The 2024 Australian Air Rally - The FBO

[TomPenDragon]

12 hours ago, MAD1 said:

TPD, lovely flight story and pics Cairns to Guam, thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading it over my morning brewed coffee and honey toast. btw,

Thanks!

 

12 hours ago, MAD1 said:

I know you were stretched and tired re getting to the party and reporting, but I fully expected Elias to be there with a live radio programme

[Building from your "live chat" Idea, I had planned a "live radio broadcast" from the party that would have been the product of all of us, with the caveat that it would have had to have happened organically.  For whatever reason -- tiredness, RL, the time zone logistics - it didn't happen, and that's okay.  We all closed out the event as we wished.  Perhaps we could try it some other time.]

 

12 hours ago, MAD1 said:

as for the band, there was nothing on this FBO site, no pic of their big jet, no pic of the band performing (or is that an episode still to come?)

As for Iron Maiden and Bruce's band, remember that their appearance was a mutual favor - you in Cairns got to see them up close and personal, and they got to do a shakedown rehearsal for two upcoming tours.  Thus their stipulation of, "No pictures or recording of any type."  Neither Elias nor I can even go into detail regarding the set lists or specific impressions.

 

But Bruce is rather proud of the liveries he's produced for the aircraft he's flown for the band:

 

Ed Force One in her Book of Souls tour livery

 

If the nacelle art bears a passing resemblance to an Aztec calendar, I may have made a suggestion...

 

More can be seen at https://www.ironmaiden.com/ed-force-one .

 

13 hours ago, MAD1 said:

Chachapoya Chronicle, after all, you DO own that newspaper.

Nah, it's the Aussie Correspondent's now.  He has been bugging Eli for a month and a half regarding payment, in the meantime delivering outstanding reporting and earning high praise from his fellow journalists in Australia and internationally,  All I did was throw in a little seed capital.  He made it work.

 

So, to the Aussie Correspondent, eat what you kill.  You're a publisher now, not just a journalist.  Chachapoya Chronicle is your payment.  Need some capital? Talk to me.  Unsure of the business side of things?  I can introduce you to a lot of people who can help you with that.  But the paperwork's on it's way; Chachapoya Chronicle is wholly YOURS.

 

If I may make one suggestion, though, you might want to bring your friend MAD1 into the business.  He's a little nuts, and can sometimes be a bit direct and abrasive, but he's good people.  When I'm company-building, I tell the principal to find people whose talents complement theirs and whose ideas counterweight theirs.  From what I know of MAD1 and what I know of you, I think you'd mesh pretty well as a team.  People might even start to think you're the same person, if it works out as well as I think it might.

 

I wish I knew your name.  Sending Transfer of Ownership papers with the recipient's name blank makes me a little nervous.  But I understand the need for anonymity; journalism has become a very dangerous business.  When Elias told me that he was going to be flying in airspace that the Chinese and Russians think is theirs, the first thing I told him was to get that great big sticker that says, "Press," off the side of his plane.  His Saratoga still has the little gold B&H sticker on it but that's all.

 

I've always believed in freedom of the legitimate press, and now more than ever.  Should you need someone to have your back while you're muckraking, or to help you chase down some leads, just put out a call to the Club and I'm sure you'll have air cover before you know it.  I'll be there myself if I can and, though Elias probably has not said this, he'd walk through a brick wall for you.

 

If you're looking for your next story, I have a name for you:

 

Giorgio Bianchi.

 

[Bossspecops]

I am going all the way round, yes.

 

I'll have to go via Japan and the Aleutians as there's no way the Sealand can manage the Hawaii-California leg. If I tanked her up enough to manage that she won't take-off, and I tried it to see if it was possible. 

[TomPenDragon]

I think you'll find the winds a little more favorable up north.  I just hope the Sealand has a good heater!

[ViperPilot2]

23 minutes ago, TomPenDragon said:

Thanks!

 

[Building from your "live chat" Idea, I had planned a "live radio broadcast" from the party that would have been the product of all of us, with the caveat that it would have had to have happened organically.  For whatever reason -- tiredness, RL, the time zone logistics - it didn't happen, and that's okay.  We all closed out the event as we wished.  Perhaps we could try it some other time.]

 

As for Iron Maiden and Bruce's band, remember that their appearance was a mutual favor - you in Cairns got to see them up close and personal, and they got to do a shakedown rehearsal for two upcoming tours.  Thus their stipulation of, "No pictures or recording of any type."  Neither Elias nor I can even go into detail regarding the set lists or specific impressions.

 

But Bruce is rather proud of the liveries he's produced for the aircraft he's flown for the band:

 

Ed Force One in her Book of Souls tour livery

 

If the nacelle art bears a passing resemblance to an Aztec calendar, I may have made a suggestion...

 

More can be seen at https://www.ironmaiden.com/ed-force-one .

 

Nah, it's the Aussie Correspondent's now.  He has been bugging Eli for a month and a half regarding payment, in the meantime delivering outstanding reporting and earning high praise from his fellow journalists in Australia and internationally,  All I did was throw in a little seed capital.  He made it work.

 

So, to the Aussie Correspondent, eat what you kill.  You're a publisher now, not just a journalist.  Chachapoya Chronicle is your payment.  Need some capital? Talk to me.  Unsure of the business side of things?  I can introduce you to a lot of people who can help you with that.  But the paperwork's on it's way; Chachapoya Chronicle is wholly YOURS.

 

If I may make one suggestion, though, you might want to bring your friend MAD1 into the business.  He's a little nuts, and can sometimes be a bit direct and abrasive, but he's good people.  When I'm company-building, I tell the principal to find people whose talents complement theirs and whose ideas counterweight theirs.  From what I know of MAD1 and what I know of you, I think you'd mesh pretty well as a team.  People might even start to think you're the same person, if it works out as well as I think it might.

 

I wish I knew your name.  Sending Transfer of Ownership papers with the recipient's name blank makes me a little nervous.  But I understand the need for anonymity; journalism has become a very dangerous business.  When Elias told me that he was going to be flying in airspace that the Chinese and Russians think is theirs, the first thing I told him was to get that great big sticker that says, "Press," off the side of his plane.  His Saratoga still has the little gold B&H sticker on it but that's all.

 

I've always believed in freedom of the legitimate press, and now more than ever.  Should you need someone to have your back while you're muckraking, or to help you chase down some leads, just put out a call to the Club and I'm sure you'll have air cover before you know it.  I'll be there myself if I can and, though Elias probably has not said this, he'd walk through a brick wall for you.

 

If you're looking for your next story, I have a name for you:

 

Giorgio Bianchi.

 

 

Giorgio is stuck in the Factory doing his day job; painting Bicycles in Celeste, the unmistakable hue synonymous with his last Name. There's another guy that's much better suited for the Role; he's over at the trattoria down the street. Ask for Timofeo Bowlachili; he'll be the bloke over in the corner embracing the bottle of grappa...

[TomPenDragon]

My Esteemed PhrogPhlyer,

 

In your helicopter collage, a certain manufacturer seems to be rather over-represented (the background's probably Bell's Beach, too), here is a small attempt at balancing the scales:

 

[TomPenDragon]

Fly with Eli

 

02 March, 2024.  Guam - Kushiro

 

06:55 - Sara's fueled and waiting for her preflight.

 

Finishing a climbing turn north.

 

Somewhere over the Pacific.

 

13:50 and just past Tokyo.

 

Two more hours and I'm on descent into Kushiro...

 

...and of course it's cloudy.

 

Peeking under the cloud deck.  There's also a rather strong crosswind,

 

I've been flying nonstop since 07:00.  Of course I'm crabby.

 

It was still a decent landing.  Here I am rolling out.  I spot an American Airlines MD-83 at the gate.  Tomorrow I'm going to be back in the USA.  Everybody Down Under was laughing at me because I had a winter jacket and some heavy hiking boots in the plane.  Now I'm glad I brought them - it's cold at the northern end of Japan; there's snow on the ground.

[PhrogPhlyer]

4 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

Be more than happy to include, if you'd please do another screenshot more to the front quarter as in the poster. Thx

 

[jgf]

5 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

a certain manufacturer seems to be rather over-represented (the background's probably Bell's Beach, too), here is a small attempt at balancing the scales:

 

For variety-

 

 

 

 

(The latter exists only as a mockup, production was never ordered and funding was cut.)

 

[ViperPilot2]

28 minutes ago, jgf said:

 

For variety-

 

 

 

 

(The latter exists only as a mockup, production was never ordered and funding was cut.)

 

 

This is why it was a tragedy no one had the foresight to hook up with Jordan Moore and Archive all of Hovercontrol's Library before he shut down the Site. There are many Reprints out there for helicopters that aren't around anymore...

[PhrogPhlyer]

6 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

a certain manufacturer seems to be rather over-represented

Keep in mind that I included the pics sent by all of you, of aircraft flown somewhere during the gaggle.

[MAD1]

Wow, just reading all the posts in the last 24 hours. Good stuff guys! So, now the 'event' is finished, I suppose this is Club/FBO chitchat. I like that. To reply to some comments:

1. Aussie Correspondents (AC) future. Remember, this is MAD1 writing. I've chatted to my friend the AC, and passed on TPD's comments. Typical, AC was still, remotely, hoping for some $ coming his way, so he's been 'left in the lurch' yet again, the so-called 'American philantropist benefactor' has disappeared into thin smoke, pledging to hand him the title deeds to a valueless newspaper. No way AC says, AC was hoping for a brilliant career in the Chachapoya Media Group, who knows, maybe getting on TV as the weather guy for a year or so, and then, if he impressed, snagging an anchor role on 'Chachapoya Tonight', the premier current affairs prime-time show 5 nights per week, 7:30 pm. But no, nadah, zip, nuthin.

 

As VP2 indicated, yes, in future events, a few, short newspaper articles by that celubrious guy, not Giorgio Bianchi who paints bicycles during the day, but Timofeo Bowlachili. Ah yes, Tim, Timmy! That's my man. (Visions appear from old movies: airports in the fog, Bogart and Bacal, "Of all the gin joints ....", yes, that's Timmy's persona, a Bogart character). AC has asked me, MAD1, to pass onto the Media Group that he'd like to pal up with Elias, sometime in the future, for the next event, no longer as AC, but as TB (unfortunate acronym). I, MAD1, have invited TB to accompany him on future adventures, MAD1 does the flying, TB as a passenger will experience the joy of the event and can write the occasional article for the Chachapoya Chronicle. Given that MAD1 and TB will be in foreign climes, not Oz, then they'll be just another pair of foreign tourists in a foreign land, or skies, etc.

[MAD1]

Re Iron Maiden etc. Well, I must have missed all that. The last thing I remember I was lying under a table, full of beer and food (me, not the table), must have dozed off, when I woke up all was pretty quiet, the party was over! I DO recall opening my eyes and seeing, in the blur, a jumbo nearby and thinking 'That's weird' and then going comatose again. (Be honest guys, we've all been there in our youth!)

[TomPenDragon]

12 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Keep in mind that I included the pics sent by all of you, of aircraft flown somewhere during the gaggle.

I know, "a certain manufacturer seems to be rather over-represented," was just the set-up for the Bell's Beach gag - I have a nephew who's a surfer, and if I didn't get at least one Bell's Beach reference into an Australian Gaggle, he'd disown me.  I certainly didn't mean anything by it.

[PhrogPhlyer]

2 hours ago, MAD1 said:

(Be honest guys, we've all been there in our youth!)

"...in our youth!" And I thought that I had celebrated the gaggle a bit too much!

[Bossspecops]

After all the shennanigins of the post-gaggle BBQ at Cairns I need to get back to Sydney to collect 'Austral Rose' and head off home. But of course I don't have an aeroplane here to do that so I need a helping hand.............

 

In a fictional RAF a few years ago their Airships saw much sense in replacing the Short Sunderland with a similar maritime reconnaissance aircraft but moved into the jet age, and selected the Martin P6M-3 Seamaster flying boat, but up-engined with Rolls Royce Conways and with two extra crew members in the rear cabin. These aircraft, entitled the Martin Monterey MR1 in RAF service, were flown by nos. 209 and 210 Squadrons for many years. 

 

I liked this idea so much I built a model of the Monterey MR1, seen on its well OTT beaching trolley below.

 

 

As it happens one of 209's Monterey's just happens to be passing this way and I've grabbed a lift down to Rose Bay in Sydney with them.  

 

 

My Flight Report later today, but I expect it will be quick..................  

[Melo965]

3 hours ago, Bossspecops said:

As it happens one of 209's Monterey's just happens to be passing this way and I've grabbed a lift down to Rose Bay in Sydney with them.  

 

 

WOW!  Very cool!  Look forward to the flight report.

[MAD1]

Further to my numerous, over-wordy comments, perhaps I should apologise to everyone. (It's always a good ploy to apologise BEFORE a party, for whatever you might say and do at the party, then apologise again, sincerely, after the party, for whatever you said and did. That way, you're covered on all counts.)

I perhaps got too carried away and excited about having some mates to chat flying things with, plus other stuff. I forgot the purpose of this website, flying. Also, I had to take a cold shower and give myself a good talking too, 'MAD1, get a grip, this whole thing is about simulated flying, nothing else'! 'I agree with myself MAD1, I got carried away, will behave myself from now on'.

I'm reminded of the Donald Rumsfeld's '4 quadrants of uncertainty': known knowns, known unknowns, unknown knowns, unknown unknowns. In our sim world it's: real real, real unreal, unreal real, unreal unreal. Which quadrant all of the Gaggle activity fits into I'm still trying to figure out. I know I did participate, I'm real; I did do 2 flights, one timed in the race, the other free-flight, both were real, I did sit in the FS2002 Mazda cockpit and flew those in the sim in real time; but the aircraft, airports, routes were unreal; and AC is unreal, the party was unreal. TPD is real, Elias is unreal. And ScottishMike is real, his flying is real, albeit aircraft are unreal, and his characters are unreal unreal. It's a weird place this sim world!!

[Bossspecops]

This flight didn't quite turn out as expected as my friends from 209 Sqdn. decided to show me what XK440 could do! 

 

Taxying out from the small creek just east of Cairns Airport probably caused a few noise complaints as the Conway isn't the world's quietest turbo-fan.

 

 

The leg was 1127 nms to Rose Bay and FST reckoned it would take just under 2.5 hrs, which sounded OK to me, but the 209 guys thought otherwise! Getting off was a little dicey as the into-wind direction was pointed straight toward the shore, but those noisy Conways soon had us up on the step and away.

 

 

As we were using an official CASA flight plan (Civilian Safety Aviation Authority) for this leg, we used a SID from Cairns Airport that required a sharp turn to port almost as soon as we were airborne to clear that hefty range of hills to the south. So it was 'Tarra Cairns, thanks for all the tinnies!' That's the creek we started from with the red arrow pointing to it.

 

 

Our cruise altitude was to be 29000 ft and the Monterey was soon climbing like a homesick angel to get there, but the weather to the south didn't look very promising at  all.

 

 

Once we reached altitude the Captain decided that while he'd stick to the flight plan as regards directions and altitude he was going to exert 'Military Authority' and demonstrate just how fast the Monterey could go!

 

The panel 3D on this FS model isn't all that good as it's just a B&W pic and a very blurred one too, but the 2D panel is cribbed from the stock FSX 737-800 so I could at least understand it.

 

 

Just in case you missed it in that pic, note the Mach reading in the PFD..............

 

 

Yes, it does say M 1.04!!!!! 

 

Something tells me the .cfg file for the P6M may need a little 'adjustment' as we exceeded Mach 1 for almost the entire flight, with the throttle at around 80%. So sorry all you citizens of Queensland and New South Wales, it was us Brits who were making those bangs!

 

Certainly the Monterey handled the speed and altitude very well and looked quite at home up there, well away from her usual operational heights of 500 - 1000 ft.

 

 

Yeah, that's the RAF up there. This shot taken from Brisbane Tower as we blasted o'head.

 

 

Heading further south, tracking from isec to isec down the Australian coastline went fine, but it was almost total cloud cover below us so there was very little scenery to see.

 

 

Eventually it started to clear a little and the New South Wales greenery reappeared, but it didn't slow us down anyhow, oh no!

 

 

At around the SANAD isec we started a STAR into Kingsford-Smith Int. Airport at Sydney, but we only used it to penetrate the area safely as we'd be turning off to the East to land at Rose Bay. At the lower altitudes we were below one cloud layer and some good old Oz rivers  re-appeared. Not quite ox bow lakes, but close.....

 

 

At the MEPIL isec we turned off the STAR and went IFR for the remainder of the flight, turning east and almost immediately into some heavy cloud.

 

 

Luckily it didn't go down too far and we cleared through the cloud base at around 2500 ft and turned onto the approach for Rose Bay, with down-town Sydney just visible to our right.

 

 

It's a bit tight for a 'boat as large as the Monterey getting into Rose Bay, and we needed to be on the water pretty much as soon as we'd cleared that headland in the pic above, but our Captain knew what he was doing and put her down very nicely with room to spare.

 

 

Doing a fast taxi across the bay in case that big carrier decided to come out again seemed a good move, and when I checked the times we were just over HALF AN HOUR early on the estimated time! A good thing it wasn't a timed Rally!

You can just see the Bridge over to our right there.

 

 

And soon we were moored up by the marina so I could hop off and see how 'Austral Rose' was getting on. She was sitting there on the beach to welcome us too. 

 

 

That was that, a very nice (and FAST....) flight down from Queensland, and I waved tarra to XK440 and her crew and started to get ready for the long, LONG flight back to UK tomorrow.

[PhrogPhlyer]

10 minutes ago, Bossspecops said:

HALF AN HOUR early on the estimated time! A good thing it wasn't a timed Rally!

I know that feeling. Unfortunately with the Vamp it WAS a timed event and I was 20 minutes early.

But WOW what a rush!

[TomPenDragon]

1 hour ago, MAD1 said:

Further to my numerous, over-wordy comments, perhaps I should apologise to everyone. (It's always a good ploy to apologise BEFORE a party, for whatever you might say and do at the party, then apologise again, sincerely, after the party, for whatever you said and did. That way, you're covered on all counts.)

I perhaps got too carried away and excited about having some mates to chat flying things with, plus other stuff. I forgot the purpose of this website, flying. Also, I had to take a cold shower and give myself a good talking too, 'MAD1, get a grip, this whole thing is about simulated flying, nothing else'! 'I agree with myself MAD1, I got carried away, will behave myself from now on'.

I'm reminded of the Donald Rumsfeld's '4 quadrants of uncertainty': known knowns, known unknowns, unknown knowns, unknown unknowns. In our sim world it's: real real, real unreal, unreal real, unreal unreal. Which quadrant all of the Gaggle activity fits into I'm still trying to figure out. I know I did participate, I'm real; I did do 2 flights, one timed in the race, the other free-flight, both were real, I did sit in the FS2002 Mazda cockpit and flew those in the sim in real time; but the aircraft, airports, routes were unreal; and AC is unreal, the party was unreal. TPD is real, Elias is unreal. And ScottishMike is real, his flying is real, albeit aircraft are unreal, and his characters are unreal unreal. It's a weird place this sim world!!

Can you prove definitively that it's not all just one grand sim?

 

 

[Melo965]

My Route home.

 

I will be flying Canberra PR9 Marham Rose first. 

Darwin International Airport (YPDN) in Australia
Sutan Sjahrir Air Force Base (WIMG) in Sumatra
RAF Masirah (OOMA) in Oman
RAF Akrotiri (LCRA) in Cyprus
Tain Airfield (EGQA) in Scotland, UK

 

Then flying CMC Leopard G-KITS

Tain Airfield (EGQA) in Scotland, UK
Dean Forest Regional (EGDF) UK

 

Then flying Supermarine Spitfire XI PL965

Dean Forest Regional (EGDF) UK
Tain Airfield (EGQA) in Scotland, UK
And then on northward and westward.

 

The Mk XI Spitfire has leading edge wing tanks
so the Gander route etc. will not pose any problems.

 

Final destination is Bremerton National (KPWT) Washington, USA
 

[PhrogPhlyer]

2 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

Can you prove definitively that it's not all just one grand sim?

[jgf]

6 hours ago, MAD1 said:

It's a weird place this sim world!!

 

It is that strange place to which we go when we log out of here that is weird.  (Reality isn't what it's cracked up to be ...I've been there.)

[MAD1]

Wow TPD, now that is a route and a stamina based jaunt. Good luck. (Love the Canberra phase.)

[Bossspecops]

My long trek home has started.

 

I've just taken off from Rose Bay aboard 'Austral Rose' and I'm headed for Alice Springs as a first stop, 1100 miles and 6.5 hrs away. I doubt there'll be much scenery to see as I'm IFR already and I'm not at climb altitude yet.