MAD1

Bosss, we feel your pain man! If 'computer says no' you're stuffed!

JSMR. Those 'tinny' racers are simply crazy!

JGF 'No desire to repeat this in reverse', yes, a stellar effort on your part, you actually did a more significant 'race' just to reach the Aussie continent. I could'nt have done it, would have probably dipped out in Alaska!

Bosss '(Where's the 'banging head on the wall' emoticon when you need it?) '. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'oh!

PhrogPhyler: 'My "real" logbook has two flights piloting a GZ-20A. (N10A Columbia).' Man, you rock!!!!

PhrogPhlyer Posted yesterday at 02:57 PM Helium Heads Unite!!! I would love to fly an airship. Will research and get one!

The Chachapoya Chronicle. Travel and cultural news. Tue 27 Feb 2024. Dear reader, your Aussie Correspondent (AC) had a wonderful flight with MAD1 from Ballina to Coolangatta, with a loop around Cape Byron, the most easterly point, as reported previously. Whilst in the company of MAD1 we 'chewed the fat' about lots of things: work, life, loves gained and lost, beer, things on the barby, etc. etc. Here is my interview with him. AC: so you're still working past the 'official', traditional retirement age of 65 years? MAD1: yes, am 69 in May, I work Mon to Wed, and that model no longer applies in this third decade of the 21st century. My father died at 69, my mother at 79, but my generation is living longer. It's not uncommon for there to be a few 100-year-olds in the community nowadays, however the average life expectency in Australia is about 83 for men, 86 for women. (The clock is ticking! Better do the 'bucket list' before too long!) AC: So what do you do for work? MAD1: I love my job, it's geographic information (who doesn't like a nice map, from old ladies to toddlers, everyone loves a nice map, they're such pretty pictures!). So I work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and it's nowadays all electronic, as either static maps (PDF) or dynamic online web-based mapping, e.g. Google Maps etc. I work for a QLD government department, but I live and work from home in the 'north coast' (aka 'northern rivers') of NSW. I'm very privileged, for various personal, health, and family support reasons, they let me work from home. Many staff do this, all helped by the COVID pandemic starting in Feb 2020 I believe (or was it 2021, hard to remember now). Many businesses and government departments set up the infrastructure for this. One of our premier products is the Queensland Globe. As the Gaggle are flying up the QLD coast, some might be interested to take a peek at the Globe. My contribution (my 'baby', all my own design, all 'my mistake' is the section 'Inland waters', 'Water management information'). I love water stuff, and that's why I love my job, bringing together IT and geography in the water domain. The Globe contains a hell of a lot of info about QLD. AC: When will you retire? MAD1: Don't know, when I get sick of it I suppose, or simply when I get sick and can't do it anymore. Short answer - 'when I drop'. AC: Well thanks MAD1 for the flight around our local area and the chat. MAD1: Anytime mate. Let's go get a beer and 'tell each other lies' about our life exploits, plus reminisce about Saturday's flight, it was a good jaunt.!

Morning/evening guys, just logging in here at home at 8:03 pm AEDT Tue 27 Feb after a long RW work day on the computer, and haven't read through all the posts yet. Dear Phrog Phyler, apologies for not getting the pics to you earlier as threatened, but here they are now. All FS2002 default fleet. 1. Cessna 182 retractable gear (182RG) - remember, I DID fly the first leg in the timed event, Jandakot to Katanning, so if you're able to squeeze me into the first poster I'd appreciate it ('for the memories'). 2. Cessna Caravan amphib. 3. Bell 206B Jetranger.

PhrogPhlyer, don't add random heli's, you could ask us, the Gaggle, to choose one and give you a pic. (I can't fly one, but could give it a go, whatever, we could simply get the pic via a static positioning in the air etc. There is one in the FS2002 fleet, so I'd use that.) And yes, poor overworked PhrogPhlyer, your artwork is so popular that it will never end ...

Thanks PhrogPhlyer re "Send me a pic with "MAD1" positioned in flight similarly positioned as the seaplanes in the poster (go high for all blue background) and I'll update the poster.". I was thinking to ask you if you could sneak me in somewhere, but thought that might be a bit presumptuous. Am working (RW stuff, darn!) so will get the pic to you (my) tonight, maybe about 12 hours away.

Cessna Caravan flight Ballina to Coolangatta Sat 24 Feb with the Aussie Correspondent as a passenger. Included a circuit around Cape Byron.

The Chachapoya Chronicle. Travel and culture news. Sunday 25 February 2024. Ballina, Byron Bay, Coolangatta Your correspondent's home territory, in the sub-tropics (not too hot, not too cold), beautiful beaches, no nasties in the water like in north QLD (apart from sharks of course). In the spirit of the Gaggle, going amphibian, your correspondent enjoyed a ride yesterday Saturday 24 Feb with MAD1, who has upgraded from his trusty Cessna 182RG to the Cessna Caravan (part of the FS2002 default fleet) (PDF: flight pics, which MAD1 has also posted). In the footsteps (or should that be 'fins') of Bossspecops (we think, could have been someone else), we took off from the Richmond River at Ballina, eastwards into the prevailing sea breeze, turning north and left, climbing out over Ballina township and the airport, heading to Coolangatta. But just as Bossspecops did, we did a circuit around Cape Byron, Australia's most easterly point. It's a beautiful place, with a lovely walk up to the lighthouse which is high above the town. Byron Bay is on the international backpacker route, heaps of young people around. Very nice views of beach life! Wategos Beach (pronounced 'wat-e-go-s') at the northern base of the lighthouse hill is a famous surfing beach, the only north-breaking surf in NSW. And for the older folk who are well-heeled, the houses there are now in the multi-million price bracket. There are many 'creatives' living in the hills in the hinterland, and in the town itself, as well as celebrities. Over the years, Paul Hogan of 'Crocadile Dundee' fame, lived there with his TV celebrity wife, and his manager, they owned the Main Beach hotel. So the area is rich in very gifted people, musicians included, who often fly to Sydney for their 'day job' and back to their idyllic North Coast (aka Northern Rivers) NSW home and/or beach house. The lifestyle from here to North QLD is similar to California, laid back but vibrant. ('Relax man, you're not in the big city now, just chill, have another beer and 'chuck another prawn on ...' etc.) Your correspondent was born in the area, back before the tourist boom, and grew up on a dairy farm (Jersey cows for cream to make the famous Norco butter). The hinterland is a very rich farming (dairy, beef) and horticulture area, given the very rich volcanic soil. Coolangatta QLD is a 'twin town', the NSW-QLD border runs down the middle of the main street, with Tweed Heads NSW being the town name on the other side of the street! Part of the fun is that NSW uses daylight saving time in summer, clocks go one hour ahead, whilst QLD doesn't, so people living and working across the border have to deal with two time zones, including one side of the street is one hour different to the other side of the street! From north coast NSW all the way to Cairns QLD is really a wonderful, fun, playground with many towns and many beaches with great surf. The waves roll in from the deep Pacific Ocean, and the water is warm. (Coolangatta is the southern end of the Gold Coast, a Brisbane playground one hour's drive from the big city, whilst one hour or so north of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast, another great playground.) Finally, back to aviation, the Coolangatta airport is nowadays international, flights to China and Bali (Indonesia). The NSW-QLD border crosses the runway! So Bossspecops and us landed on Terranora Lakes, NSW, and walked up onto the southern perimeter of the airport, crossing the border. And technically, you can start your take-off roll at one end in one state, and lift off at the other end from a different state and one hour time difference! Who said that Australia is a weird place? We're just a little bit different that's all! Postscript. Forgot. The region is dominated by the 65 million year old Mount Warning (Aboriginal name Wolumbin) volcano, now a caldera rim. Named by Captain Cook in May 1770 as he sailed up the coast, a very distinctive mountain, seen from Byron Bay, which warns of a submerged reef off Point Danger (also named by him), where the NSW-QLD border is. 20240224.pdf

A message was passed to me from the Aussie Correspondent. He thanks all for the comments about the Vietnam item especially the songs. Songs do encapsulate memories, feelings, emotions. If I had of been 5 years older, I would have been in the national compulsory draft lottery for all 18 year olds, we had 'conscription' for a few years (a ball was drawn from a barrel with a number on it, and if your name was against that number, you were off to Puckapunyal for initial training, then to Canungra (behind the Gold Coast, near Coolangatta airport, QLD) for jungle training, then Shoalwater Bay south of Townsville for more training, then shipped to Vietnam. Re letter writing and comms when I was a young bloke wandering the world in my twenties, with backpack (we called ourselves 'travellers' as opposed to 'tourist', the term 'backpacker' wasn't used back then) the only comms I did was the blue Aerogramme home to the folks, every month or so. When I went into the Middle East, so as not to scare Mum, I chose not to write for about 2 or 3 months, and only told her where I'd been afterwards. And very rarly, a phone call home, very expensive. I haven't written a hardcopy letter with a pen for some years, I type on the computer everything, and most written comms is email. The other thing I notice, is many younger people (and not so young nowadays, people in their thirties, don't hold the pen 'properly', they grip it in a claw-like manner. We also had right-hand only rule, I'm right-handed, kids who were left-handed were 'encouraged' to retrain themselves to be right-handed.

The Chachapoya Chronicle reporter will have to have a quite word to Elias, as he seems to be slipping in his radio reporting, he didn't say how you can watch the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Here's the link for live streaming.

The Chachapoya Chronicle. Travel and culture news. Thursday 15 February 2024. This reporter was puzzled by the inclusion in the orginal race route of some small, unheard-of airports/strips. The educational benefits of the race are numerous, including for this reporter. Some facts have emerged. Bossspecops in the beautiful Sealand, in his flight from Mangalore to Tocumwal warrants some background information. YMNG Managalore. Nothing note-worthy about the town or airport that this reporter could discover, other than the interesting fact that until 1970 it was the diversion for Essendon (major GA for Melbourne) if the weather socked in at Essenden. Hence the logic of including it in the air race route. (Pic: Melbourne 'Argus' newspaper 28 May 1947.) Nearby Managalore is Puckapunyal, the 'boot camp' for new army recruits (officer cadets go to Duntroon military college in Canberra). Puckapunyal is well known. It was immortalised in a well known very powerful song that laments the Vietnam War experience, 'I Was Only 19' ('A walk in the light green'). Your reporter has tried to find the best video, with lyrics, for the song. [Warning: for veterans, the song can engender strong memories and emotions.] Another well known song is sung by Jimmy Barns, Cold Chisel band, 'Khe Sanh' ('Last plane out of Sydney') about a veteran who returns to Asia, and who has had difficulty adjusting to civilian life (PTSD sufferer). Rivers Bossspecops: 'Yet again the countryside below was characterised by rivers with ox-bow lakes all around them, and I'm not sure which river this one was but there was a LOT of it!' 'in the distance to the west was a massive lake, and Australia continues to amaze me with the huge amount of water there is all over the country.' This is the Goulburn river system, which provides much irrigation for horticulture. The route overflies Shepparton, which is a major centre. The word 'billabong' is an ox-bow lake, as immortalised in the song 'Waltzing Matilda' where the swagman (hobo, country wanderer) is 'camped beside a billabong'. Bossspecops: '... good old Murray River ahead of me. That river sure goes a LONG way across this part of the country.' 'Making that final turn I was over yet another ox-bow laked river, presumably a tributary of the Murray, as all rivers in these parts seem to be.' The Murray-Darling river system includes major tributaries - Murrumbidgee, Goulburn. Bossspecops: 'I passed a separate hangar area with some LONG trailers parked close by, and realised this was a gliding site as well. Quite familiar for me as gliding is the only RW flying I do these days.' Tocumwal is a major gliding centre. By coincidence, from this Saturday the 'Two Seater Nationals' competition is scheduled, Sat 17 – Sat 24 Feb. This reporter, having been a novice in a Blanik, 6 hours solo, and the only piloting he's done, maintains that gliding is 'real flying', 'sailing in the air', and the purest form of flying.) [Reporter's note: given the effort to produce these articles, which seems to have become a bit of a passion, and time consuming, albeit fun, your correspondent is seeking support from readers to lobby the international Chachapoya Media Group for remuneration. Previous mention of this sensitive topic produced almost silence from Elias ('... we'll talk about that later, gentlemen don't mention money ...'). Perhaps a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize, or whatever the journalistic equivalent is, would be appreciated. Similar to JSMR's enquiries about the race prize money, what amount is it, where is it, how will it be delivered to the lucky winner? All questions for good investigative reporting.]

G'day guys, just checking in. I also got my sim re-installed easily last week, and am ready to resume the fun when I can. (Boy, as a sometime IT guy, continue to be impressed by the quality of the FS2002 software: 3 CDs, auto install, and it all just does so, no extra things to fiddle with.) RW is continuing to toy with me, had to provide 'old person care support' for my 81 year old brother who has Parkinsons and frail, and his wife, 77, who had to go into day-surgery for a knee operation, and no other family available to help them in the house. On driving from my home the 50 minute drive to their place last Monday night, my old (1993) Ford Falcon station wagon broke a fan belt. Luckily only 4 km north of Casino, a town half way between. So, after yesterday's hospital delivery and retrieval, all went according to plan, am now sitting in McDonalds Casino, enjoying a breakfast meal of bacon and egg McMuffin, hash brown, and a large 'flat white on soy', having just retrieved the Ford with the help of our NRMA Road Assistance tilt-tray truck (am a NRMA Member, they provide a national breakdown service 'National Roads and Motorists' Association' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRMA), delivered to a Casino auto shop who will fit the new fan belt, I pick it up Thu or Fri, then hopefully home again. What fun! But, it IS lovely weather here to be driving about, the heavy rain, humidity and subtropical heat has left us for some days. A cultural tidbit, Australia-wide, for the last few years, was developing before 2020 and Covid etc., a shortage of staff everywhere, including 'tradies', trades qualified people, including car mechanics, had to phone around Casino yesterday trying to find a place that would take me: place 1 - 3 week wait, place 2 - 2 wks, place 3 - next week at the earliest. Was lucky to snag a cancellation for this morning. Phew! (We also have a national housing shortage crisis, plus of course the supply-chain delays with getting stuff from overseas, and the prices are going through the roof, all that supply-and-demand scenario. What's going on in the world? We're in 'advanced countries' but it seems our living standards a slipping. As is my punctuation, no paragraphs!!)

Interesting jgf (boy, you're a glutten for punishment!). Whilst up that way, you might like to check out the 'morning glory' cloud phenomenon. video. Oh, I see that it's the wrong time of year now.

The Chachapoya Chronicle. Culture and travel news. Friday 9 February 2024. Australian Alps, Snowy Mountains, Mount Kosciuszko, Snowy Mountain Scheme, Snowy 2.0 2.0, snow fun. Triggered by defaid's interesting excursion, here's your 'background briefing'. The Australian Alps has Australia's highest mountain 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level. Following World War 2 and as part of post-war employment and nation-building, inspired by USA projects e.g. the Hoover Dam, the government commissioned a very ambitious project, the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Instead of water from the alpine area being 'wasted' by flowing to the sea down the Snowy River, to divert it inland into the Murray River and the Murrumbidgee River (a tributary of the Murray) and thereby provide water for agriculture, resulting in the development of 'irrigation areas' e.g. the Snowy water feeds irrigation areas: Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (Griffith), Riverland Irrigation Area (Renmark): horticulture including grapes for wine. We enjoy good wines from these areas, some of the water producing it coming from the Snowy. As part of the post-war immigration programme, whereby Australia invited many immigrants from mainly Europe including the war-devastated countries, the beginning of our 'multi-cultural' development ('populate or perish' was one Cold War slogan), many immigrants came to work on the Snowy Scheme, bringing their engineering skills with them, including both engineers and labourers who knew how to build tunnels and dams. This started to change Australia into a culturally richer and better place, and started the demise of the British-focussed culture. Lauded as 'Australia's big battery' (yes, it can be added into the 'big thing' list), in recent years a major enhancement to the Snowy Scheme is to use it for 'pumped hydro'. (A lot of political hype, but not much progress so far.) All part of the renewable energy infrastructure transformation related to meeting the climate change 'net zero by 2050' etc. But oh-o, 'Florence' got stuck! The big tunnel boring machine got stuck, and is still stuck after over a year. Seems they might have it moving again. Since before World War Two, alpine hikers and cross-country skiers ventured into the alps. The pioneers were Europeans e.g. Swiss, German, Austrian, who knew about such landscapes from their native lands. Slowly the alpine ski resorts, e.g. Thredbo, developed into the thriving industry it is today. Welcome to Australia's 'high country'. Not now in summer, but if you come back in winter, you could experience this. [Reporter's note: having watched 'this' a few times, the realisation is that exciting stuff is for young people, under 30 years old, as most of the gaggle are old guys, probably our bodies couldn't handle it. Rather, a more sedate cross-country, or a gentle downhill run, with apre-ski fun in the ski chalet bar afterwards, and perhaps a nice sauna, is probably more appropriate. Just watch the young folk I think.]

Thanks defaid for the excursion, it sure made a nice change from the rather dull reports (not the reports per se, with great pics, but rather the route) over flat terrain. Yes, I now understand why the B&H route is as it is, had wondered why it went to some nondescript strips, all makes sense now. And apart from having numerous strips to land on if an emergency occurred, there is the factor of weather, nobody in a small GA aircraft wants to get caught heading up a valley and VFR conditions disappear with cloud rolling in. And to climb into and above it, still not VFR, no thanks! Looking forward to more defaid jaunts, and other flyers' excursions, and of course an amphibian excursion (if anyone knows anybody with such an aircraft - hint, hint).

The Chachapoya Chronicle. Travel and culture news. Thursday 8 February 2024. Amphibian operations Seaplanes, what lovely things. This reporter has, like many people, an affection for them especially the large commercial planes from the heyday of flying boats in the late 1930s to the 1950s. The Empire flying boats could take the rich passenger from Sydney to London in comfort, via the 'Kangaroo Route' (many hops), which is very much the same today: Singapore, India, Middle East, London. (These days it's two hops: Sydney-Singapore (about 8 hours), Singapore-London (about 14 hours). Pelicans are lovely birds, this reporter calls them the 'jumbo jets of the air', and the old, large flying boats remind of pelicans and vice versa. (Pelicans are superb gliders/soarers too, what a magnificent sight seeing a gaggle of them circling in a thermal and gaining altitude effortlessly.) Bossspecops's Sealand triggered this article. Now that he's on the east coast, there are plenty of waterways available for him to land on (should that be 'water on', and instead of 'land' is it more appropriate to say 'water', e.g. 'coming in for a watering' etc.) The Leader Board shows that he's in Warrnambool. So after he gets to Moorabin in Melbourne, we hope he'll do some excursions and 'water' at various places around Port Phillip Bay, the very large body of sheltered seawater that Melbourne has. After that, apart from some inland lakes, Sydney is his best play place. Sydney is renowned for its Sydney Harbour, perhaps the best in the world, the old sailing ship captains said so. Similarly for seaplanes. Rose Bay has a rich history (IATA RSE). After completing his timing requirements with a touchdown at Bankstown, this reporter suggests that he do a nostalgic jaunt to Rose Bay. If the race organisers alerted the media, there would no doubt be a little crowd and the TV cameras, a re-enactment of a Empire flying boat landing at the old flyingboat base. There is another offical water airport in Sydney, Palm Beach (LBH) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Beach_Water_Airport. These days, there's an active seaplane operation operating from the harbour, providing joyflights. https://www.seaplanes.com.au This topic caused your reporter to ponder what the regulations are for amphibian operations. Does the pilot have to get permission to do a planned water landing ('watering'). Who might the authority be? Air Services Australia, or the local Council. You're not landing at a strip, I suppose the same applies for a planned landing on land away from a strip. How does all that work, regulation-wise? So let's hope we have some stories and plenty of photos from Bossspecops about his amphibian operations during his visit to Australia. Others in the gaggle might be tempted to join him, if brave enough, in their own (borrowed) amphibian and deal with the challenges of water operations - getting the aircraft fast enough in the 'chop', then onto 'the step', then break from the surface, and up and away. Apparently it can be quite an acquired skill. History (plenty of fun bedtime/armchair reading here) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Bay_Water_Airport https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/Library/local-history/world-war-2/stories-from-woollahra/flying-boats-at-war https://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/lost-rose-bay-flying.html https://simpleflying.com/qantas-flying-boat-origins https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/flying-boats-sydneys-golden-age-aviation https://www.seaplanes.com.au/history

Thanks for your supportive comments VP2. No, I never intended to leave the forum, just change my status. I WILL free-fly at least the Ballina to Brisbane path. I haven't had a chance to watch the news fully (our ABC national broadcaster, as well as our Special Broadcasting Service, SBS, ostensibly overseas content) have excellant overseas news, but what is happening in California, I presume that acronym CA means California?

Thanks Tom for all the good advice. Yes, swap to free-flight is the go. And I'll leave the 182 at Katanning, as my secret benefactor, who loaned me the plane, has told me 'Don't worry, we'll get you back to Perth, where you can get a commercial to Sydney, then Jetstar Sydney to Ballina. We'll arrange a ferry to get the 182 to Ballina, then you can rejoin the gaggle for two legs to Brisbane.' So all is good, and yes, have learnt heaps. Bye from (like the movie 'Sleepless in Seattle') 'Frustrated in Katanning'.

Yep, I know this part of Australia well, as well as NSW and the ACT (Canberra). I work for a QLD government department, Geographic Information System (GIS) guy - spatial data, maps etc.. We have regional offices in all those places. Have driven the long drive Brisbane to Cairns to visit a mate at Mareeba (west of Cairns, up on the Atherton Tableland) and watch a total solar eclipse, a childhood dream come true. It's a lovely jaunt up the QLD coast. And yes, have also flown in commercials to Cairns, approach is exactly that, they shinnied west and dropped down into that valley for a straight-in. Of course, the rare times I get to fly on an airliner, I ALWAYS book a window seat and stare out ALL THE WAY, with a roadmap on my lap, plotting my progress. Love it! Hey, this sim scenery is quite realistic, quite accurate in places. That's just how it looks from the air. Now jgf hot-tailed it to Cairns, for gagglers who enjoy the 'gentle art of slow travel', it's nice to be a tourist in all those towns. And don't forget the 'big things', manadatory to get a selfie pic standing in front of each: Coffs the Big Banana, Ballina the Big Prawn, a day excursion north of Brisbane - the Big Pineapple, another day excursion north of Townsville or south of Cairns, at Tully, one of the wettest places in Australia with over 4 metres (160 inches) per year, the Big Gumboot. Tully is in the Cassowary Coast region. The cassowary is an emu-like, elusive, flightless bird (by the way, it's pronounced 'e-me-u'/'e-mew' not 'e-moo'), I have caught a glimpse of a few when driving through the region. But don't go near them, they're notorious for being very aggressive about their territory, will attack and have sharp claws and been known to kill people (oh joy, yet another animal that will kill me). (As one lilly-livered Pom tourist, a TV celebrity commented, when he asked about North QLD, he was advised re the wildlife (operative word 'wild': crocs, sharks, irukandji jellyfish, snakes, spiders etc.) "mate, just try not to get killed"! It sort of put him off a bit, dulled his enthusiasm, to go into the 'deep north' and explore the bush. So, you can't swim, something will try to kill you or eat you, you can't relax in the bush, something will try to sting or eat you. But hey, it's a nice place, just relax, have another beer and 'throw another shrimp ....' (oops, we aren't going there). Better perhaps to go try and hunt out another big thing for that all-important selfie.)

Defaid, all the evidence on this site indicates that you, and all the other idiots here, are obsessed! And really, you guys aren't taking it seriously? I love your seriousness, doing the 'as real as it gets' thing. I would too be obsessed if I was not semi-retired but fully retired. Let's clink glasses re the wine medicine.

Am a bit frustrated, damned RW is getting in the way of my hobby! Just done a heap of very interesting reading of everyone's exploits. That gaggle is well and truly gaggling, with one already at Cairns and finished! Will have to catch up my reading tomorrow, bedtime now. Re 'Dunnings', no, you misread the sign on the side of the building, it's 'Bunnings', a national chain of very large hardware stores, all the same colour which I recognised in your pic https://www.bunnings.com.au. (We have one locally in Lismore, YLIS, and there's another in Ballina. BTW, the Ballina 'big thing', the 'Big Prawn' (aka shrimp) was moved to beside the Bunnings Warehouse. You can easily see the Big Prawn from the air.) Thanks for all the answers and comments to my questions. I'll check out IVAO https://ivao.aero once that damned RW thing would leave me alone ('world, please go away so I can just fly with my buddies ...'). Am surprised, expected that most of you guys would have been into everything and across everything sim-wise for decades. So I don't feel so intimidated by your presence so much now. Speaking of RW, and Murphy's Law, last week when I went back to the sim to copy pics to a memory stick so I could post them, the damn laptop wouldn't start, said it couldn't. Had (luckily, as I got it out of my neighbours rubbish bin, Win Vista Home Edition, it had set up on it restore points) to restore to a point dated 2014! Luckily, Windows did start up, but, of course, my FS2002 wasn't there. Sigh, give up, so now I'll have to reinstall from the 3 CDs. But, I do want to do more legs. (Katanning is a nice, little, country town, but I don't want to live the rest of my life here! Whether I finish the timed part, or simply opt out and do a bit of 'local flying' e.g. two legs Ballina, Coolangatta, Brisbane, that'd do me, have enjoyed 'just being in it'. Goodnight gagglers, 'et ardua ad astra'!