The 2024 Australian Air Rally - The FBO

[taoftedal]

3 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

1. Those in AEDT stay on very late (around 23:00 - 00:00), those in North America get on as early as possible (05:00 or earlier for those on the West Coast, which includes the winner of the '76 and, unless someone surprises us today with a run at it, the Eastern as well), and the folks in the UK come on around midday (12:00 - 13:00 or so), on the 1st of March;
2. Those on AEDT get on as early as possible (around 06:00), those in North America get on in the early afternoon (around 14:00 EDT, 11:00 PDT), and those in the UK join us in the evening (around 19:00), on the 2nd of March, Australia, and 1 March, everywhere else, or;
3. Same as 2, only we move it up a day and declare the race over.  This depends on whether the Australians are still online, and nobody from elsewhere wants to take a run at the Eastern or Combined today.

 

What?  More math?  I'm starting the grille ... 

 

 

[Bossspecops]

120 lbs???? 

 

The least time I was that light I was still at school! This morning I weighed 205 lbs, most of it my size 11 feet I expect...........

 

That would explain the extra long take-off run, but I'm amazed that lovely Turbo-Mallard didn't sink into the grass going around those two AI Cessnas!

 

Glad to finally be at Cairns though, even if my aircraft are scattered all the way up the coast.

 

Melo, please drop 'Marham Rose' off at Tain, in the westernmost SpecOps hangar. They have all the special gear there to keep her vintage systems going nicely. If you stage via Masirah and Akrotiri (see my outbound ferry flight....) you could find some friendly faces who'd be only to happy to welcome you and 'XH131' again. 

 

You could either drive my Zafira down to Dean Forest, it's parked right outside the SpecOps HQ building's front door, but it could take a while as it's well over 400 miles, and they're UK road miles too! A better alternative may be to fly G-KITS, she's in the easternmost small hangar there. I KNOW you'll like that. 

[taoftedal]

On 2/19/2024 at 2:21 PM, Bossspecops said:

and it's a lot more user friendly than a Vulcan.

 

Just catching up Bosss ... been told that you needed a shoehorn to get all the crew into a Vulcan ... sounds like you've had some experience?

[TomPenDragon]

1 hour ago, Melo965 said:

 Currently at 13,000 ft headed east.  906 KIAS and 1,003 kts Ground speed. 

I thought that was you...  I'm 50 miles east of YGTE and just heard a boom through the headset that shook the Hell out of the Saratoga.  Thanks, I was falling asleep...

 

1 hour ago, Melo965 said:

Canberra PR9 Marham Rose is still at RAAF Darwin.  Like my buddy Kit, I have decided to fly around the world to get home again, just in the opposite direction.  I will fly Marham Rose to Dean Forest regional or Tain.  Kit, let me know which one you prefer?  From there I will hop in my Mk XI Spitfire PL965 and fly the rest of the way home.   

Now that sounds like a plan.  I'm going to leave the FBO open until the last entrant gets home.  See you in Cairns in a few hours.

[ViperPilot2]

My ride home is inbound towards Cairns, and The Lady is on the tarmac waiting. Sitting in a Lawn chair sipping on some Iced Tea... 

 

And a 4 ship of F-16's just flew over the house. Must be the Thursday Salisbury Steak Special at Mountain Home AFB!

[Bossspecops]

1 hour ago, taoftedal said:

 

Just catching up Bosss ... been told that you needed a shoehorn to get all the crew into a Vulcan ... sounds like you've had some experience?

 

Yes, I've been aboard 3 of them at various museums in the UK, and I flew the Vulcan simulator (Up the Menai Straights at 50 ft and two laps of the Mach Loop!) at Stockport late last year. 

 

The three backseaters sit across the the cockpit facing backwards, and pretty close together, and a whole floor lower than the pilots! There's a steep 'ladder' leading up to the flight deck, and it really is a deck, and the gap between the Captain's and Co-pilot's seat is very narrow, so you need to be 'flexible' to fly one!

 

Apart from the forward view there are very few windows anywhere, and even looking forward it's pretty restricted too, specially down in the corners.

 

Vulcan crews had to be very friendly I reckon. 

[MAD1]

ScottishMike. Thanks for the lift mate, I really enjoyed the ride. Such a sweet bird you have there. Am feeling a little unwell, in my attempt to help out with the overweight problem, I ate so much enroute that I can hardly move. But I'll be fine for the party. Anyhow, as TPD has informed us, we didn't need to bring anything as the hosts are throwing a really big shindig with everything supplied.

 

TPD. Thanks for the clarification. Will follow your schedule:
"- Those in AEDT stay on very late (around 23:00 - 00:00), those in North America get on as early as possible (05:00 or earlier for those on the West Coast, which includes the winner of the '76 and, unless someone surprises us today with a run at it, the Eastern as well), and the folks in the UK come on around midday (12:00 - 13:00 or so), on the 1st of March;
- Those on AEDT get on as early as possible (around 06:00), those in North America get on in the early afternoon (around 14:00 EDT, 11:00 PDT), and those in the UK join us in the evening (around 19:00), on the 2nd of March, Australia, and 1 March".

 

Now, this darn maths (USA 'math') is always tricky ain't it. Fri 1 Mar is my today, it's AEDT 0720 at the moment (Cairns 0620 AEST). RW: wife wants to go to the beach, and as the forecast is sunny, no rain, whilst the weekend might bring a little rain, today Fri is the day for it. Mid-morning we're driving to Evans Head, south of Ballina. So I'll be back for this evening and can join the party then. I realise the above is 2 options, still confusing, but hey, what the hell, like any good party of 'good 'ol boys', it looks like it'll go for over 24 hours, and it's like 'hearding cats', 'Brown's cows', the Gaggle is all over the shop, albeit mostly in Cairns. And, taoftedal has already fired up the barbie. So, am sipping my wake-up coffee at my 0730, as soon as I finish that, is it too early to crack open a beer?

Conclusion: it IS an international event, so we better just toughen up and dig in for the long haul, per the phrase 'I only drink after 5 pm, is it after 5 pm? It is somewhere in the world'! So cheers boys!!!

[Melo965]

RAAF Darwin (YPDN) to Cairns (YBCS)

 

After talking to the pilot parked next to me the other day, he put me in touch with the RAAF.  They needed someone to ferry one of their aircraft East to Cairns, and they were wondering if I was interested?  YES!!! 

 

Ready to start engine in the rain.

 

Ready for takeoff.

 

Advancing throttle on runway 29.

 

Climbing out.

 

Another view of the climb out.

 

Leaving Darwin and the clouds and rain behind.

 

Flying East over Gove (YPGV)

 

Turning South over Weipa (YBWP)

 

Some weather on this route.

 

Getting close to Cairns.

 

248 kts at 600 ft.  Still legal, right?  

 

Runway in sight.

 

High final for runway 15.

 

Full stop.  Now to taxi over to the party.

 

Parked and ready to party. 

 

The Beechcraft next to me just fuelled up and left.

 

There is room for another Gaggle participant to park here now.

 

My thanks to everyone!  This is a wonderful event to participate in! 

 

[Melo965]

2 hours ago, Bossspecops said:

Melo, please drop 'Marham Rose' off at Tain, in the westernmost SpecOps hangar.  .  .  .

A better alternative may be to fly G-KITS, she's in the easternmost small hangar there. I KNOW you'll like that.

 

Thanks, sounds like a good plan.  And I will try to route through the places you suggested as well.

 

[Melo965]

1 hour ago, TomPenDragon said:

just heard a boom through the headset that shook the Hell out of the Saratoga.

 

Oops!  Sorry about that! 

 

[Melo965]

21 minutes ago, Bossspecops said:

Up the Menai Straights at 50 ft and two laps of the Mach Loop!

 

AWESOME!  Wish I was there to see that! 

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

2 hours ago, taoftedal said:

I'm starting the grille ... 

 

Way ahead of you... this is for the Vegicarnitarians (those who get their veggies be eating the carnivores that ate the herbivores).

[taoftedal]

 

5 minutes ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Way ahead of you ...

 

Threw a few burgers on the barbie just for appetizers ... come and get'em!

 

[ViperPilot2]

6 minutes ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Way ahead of you... this is for the Vegicarnitarians (those who get their veggies be eating the carnivores that ate the herbivores).

 

Just say you're a Vegetarian... Cows eat Grass, and you eat Cows.

[PhrogPhlyer]

Damn I'm getting hungry!

[MAD1]

PhrogPhlyer. I'll go fire up the sim (in the barn, in the 'FS2002 Mazda') soon and get those 3 pics you wanted, for the poster, and post here. Just gotta finish my 'sausage sandwich' (Aussie slang: 'sausage sanger') first (my breakfast). [interweb quote: 'The genius of the sausage sandwich is its simplicity – a sausage in a single slice of no-frills, unbuttered white bread, accompanied by fried onions and choice of sauce.']

[PhrogPhlyer]

35 minutes ago, Bossspecops said:

and two laps of the Mach Loop!

This is a fun challenge even here in FSX.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

1 minute ago, MAD1 said:

Just gotta finish my 'sausage sandwich' (Aussie slang: 'sausage sanger') first (my breakfast).

Sure beats Wheaties!

[ViperPilot2]

1 minute ago, MAD1 said:

PhrogPhlyer. I'll go fire up the sim (in the barn, in the 'FS2002 Mazda') soon and get those 3 pics you wanted, for the poster, and post here. Just gotta finish my 'sausage sandwich' (Aussie slang: 'sausage sanger') first (my breakfast). [interweb quote: 'The genius of the sausage sandwich is its simplicity – a sausage in a single slice of no-frills, unbuttered white bread, accompanied by fried onions and choice of sauce.']

 

Now see, that's a Sammich!

 

Unpretentious in its simplicity, without all the unnecessary foo foo of exotic Breads and Toppings.

 

And yeah, I put Ketchup on a Hot Dog... Youse got problems wif dat?

[ViperPilot2]

3 minutes ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

This is a fun challenge even here in FSX.

 

 

Here's one I tried almost a decade ago with the blokes over at SOH...

 

https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/86602-A-challenge-if-you-will/page3

[PhrogPhlyer]

5 minutes ago, ViperPilot2 said:

And yeah, I put Ketchup on a Hot Dog... Youse got problems wif dat?

Not at all!

I hate watching my Grandson have a hot dog, also puts Ketchup on it... sacrilege.

[taoftedal]

19 minutes ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

... this is for the Vegicarnitarians

 

Now that's what I call a barbie!  Well done PP!  

[ViperPilot2]

Just now, PhrogPhlyer said:

Not at all!

I hate watching my Grandson have a hot dog, put Ketchup on it... sacrilege.

 

Kids up to 10 get a Waiver. After that, and it's up to the Parental Units to curb that habit.

 

Mine realized early on I was 'off', yet allowed me to thrive, even revel in my 'offness'.

[PhrogPhlyer]

1 minute ago, ViperPilot2 said:

up to the Parental Units to curb that habit

Unfortunately, he learned it from his father, errrrr.

[TomPenDragon]

45 minutes ago, MAD1 said:

'I only drink after 5 pm, is it after 5 pm? It is somewhere in the world'! So cheers boys!!!

It's past 21:00 in London.  Pop 'em open!