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QuikR Training starts with Michaela…

Today saw Michaela, Tara, and Ryan start their training in the QuikR. Yesterday was not suitable for flight training, due to the winds gusting to 30kts. So yesterday was 5 hours of theory. What fun that was, learning all about the aerodrome, and reading the weather charts and NOTAM’s. Next is all about the aircraft and how to do a pre-flight. Operating the radio and the instruments.

This morning Michaela was first in the air in the QuikR. After the first flight the wind picked up again, and flying was sependered for the moring. Back to the theory. Learning about the ERSA and the DAP’s. Next we will look at the aerodrome, before flying starts again.

QuikR gets a work out…

Peter came down this morning to fly the QuikR again. The HypeR was sitting there, but Peter said it’s the QuikR for me. Off we went for a flight around local aera. Peter did his usual three touch and goes, and had a good flight around the lake. There were three hundred boats on the lake today as part of the big fishing comp.

HypeR once again the aircraft of choice.

Steve arrived today not knowing that he was going for a flight around the lake with me today in the Hyper. What a great time we had. Steve really enjoyed his flight, but then again who doesn’t enjoy flying the HypeR.

Anne takes a flight in the HypeR.

Today was not looking that good but Anne decided that we should go for a flight. Wile Anne got into her flying gear I moved the QuikR to get the HypeR out of the hangar. Before I could even get my helmet on Anne was already in the HypeR and ready to go. It didn’t take long to get everything ready and off we went, taxiing to runway 19. Take-off was great and we climbed out at 900 feet per minute. Where should we go? Well we were heading for Wangaratta so we climbed to 3500 feet. That didn’t take long. The HypeR was sitting on 4000rpm, and we were crusing along at a nice speed of 90kts. We were almost at Wangaratta. Anne said “Lets go to Corowa”. So the HypeR made a slight turn and we were heading to Corowa. We flew over the Corowa aerodrome and then around the town. We then turned for home. Once again it didn’t take long and we were over the aerodrome. We had only been in the air for 45mins. Let’s go somewhere else. We then flew around some of the aerodromes we use with the students for Threat Error Management

Why are we not flying today????

This is why… The wind and rain just won’t give up and the hangar is almost flooding… Bugger!!!

The low pressure system is just South of Yarrawonga with a Qnh of 995, and the freezing level is 4000 feet. The wind at 2000 feet is 40kts.

Dr Bill Brooks and his Flycycle…

Here’s a pics of the Flycycle –

The proof of concept machine I built at home using a hang glider, a radne engine and prop and some spare tube we had, plus a bike from a skip, cost me £150 plus a lot of  enjoyable head scratching.

It’s great fun to fly but has to be flown in lift where possible because climb rate 100fpm flat out!!

However I now know we can build something really quite practical with electric assist power road range say 20-30 miles and flight range 200 miles at 60mph, kept simple, inexpensive and below the 300kg single seat microlight limit.

I think it can create some publicity and get some new people into the sport…

Accommodation Deals…

P&M Aviation Australia and Yarrawonga Flight Training, have organised accommodation deals at Burkes Hotel/Motel, Quality Motel, and Yarrawonga Riverlands Tourist Park. All you need to do to take advantage of the discount accommodation deals, is phone the accommodation of your choise and quote the code: “FLIGHTSCHOOL”. The owners will know that you are coming to the aerodrome and you will be able to get the discount rate.

AeroShell W120 oil now available.

AeroShell W120 is now available in 5 litre bottle, and 19 litre pails.

Hangar full of aircraft…

I only needed to get one aircraft out of the hangar, BUT it had twelve aircraft in front of it.

This is the view from the QuikR…

A pilot’s eye view of one of the training runways we use at Yarrawonga Flight Training for Threat Error Management (TEM) training. The view is from the cockpit of a QuikR on short final. This aerodrome has three grass runways with trees, power lines, and soft spots all around the Runways. The student have to pick the best runway for the day, and look for all the threats that can bring them undone before making their approach.