Busy, Busy, Busy......

Its been a busy few months, with a nice break to a warmer climate to thaw out for a week.  It was great!

I did a talk to Trinity Catholic Primary School in May which was a great experience with the kids, but I got a huge surprise not long ago when I received a package from a grade 6 class, 6 Jones/Finkelde, containing heaps of wonderful letters and a significant donation to the On a Wing & a Chair Round Australia Flight.  It is the support and encouragement from people like these young kids that will help make the flight a reality.

I have had the opportunity to do a number of talks over the last few months, to Telstra, Lightweight Aircraft Association and the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia Chapter 21.  I have received a lot of support from members of these organisations which is greatly appreciated.

I am planning on doing many more talks in the lead up to the flight in 2013.  By sharing my experiences and challenges I have had to face over the years, I hope to raise the awareness of what people with disabilities can do and hopefully provide some inspiration for others to have a go at their own goals and challenges in life.  If anyone would like me to speak at a club, school, corporate business, etc let me know.

I have finally got my aircraft back in the air after 3 months.  With alot of work done on the engine it is now running very nicely.  I  took my father up to Orbost for lunch two weeks ago to see how it ran, and it was great.  The perfect flying day and an engine that keeps running!

I'm planning on heading back up to Birdsville in late October to see the Bourke & Wills Dig tree and Camerons Corner, it will be nice to enjoy the flight up there this time.

Over & Out!

Lots of work done...

We have been busy the last few weeks having the Board of Directors Meeting, putting together the sponsorship proposal template and now we are finally going to potential sponsors.  Its been a long road to get this far, but we are getting there at last.

Also we now have our Donation facility on the web site up and running, so spread the word about what we are doing to anyone who might be interested!

The drama of my aircraft is still going but the end is nigh!  Geoff, the mechanic who services my plane, has pulled the engine down and has found what the problems is.  There are two stuck exhaust valves and a shattered piston ring, which looks like it was caused by overheating.  The design of the aircraft just doesn't provide enough cooling to the engine.  Its very dissapointing that a new aircraft has these problems, but I'm not the only one!

Geoff is looking at doing some minor adjustments to get better cooling.  With a bit of luck I will get the aircraft back in the air this weekend and see how she goes.  Fingers crossed.

Over & out

Things are moving along....

Its been a pretty busy couple of weeks, getting the Donations link on the web site up and putting together the sponsorship proposal with the aim of going to potential sponsors shortly. 

But a highlight this week was doing two talks to the garde 5 and 6's at Trinity Primary School.  A friend of mine, Dianna is a teacher there, and the kids have been looking at the On a Wing & a Chair web site which has increased their curiosity as to what someone with a disability can do.  It was a very rewarding experience and I was amazed by the maturity of questions they asked me!

I'm still waiting on some parts for my plane so I can resolve the vibration issue.  Hopefully it should be up and running this week so I can get back up in the air.

Over & Out

Final Leg 11 officially complete.....Swan Hill - Tooridan

It has been really frustrating trying to work out what is causing vibrations in the engine of my aircraft.  After deciding to leave my Jabiru at Swan Hill last week and getting home by train, Cliff Banks from Sun Centre Ultralights had a look at my aircraft to see what could be causing the problem.  

Jabiru advised it could be a stuck lifter so the oil was changed to a different grade to see if it would free it up.  The vibration is still there at certain revs, but no where as bad as when I was coming into Swan Hill a week ago. 

So with the aircraft being flyable my mum drove myself and Kirsten, a  carer, up on Saturday to fly it home, officially completing the On a Wing & a Chair Central Australia Flight.

We had nice and uneventful flight back.  The aircraft went fine, and there were no problems at the higher revs so I kept it at that and avoided the lower rev range.

It was pretty hazzy between Swan Hill and Geelong, from lots of fires.  It looked like there was alot of people burning off! 

Colorfull Beach Boxes at Dromana

After Geelong the air cleared to a nice  blue sky.  Flying over Port Philip Bay was really spectacular, the water in the bay was so blue from the reflection of the sky.  Its amazing how the color of the bay changes with the color of the sky.  When its cloudy the water is really grey.

Over Port Philip Bay looking west with the setting sun

Port Philip Bay

Near Martha Point Dromana

Now that I have the aircraft back at Tooridan, I will be getting the engine  pulled down to sort out this problem once and  for all, hopefully. 

Over & Out!

Leg 11 Broken Hill - Home... well almost!

I was planning on going to the Nat Fly (National Fly-in) at Temora over the Easter weekend and get back Sunday so Lida (my support crew) could get back to work, however as the engine on my aircraft wasn't being totally cooperative I decided it would be best to go straight home from Broken Hill.  Good decision!

Although it had moments of running rough, I knew the engine wouldn't stop, and the rough running was only periodic.  On the flight from Broken Hill it was really nice, smooth air, aircraft purring along, and the scenery was slowing changing with more roads and buildings coming into view.  Its funny how used I got to the empty landscapes devoide of civiliseations in such a short time.  It was a a novilty seeing more cars, crops and the expanse of towns towards the Murry River.

Wentworth on the Murry River - more civiliseation!

 Just after passing Mildura the engine started to run rough again, so I cleared it by throttling back and up again.  This seemed to cure the problem.  As I got closer to Swan Hill, it became much more consistant, so I decided that this would be the final stop.  

Overflying Swan Hill with the town in the distance

If I continued, it probably would of got me home, however I'm not willing to take the risk to my passenger or aircraft.    Its dissapointing not to make it back, but better to play it safe and fly another day.  Anyway thats flyng for you!!

V/line had a train leaving at 4pm so it worked in quite well.  We tied the aircraft down, so glad I got the cover for the aircraft from Punkin Head Airsports to keep the water out with the rain, contacted Cliff Banks of Sun Centre Ultralights and he will look at the engine on Monday, then went to the  RSL for a couple of beers.

Out of the pilots seat and now the passenger.  Damn!

Hopefully it should be something fairly simple and I will go back to Swan Hill next weekend and fly it back home, which will officially complete the On a Wing & a Chair Central Australia Training Flight.

It was a great adventure, with many experiences, a few stressful moments, many fun ones, and met some great people.  I have learn't alot from this experience which will help alot with the planning for my Solo Round Australia Flight.

Stay tuned for more blogs to come.

Over & Out!

Leg 10 Noccundra Hotel QLD - Broken Hill NSW

The flight from Noccundra was short, only 2.5 hours. I refueled at Tiboorburra NSW, I had to book this fuel 6 weeks ago. When I rang up to confirm the fuel in the morning they had no record of me. Don't know what happened there, but they had some for me anyway.

I'm starting to notice much more civiliseation now, I got used to seeing no buildings or roads.
Broken Hill is a really nice place, I have been here twice before, but there were a couple of sights I wanted to see before leaving as I have missed out each other time.

Over flying Broken Hill

We went to the Pro Hart Gallery, I had no idea he had done so much work, it was well worth a look. Alot of it is of the Broken Hill area which is really interesting.

Pro Harts Rolls Royce, he painted a murel on it.

Finally got to the Palace Hotel. This is where Pecilla Queen of the Desert was filmed and it has these great murels painted on the walls and ceilings by some well known local artists years ago. Its a great old pub and has really good food.

Palace Hotel where part of Precilla Queen of the Desert was filmed

Murels painted on many walls

Murels also on many ceilings

Going home tomorrow, back to the Big Smoke!

Over & Out!

Leg 9 Birdsville - Noccundra Hotel QLD

I was planning on stopping to see the Bourke & Wills Dig Tree on this leg but unfortunately it is still under water from the flooding river. On route though the Cooper Creek was an amazig sight the whole area an array of greens and creeks that look like arteries. There are no places to land out here, and this is some of the most remote area of the flight. It puts me on edge if the engine sounds a little rough at times, but most of the time its my mind.

The Cooper Creek

Noccundra Hotel was a great place to stop at, it has its own airstrip and when you land you taxi to the front of the pub, get out and have a beer. It was really cool and I have been looking forward in coming here for a while. The hotel is heritage, built in 1882, and is on a cattle station, that Packer used to own.

Overflying Noccundra, it has a huge strip



The historic Noccundra Hotel

 The accommodation is basic which are "Donga's" like a site shed with a bed. It was a good experience. They guy's were great, helping me to fuel the plane, tie it down, and were really interesting to chat with over a couple of beers. I learn't a bit about how to muster cattle. No imported beer out here!

Parked out the front of the Noccundra Hotel

Over & Out!