of the day. The town is friendly and full of real people with big hearts. Another hard place to leave.
The trip to Gulgong was splendid. We rode through areas that inspired me to take up painting. Luscious green hills , sweeping plains and beautiful skies. Memories that will live with me forever....
Closer to Gulgong we passed though an open cut coal mine. A harsh reality of using electricity in our day and age. I wanted to fly over it especially as there was an airstrip nearby however the wind sock was on Viagra and I was not going to give it another thought.
25km to Gulgong we hit the road and made it in no time. Peddlng up the main drag my chain failed and I was forced to make a repair. Thomas and I ducked into the Grocery store and met Samantha whose smile made the harshness of the trip seem irrelevant... Ed met by chance Gulgong’s Cancer council coordinator for Daffodil day out the front of Coles. Ed was feeding the public with info and made a great job of it. One chap after hearing the story about the trip and Flykes stayed around while we had lunch giving the public info on demand. Brilliantly.
My phone had gone flat and I had lost my charger and back up charger... Disappointed I pulled the bus apart and had no result. 3 shops in town later and still no luck. Ed put the screws down and we agreed to do some km and aim at Wellington. The sky was full of dark clouds and there was some precipitation around. However the sky ahead looked ok.
On the road again and after a few wrong turns we were on track. Communication working well we made some km until Ed pulled over with a motor noise issue. After assessment it was decided to push on into the dark clouds that lay ahead. The area was in drought and has been for 6 years so we decided to be happy if our mission was to end early due to rain. I was a little disappointed at the prospect of not making Wellington however the weather takes precedence
We pulled over another few times to reassess and by now we were looking for a camp. Over the hill a little pub appeared......... Goolma
We pulled into a small and only pub in Goolma and put the Flykes under cover. The publican seemed concerned initially but soon eased up on his policy. Ed started drinking and I decided to hold back as my last night in Coolah was a little rough. Ed and Thomas worked on the blog and pictures and I drank soft drinks and spoke to the locals. Gopher Terry and Harold, Eddie Thomas, Martian AKA Marty the publican. The atmoshpere warmed up very quickly and soon my soft drinks turned into Amber drinks.
We spoke about the shearing situation, what it takes to be a local, relationships, our trip and generally most things under the sun. We worked out my Sydney high school football team had come to Coolah and played League against the local team back in 88.
I was moved to hear about Goolma’s involvment in Cancer fundraising projects in the past and saw some pictures on the wall of a charity horse ride that raised heaps of money.
Marty had been threatening to bring out his button accordion if I brought out my camera. At around 10pm it happened. Click goes the shears along with a few old and gold songs gave the crew some entertainment for the evening. The rest of the night is a little blurry.
I crawled into bed eventually....
Coolah to Goolma
After finding the airstrip the evening before, we were on the right track. Johnny Gill the local Aero man was cued up for 7.30am. Johnny used local guys to sheer his sheep and the word in the pub was that he was a cool fellow. After a quick feed in the Black Stump we made our way to Johns place. John Flies a Robinson R44 however has a strip on his property. His land was well kept and we decided to set up on the paddock near the road.
John's wife Gill and farmer James Thompson came out to meet us. We spoke about Relay for life and had Chris Mc master the Coolah coordinator come out for a chat. The town of 900 raised a whopping $66,500 in the last relay. By far the best achievement of any small town we have been to. David Cam a new property owner at Coolah is mates with John and knew there were some interesting aircraft around. He is also an owner of an R44. Davis landed and joined in the gathering.
I set off a helium balloon to get a local report. It went vertical for 500ft and then went south relatively slowly. I knew we had a window. Eddie has experienced a little hesitation and anxiety on the last few launches so I decided to get him off first before I set up. Wise move. Nil wind and smooth ground we set Ed up between two trees with a relatively clear path. The first few attempts didn’t quiet make the cut. The video playback shows the story. In short Ed almost got off a few times however conservatively pulled the pin on each of them as the glider kept moving around. On the last attempt we noticed the wind from 90 degrees to the left so we moved launch. As we set up the wind came in and blew the trees around... Ed was ready to go... Every one was watching... but I was concerned about the strength. I pulled rank and called the exercise off. I’ve grown accustomed to disappointing people that want a show, as our aircrafts have a small window for flying.
On the road again to Gulgong this time the back way. I left town reminiscing about the people we had connected with. From first meeting Brendon at the service station to massive turn out at the pub where we put on a show displaying some footage of the day. The town is friendly and full of real people with big hearts. Another hard place to leave.
The trip to Gulgong was splendid. We rode through areas that inspired me to take up painting. Luscious green hills , sweeping plains and beautiful skies. Memories that will live with me forever....
Closer to Gulgong we passed though an open cut coal mine. A harsh reality of using electricity in our day and age. I wanted to fly over it especially as there was an airstrip nearby however the wind sock was on Viagra and I was not going to give it another thought.
25km to Gulgong we hit the road and made it in no time. Peddlng up the main drag my chain failed and I was forced to make a repair. Thomas and I ducked into the Grocery store and met Samantha whose smile made the harshness of the trip seem irrelevant... Ed met by chance Gulgong’s Cancer council coordinator for Daffodil day out the front of Coles. Ed was feeding the public with info and made a great job of it. One chap after hearing the story about the trip and Flykes stayed around while we had lunch giving the public info on demand. Brilliantly.
My phone had gone flat and I had lost my charger and back up charger... Disappointed I pulled the bus apart and had no result. 3 shops in town later and still no luck. Ed put the screws down and we agreed to do some km and aim at Wellington. The sky was full of dark clouds and there was some precipitation around. However the sky ahead looked ok.
On the road again and after a few wrong turns we were on track. Communication working well we made some km until Ed pulled over with a motor noise issue. After assessment it was decided to push on into the dark clouds that lay ahead. The area was in drought and has been for 6 years so we decided to be happy if our mission was to end early due to rain. I was a little disappointed at the prospect of not making Wellington however the weather takes precedence
We pulled over another few times to reassess and by now we were looking for a camp. Over the hill a little pub appeared......... Goolma
We pulled into a small and only pub in Goolma and put the Flykes under cover. The publican seemed concerned initially but soon eased up on his policy. Ed started drinking and I decided to hold back as my last night in Coolah was a little rough. Ed and Thomas worked on the blog and pictures and I drank soft drinks and spoke to the locals. Gopher Terry and Harold, Eddie Thomas, Martian AKA Marty the publican. The atmoshpere warmed up very quickly and soon my soft drinks turned into Amber drinks.
We spoke about the shearing situation, what it takes to be a local, relationships, our trip and generally most things under the sun. We worked out my Sydney high school football team had come to Coolah and played League against the local team back in 88.
I was moved to hear about Goolma’s involvment in Cancer fundraising projects in the past and saw some pictures on the wall of a charity horse ride that raised heaps of money.
Marty had been threatening to bring out his button accordion if I brought out my camera. At around 10pm it happened. Click goes the shears along with a few old and gold songs gave the crew some entertainment for the evening. The rest of the night is a little blurry.
I crawled into bed eventually....
Day 9
Day 9- sunday
Gunnedah to Coolah
It was Sunday and we were finally going to leave Gunnedah. It seemed like we had become a part of the town and something else was going to fall off so we could stay. Alas not. We made our way to the strip at 7.30am only to find the wind had come up again. Disappointed as I wanted to fly the new Relay for Life printed glider over town to help the town prepare for the up coming Relay. Alas it was not to be.
Through town into Maccas for a drive through experience. We had to do it once in the Flykes. We camped in the shade and sorted out the route with consideration made to keep off the Oxley Hwy as much as possible. 40km later we turned off the main drag and headed down an alternate route.
The weather was pleasant and the road trip with out complications... Along the way we noticed the wind dropping more and more. We approached the Warrumbungles and I recall Graham Sutherland talking about them. After several km we found a paddock near the road that seemed to be launch able. Ed set up while I put up wind streamers and let off another balloon. I declared walked the area and found the best spot. Ed moved his gear over to me and we did out preflights.
Ed’s first 4 or so launches seemed to be put off by the rough ground, however the last one marked the end of the session as his lines came in contact with the prop. Luckily we were equipped with spares. Interested to see what the mountains looked like from the air, I launched. The footage of this launch shows it was not a standard run. I almost aborted once , however managed to steady the wind and motor off. I climbed slowly to 600ft and did some circuits when suddenly bang, the fire went out.... I was dead stick.... I was high enough to have several paddocks in sight however the best one required a 360 which I did before final. Nice landing. Spark was the issue and I fitted a better plug cap to start to the check. I eventually noticed a wire from the coil had broken at the spade connector. I fitted a spare which was made from silicon and offered more resistance to vibration. The motor started first pull. I helped Ed make 3 new lines under a tree and we had a bite to eat, care of Thomas.
Uneasy about launching Eddie dragged the chain a little so I decided to not fly or set up until he was off the ground. A new direction so we set up a new launch. After the first few efforts I noticed Ed’s brakes on during the launch. I lengthened the brakes lines as Ed’s short half Japanese arms were either not long or flexible enough for the job!
Next effort.... bang.... glider came up nice and Ed was away. The video shows a little more of the drama , but the concept of extending the brakes in this situation was proven to be a correct assessment. I methodically did my preflights and joined Ed after a few fly by’s to let Thomas take some shots of the new Relay For Life glider.
From Eddie:
We flew a few K’s with a tail wind over bright Green paddocks interspersed with fields of golden canola. It was a beautiful sight in the afternoon sun. We started to run in to some turbulence and a freshening cross headwind I encountered some strong sink and upped the power then my drive belt started slipping so I had to reduce and indicated to Andrew that it was time to land. He let down beside a farm road where there was no fence and I came in after him doing a vertical decent then released the wing to avoid being blown backwards. Thomas arrived in a few minutes and we hit the road to arrive at Coola. We fuelled up organized a launch contact and stayed at the Black Stump Hotel. It turned in to a great night with some interesting locals who were entertained by some of our video bloopers. I slept very well indeed.
Gunnedah to Coolah
It was Sunday and we were finally going to leave Gunnedah. It seemed like we had become a part of the town and something else was going to fall off so we could stay. Alas not. We made our way to the strip at 7.30am only to find the wind had come up again. Disappointed as I wanted to fly the new Relay for Life printed glider over town to help the town prepare for the up coming Relay. Alas it was not to be.
Through town into Maccas for a drive through experience. We had to do it once in the Flykes. We camped in the shade and sorted out the route with consideration made to keep off the Oxley Hwy as much as possible. 40km later we turned off the main drag and headed down an alternate route.
The weather was pleasant and the road trip with out complications... Along the way we noticed the wind dropping more and more. We approached the Warrumbungles and I recall Graham Sutherland talking about them. After several km we found a paddock near the road that seemed to be launch able. Ed set up while I put up wind streamers and let off another balloon. I declared walked the area and found the best spot. Ed moved his gear over to me and we did out preflights.
Ed’s first 4 or so launches seemed to be put off by the rough ground, however the last one marked the end of the session as his lines came in contact with the prop. Luckily we were equipped with spares. Interested to see what the mountains looked like from the air, I launched. The footage of this launch shows it was not a standard run. I almost aborted once , however managed to steady the wind and motor off. I climbed slowly to 600ft and did some circuits when suddenly bang, the fire went out.... I was dead stick.... I was high enough to have several paddocks in sight however the best one required a 360 which I did before final. Nice landing. Spark was the issue and I fitted a better plug cap to start to the check. I eventually noticed a wire from the coil had broken at the spade connector. I fitted a spare which was made from silicon and offered more resistance to vibration. The motor started first pull. I helped Ed make 3 new lines under a tree and we had a bite to eat, care of Thomas.
Uneasy about launching Eddie dragged the chain a little so I decided to not fly or set up until he was off the ground. A new direction so we set up a new launch. After the first few efforts I noticed Ed’s brakes on during the launch. I lengthened the brakes lines as Ed’s short half Japanese arms were either not long or flexible enough for the job!
Next effort.... bang.... glider came up nice and Ed was away. The video shows a little more of the drama , but the concept of extending the brakes in this situation was proven to be a correct assessment. I methodically did my preflights and joined Ed after a few fly by’s to let Thomas take some shots of the new Relay For Life glider.
From Eddie:
We flew a few K’s with a tail wind over bright Green paddocks interspersed with fields of golden canola. It was a beautiful sight in the afternoon sun. We started to run in to some turbulence and a freshening cross headwind I encountered some strong sink and upped the power then my drive belt started slipping so I had to reduce and indicated to Andrew that it was time to land. He let down beside a farm road where there was no fence and I came in after him doing a vertical decent then released the wing to avoid being blown backwards. Thomas arrived in a few minutes and we hit the road to arrive at Coola. We fuelled up organized a launch contact and stayed at the Black Stump Hotel. It turned in to a great night with some interesting locals who were entertained by some of our video bloopers. I slept very well indeed.
Day 8...saturday
From Eddie...
My day starts in the tent I awake, I am alone, I’ve slept in. But no its still early Andrew and Thomas are up and coffee is ready. The weather looks promising for the flight to Armidale to pick up the spare donk. Its foggy in Armidale so we play the waiting game I get the frame stripped back for the new motor. 10.00 we get a call from Rodger The club Cessna has an oil leak it needs checking out. Another call at 11.00 oil is OK. Weather is still iffy. Next call is that it’s looking good so we go to the strip and meet Roger. He is making a flight plan. He hasn’t been in to Armidale before. I’m very impressed with his attention to detail. 12.01 Rodger and I are on the taxi way doing the final checks and radio call. No guarantees but we will have a look. We take off and head on track over Lake Keepit, Manilla and on to the high country battling a head wind and thermic conditions. Rodger is having a good time he love aviation in all forms and has just bought a vintage Cessna 152. an hour and a quarter later we are lining up the Armidale strip for a perfect touchdown wind straight on. Dave is there to greet us. (I would like to take this moment to thank you for the new motor,thanks mate) Its been a couple of years since we last met. The motor is almost new and after a little catchup with what we have both been up to, a pie and coffee we load up the Cessna and retrace the flight up. There is a bit of rain and nasty cloud on track so we do a slight detour but with the wind up the jaxy we make almost 95.and are back in short time for a beautiful cross wind landing. While we put the Cessna away, Andrew not far away, arrived in a flap as he had dropped a bag with camera and headset. Thomas radioed in with the news that he had dropped it in the drive and all was well. We checked out Rogers plane then went to Deb and Harveys’ where the flyke was. Rodger who runs a computer shop in Gunnedah, a whiz on computer setup, helped us with connection problems.
The change over of motors went well. There was quite a bit of fiddly wiring issues which took some time. I had brought on the flyke what I thought would be needed for the trip most of the things have been used but weight is an issue. The tools have been adequate and all have been used. Thomas and I filmed it which will be a good resource.
For the success in being able to continue We owe a debt to the people of Gunnedah. I would like to especially thank Deb and Harvey who have arranged for us to meet so many lovely people which for me has been heart warming.
My day starts in the tent I awake, I am alone, I’ve slept in. But no its still early Andrew and Thomas are up and coffee is ready. The weather looks promising for the flight to Armidale to pick up the spare donk. Its foggy in Armidale so we play the waiting game I get the frame stripped back for the new motor. 10.00 we get a call from Rodger The club Cessna has an oil leak it needs checking out. Another call at 11.00 oil is OK. Weather is still iffy. Next call is that it’s looking good so we go to the strip and meet Roger. He is making a flight plan. He hasn’t been in to Armidale before. I’m very impressed with his attention to detail. 12.01 Rodger and I are on the taxi way doing the final checks and radio call. No guarantees but we will have a look. We take off and head on track over Lake Keepit, Manilla and on to the high country battling a head wind and thermic conditions. Rodger is having a good time he love aviation in all forms and has just bought a vintage Cessna 152. an hour and a quarter later we are lining up the Armidale strip for a perfect touchdown wind straight on. Dave is there to greet us. (I would like to take this moment to thank you for the new motor,thanks mate) Its been a couple of years since we last met. The motor is almost new and after a little catchup with what we have both been up to, a pie and coffee we load up the Cessna and retrace the flight up. There is a bit of rain and nasty cloud on track so we do a slight detour but with the wind up the jaxy we make almost 95.and are back in short time for a beautiful cross wind landing. While we put the Cessna away, Andrew not far away, arrived in a flap as he had dropped a bag with camera and headset. Thomas radioed in with the news that he had dropped it in the drive and all was well. We checked out Rogers plane then went to Deb and Harveys’ where the flyke was. Rodger who runs a computer shop in Gunnedah, a whiz on computer setup, helped us with connection problems.
The change over of motors went well. There was quite a bit of fiddly wiring issues which took some time. I had brought on the flyke what I thought would be needed for the trip most of the things have been used but weight is an issue. The tools have been adequate and all have been used. Thomas and I filmed it which will be a good resource.
For the success in being able to continue We owe a debt to the people of Gunnedah. I would like to especially thank Deb and Harvey who have arranged for us to meet so many lovely people which for me has been heart warming.
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