I'm pleased to announce that I'll be flying at the Opening Concert of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The TCMF brings 50,000 people to Tamworth in January each year.
This is a link to a recent news story:
And this one is for the TCMF itself:
December 9, 2010
November 15, 2010
Champion SlickSTART
A couple of months back an engineering friend of mine, Garry Darnell, recommended I put a SlickSTART on the Rebel to help with hot starts. Fuel injected Lycomings are notoriously hard to start when they are hot. The engine on the Rebel is well above 10:1 compression ratio and with display and airshow flying, I often need hot starts.
On many occasions, I was only just able to get it going and I never felt confident.
My initial reaction was "simple is best" and I'd rather not have another electrical box on the aircraft.
I was very wrong.
The SlickSTART was simple to install and it has transformed the aircraft.
Cold starts were always pretty easy but now they are ridiculously easy and most importantly, now the hot starts are easy too.
I never feel nervous starting it with the SlickSTART.
Last week I had multiple displays on the one day with a long cross country to get there with a re-fuel each way.
I did 7 starts that day, 6 of them hot - it started easy every time.
I just can't say enough about the SlickSTART - they are worth their weight in gold!
Here are some official words from Champion Aerospace:
SlickSTART™ is a starting booster that delivers up to 340% more spark energy than conventional mags. SlickSTART produces easier and more reliable starts every time, even when dealing with fouled spark plugs, poor priming, hot engine restarts, and extreme cold weather conditions.
Available for Slick magnetos (and most TCM-Bendix magnetos), SlickSTART is a magneto start booster that delivers easy engine starts every time. Requiring no maintenance, SlickSTART overcomes poor engine priming, and reduces costly electrical stress to your battery and starter. SlickSTART can replace TCM-Bendix's starting vibrators, used with retard breaker magnetos, or it can be used to boost impulse-coupled magnetos.
November 5, 2010
NSW Aerobatic Champs
Well I'm afraid this turned out to be an anticlimax for me ...
I'd spent the past year working on my Air show type freestyle flying but decided to have a real go at this competition.
The flying is quite different and I knew I'd have to work hard - and I did!
As soon as I got back from the Oakey event (below) I got stuck into the "Aresti" or competition training.
I trained most days. In the 2 weeks leading up to the comp I flew 25 training flights.
On top of that, I went to the location of the comp, Temora, 4 days early to train in the actual box.
Much to my surprise, I was the only person flying Unlimited - that was disappointing.
The other classes weren't too bad for numbers but overall it was a smaller comp than we normally see.
I flew the Q (qualifying flight) on Friday afternoon, and it went quite well.
The next night I was up most of the night feeling ill and the next morning decided it was best not to fly aerobatics.
The rain was literally rolling into the airfield and the forecast looked like we might not get to fly for the rest of the weekend.
All things considered, I decided to knock it off and head back home ... apparently I was lucky to get out when I did as the weather closed in.
There were still good things to come from my time at Temora. Matt Hall spent the week in Temora too, testing and fine tuning his Redbull Air Race aircraft. I've known Matt for nearly 20 years but hadn't seen much of him since he became involved with the Air Race. It was great to catch up again and learn all his news. Matt also gave me some excellent coaching - what he learnt through his Aresti training in Europe is truly amazing. Seeing the fine tuning that Matt was making to his plane has inspired me to play around with the set up of my plane - already I have made it much better. Thanks Matt. We also had a little fun, on one occasion we joined up in formation for a low pass and outwards pitch in front of the other pilots at Temora. I'm afraid my Rebel isn't as quick as the Race aircraft but she can hold her own.
Thanks to the organizers of the competition. Kay coordinated much of the event with Glen the chief judge and Greg the contest director. Sorry to have bailed on you guys but I appreciate the effort you put in - thanks guys! Also a big thanks to Kaos and Kelly at Temora for giving me a bed and feeding me for the week!!
I'd spent the past year working on my Air show type freestyle flying but decided to have a real go at this competition.
The flying is quite different and I knew I'd have to work hard - and I did!
As soon as I got back from the Oakey event (below) I got stuck into the "Aresti" or competition training.
I trained most days. In the 2 weeks leading up to the comp I flew 25 training flights.
On top of that, I went to the location of the comp, Temora, 4 days early to train in the actual box.
Much to my surprise, I was the only person flying Unlimited - that was disappointing.
The other classes weren't too bad for numbers but overall it was a smaller comp than we normally see.
I flew the Q (qualifying flight) on Friday afternoon, and it went quite well.
The next night I was up most of the night feeling ill and the next morning decided it was best not to fly aerobatics.
The rain was literally rolling into the airfield and the forecast looked like we might not get to fly for the rest of the weekend.
All things considered, I decided to knock it off and head back home ... apparently I was lucky to get out when I did as the weather closed in.
There were still good things to come from my time at Temora. Matt Hall spent the week in Temora too, testing and fine tuning his Redbull Air Race aircraft. I've known Matt for nearly 20 years but hadn't seen much of him since he became involved with the Air Race. It was great to catch up again and learn all his news. Matt also gave me some excellent coaching - what he learnt through his Aresti training in Europe is truly amazing. Seeing the fine tuning that Matt was making to his plane has inspired me to play around with the set up of my plane - already I have made it much better. Thanks Matt. We also had a little fun, on one occasion we joined up in formation for a low pass and outwards pitch in front of the other pilots at Temora. I'm afraid my Rebel isn't as quick as the Race aircraft but she can hold her own.
Thanks to the organizers of the competition. Kay coordinated much of the event with Glen the chief judge and Greg the contest director. Sorry to have bailed on you guys but I appreciate the effort you put in - thanks guys! Also a big thanks to Kaos and Kelly at Temora for giving me a bed and feeding me for the week!!
October 15, 2010
Oakey Museum Display
The weekend of October 2nd and 3rd I made the trip up to Oakey near Toowoomba to provide aerobatic displays at the Museum Open Day.
The weather flying up and back was not great ...
The Oakey Museum is a world class facility run by a dedicated team of volunteer enthusiasts.
The aviation history and quality of displays is exceptional.
Unfortunately, the weather in the area kept some visitors away but there was still about 5000 attendees.
Here is a link to the latest newsletter:
http://www.161recceflt.org.au/MAAF/Newsletters/MUSEUM%20HAPPENINGS%20October%202010.pdf
And another lint to the actual web site:
http://www.161recceflt.org.au/MAAF/Homepage.htm
If you ever get the chance, this Museum is definitely worth a visit!
September 29, 2010
Tamworth Aero Club - Open Day
My local Aero Club held their Open Day this past weekend. The event was well supported by local media with my participation covered several times in local newspaper and on TV a couple of nights. The weather on the day turned out nice and I flew my display with family, friends and work colleagues all looking on ...
It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed helping out the Aero Club.
Much to my surprise, after the display, the President, Eric Munro, presented me with an honorary members badge. I was quite chuffed ... This club has an amazing history in its membership and association with World War veterans.
Jakes!!
September 21, 2010
Media Release: 17th September 2010
TamworthAero Club
Since 1930
Tamworth Aero Club - FlyingAgain!
After an absence of some years, the Aero Club is reintroducing flying. The club is seeking expressions of interest from anyone interested in learning to fly. Recreational flying is open to all; young or old, fit or not so, it is the most accessible way to realize that dream of learning to fly.
Aerobatic Display and Open Day
From 12.00 on September 25th the club will be holding an open day to give all those interested a chance to gain more information and register their interest. The highlight will be an aerobatic display by RAAF Squadron Leader Tony Blair, currently the NSW Advanced Aerobatic Champion. Tony has over 1000 hrs clocked up in F111’s and will be flying his Rebel 300. This thrilling display will commence at about 1.45 p.m.
The club already has people from far away as Sydney indicating interest in getting their wings here.
President Eric Munro said it was very satisfying that flying was returning to the club. “The club has a rich aviation heritage. We owe it to those aviators who started the club to support the love of flying. One of the foundation members of the current club (opened in 1957) flew the Lancaster bomber ‘G for George’ over Berlin in W W 2. Those blokes were amazing pilots. Their photos are on the walls here. I’d like to think they’ll be smiling on 25th. I know we will be.”
For more information;
Eric Munro (President) 0428 604123
Adele Mazoudier (Hon. Sec. Manager) 0419978011
Cowra Sports Aircraft Annual Function
This past weekend was the SAAA annual convention held at Cowra, NSW. The weather turned out nice for most of the weekend, despite all the rain the week prior. It was good to catch up with Paul Goard and have a look at his factory where the Brumby aircraft is produced. The Brumby is a great little aircraft and I wish them every success. There was some interesting avionics on display which gave me some ideas for an upgraded engine monitor for the Rebel 300.
Best mate Stu Hutchison visited on Saturday flying a Mooney from the Richmond Flying Club.
Stu always manages to get some great pics - thanks again Stu.
Next weekend is the Tamworth Aeroclub Open Day. It is drawing some good media coverage and will hopefully generate some new interest in the club.
August 23, 2010
Dalby Wings and Wheels Spectacular
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| Some gyro in the Rebel 300 |
This past weekend I attended the "Dalby Wings and Wheels Spectacular". It was a great little Airshow combined with Cars to make it appealing to almost anyone. For the size of Dalby and it's location, the crowd seemed very large but the organizers were actually a little disappointed at the turn out this year.
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| Multiple snaps |
For me it was pleasant flight north from Tamworth. A chance to catch up with some old mates in the Roulette's formation aerobatic team and my mother. Mum hadn't seen me fly at an Airshow before and apart from being a little nervous about some of my figures, she seemed to really enjoy it.
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| Good size crowd |
This event is essentially run by the local kindergarten to raise money for their establishment. They have some valuable aviation input from local enthusiasts but what a fantastic job for a group of "kindy Mums".
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| The Roulettes looking sharp as always Thanks to Thomas Scott for the pictures!! |
July 31, 2010
World Time Attack Video now available
This is the Youtube promo for the 2010 World Time Attack video which has just gone on sale.
A first class product, definitely worth a look!
And by the way, we provided the lunch time entertainment ...
July 26, 2010
Dalby Wings and Wheels
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Venue: Dalby Aerodrome 9am - 10pm
GOLD COIN ENTRY
Dalby Wings & Wheels Spectacular will be an interactive family event that showcases Dalby and the South West Region and features fantastic air and ground displays. It's a great day out for the whole family, so ride, drive or fly on in to Dalby Wings & Wheels Spectacular on Saturday, August 21 Visitors will have the chance to buy an experience from joy rides in aircraft, helicopters and hot air balloons to Harley Davidson bikes. The sky will come alive with all kind of air craft such as warbirds, hang gliders, microlights, model aircraft as well as high energy aerobatic displays, balloon nightglow & fireworks. On the ground there will be motor displays such as hotrods, classic and vintage cars and motorcycles and car events that include drags, power skids and burnouts. Market stalls, family entertainment and various children's rides and activities will also be available.
July 25, 2010
June 18, 2010
June 6, 2010
June 2, 2010
Airflow Performance now powering our Rebel 300.
I'm pleased to be making the upgrade to Airflow Performance fuel injection on our Rebel 300.
It is well known that Don Rivera's fuel systems are the best.
Thanks for your support Don, I look forward to working with you in the future.
I'll post more information and pictures in the near future!
In the meantime, you can check out the Airflow Performance web site:
www.Airflowperformance.com
May 27, 2010
Eastern Creek - World Time Attack Challenge
This past weekend I took the Rebel down to Sydney to fly at Eastern Creek Raceway.
The weather getting to Sydney was challenging with storms and rain. I ended up diverting to Cessnock for more petrol and to check the weather. When I arrived at Richmond, there was a storm over one end of the airfield!
Luckily, the weather was fine the next morning for the actual display. The track is in a bowl with very large power lines running through it - this made for an interesting display flight. A lot of fun! Being close to Sydney airspace and Bankstown, CASA required a ground observer to clear me into the site and also coordinate with local ATC. Stuart Hutchison took care of this, and things ran exactly to plan. Thanks mate!
After the display I landed back at Richmond and then took a helicopter ride back to the track. A couple of hours later the helo took me back to Richmond. The only way to travel - thanks Mark!
The Superlap Challenge was a great success, my congratulations to Ian and the other organizers!
May 17, 2010
May 3, 2010
World Time Attack Challenge
22 May - Eastern Creek Raceway - Hope to see you there!!
I'll be flying over the track just before lunch time on Saturday.
May 2, 2010
Mudgee Airshow 2010 **Updated**
I've just got back from the Mudgee Airshow! It was a terrific event with something there for everyone. There was plenty of cloud in the morning and most of the other display and visiting aircraft could not get out of Sydney for the trip across. We joked about how many displays I might need fly to fill in the day ... Luckily, the weather cleared and everyone arrived, albeit, a little late. Rob and the other organizers did a great job massaging the program and things ran smoothly for the rest of the day - good job everyone!
I flew my 5 minute aerobatic display and received some great feedback from various people. My display is certainly a work in progress and I'm adjusting it as I get feedback. Different people like different things but in general I seem to be heading in the right direction.
A little later in the day I did a couple of drag races with this race car, it is a very nice Lola.
It looks like I'm winning but it was actually a very fast car. Even though the Rebel is probably the highest power to weight aerobatic aircraft in the country, he was able to beat me until about mid runway when I would slowly start catching up. He reached over 300 km/hour, which is impressive - the Rebel was just reaching its stride of course. The car was in front virtually all the way to the end of the runway!
It certainly was a lot of fun and no doubt a spectacle for on lookers.
Another interesting spectacle was this helicopter that dropped a car from 1000 feet directly in front of the crowd - it certainly got a cheer!
Overall a great event, crowd numbers were good and so the hard work of the Mudgee Aeroclub was rewarded. Congratulations to all involved.
I've now received some information about the Lola. It is a 1987 Lola F3000 with a Lites 630 HP Buick engine. It has a top speed of around 350 km/hour, does 8 second quarter mile passes and has a better power to weight ratio than a current Formula 1 car. The car won the Australian hill climb championships in 1989, 2004, 2006 and 2008. It also does 0 to 200 km/hour in just 6 seconds.
Doug Parry - you have a very impressive car!
No wonder it was hard to catch, even in the Rebel ...
Another interesting spectacle was this helicopter that dropped a car from 1000 feet directly in front of the crowd - it certainly got a cheer!
Overall a great event, crowd numbers were good and so the hard work of the Mudgee Aeroclub was rewarded. Congratulations to all involved.
April 25, 2010
April 22, 2010
Tyabb Airshow 2010
This past weekend I made the trip down to the Tyabb Airshow near Melbourne. This was probably the main Airshow in Australia for 2010 and it was a huge success. Judy Pay and the members of Peninsula Aeroclub did a fantastic job. The Air Program ran very smoothly, there were no incidents all day, the weather was near perfect and the crowd was huge. Apparently there were traffic issues for those driving to Tyabb but orgnizers will be on top of that in 2012.
I arrived about 1500 local the day prior, enough time for a practice flight. This was a good idea as there are all sorts of obstacles around the Tyabb airfield when operating low level ...
The Allianz team were out in force. We put the Rebel in amongst the Allianz area which worked very well.
The Mudgee Airshow is just around the corner and plans are well underway for an Eastern Creek Raceway event , The World Superlap Championships, on May 22.
April 13, 2010
April 7, 2010
Australian Aerobatic Champs
.We just got back from the 2010 National Aerobatic Championships which were held in Parkes NSW. It was good to attend this event again, my first time at Parkes was in 2008 and I missed last years event because of a technical problem with the Rebel. The weather was near perfect but just like 2008, the weather deteriorated significantly the day after the comp which made the trip home less than fun ...
The local council and Mayor held a civic reception for us the evening before the comp started, they go to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcome.
35 pilots entered, which is pretty good for this event.
My family made the 6 hour drive to join me for the Easter holiday. It was great having them there. It helped me not get too carried away by the seriousness that usually accompanies these competitions.
Whilst I'm almost ashamed to admit this, I hadn't flown an Unkown sequence since the last comp at Temora last year, and only did my Free once before heading to Parkes and hadn't flown the Q until actually arriving in location. I had been in the aeroplane with display flying, so I was comfortable in the aircraft but not necessarily with Aresti (competition style) flying. My start to the year has been busy with a new flying job and its associated ratings and there is also the new house etc.
So excuses aside, the results ....
I won the Advanced Free, placed second in the Advanced 1st Unknown and 3rd in the 2nd Unknown for 2nd Overall. I had some pretty hefty penalties in the Unknowns, in fact, about 10% of penalties in the second Unknown for going low and having a break etc.
I learnt a lot but more importantly learned were I need to improve.
My aim for the comp was to win the Advanced Free trophy so I feel satisfied with my performance.
This event has reinvigorated my motivation for competition flying which had faded in recent times. Having said that, I've got 2 Airshows and a display at Eastern Creek Raceway over the next month - no time to rest!!
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Angela and I at the presentation dinner.
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The weather for the trip home was not so great ....
March 8, 2010
A week in sunny East Sale ...
I've just got back from a week in East Sale to renew my military Instructor Rating. I always expect terrible weather in Sale but this past week was mostly good. It was good to catch up with some old friends down there including Glen Canfield who is now the Roulette Leader, congratulations mate.
The trip home was pleasant and interesting - an old student of mine dropped me back in a PC9. It's those kind of moments that draw me to being an instructor.
March 2, 2010
New Engine Cowl
The new cowl is going well, it's added a bit extra performance and looks a lot better ....
February 25, 2010
Allianz Aerobatic Display - Sth Australia
It was quite a trip but I took the Rebel down to Goolwa last week for an Allianz event. Goolwa is down south of Adelaide ... The airfield itself is completely different to how I remembered it from a few years back. There is a new owner and he has completely turned the place around, lots of activity there now. The display was flown at Hindmarsh Island for a function centre/venue called Rankines landing. It was the first display I've flown over water, well mostly over water. It was very enjoyable and well received by the event and several locals who expressed their gratitude.
My next event is the National Aerobatic Champs at Easter, then the Tyabb Airshow and probably down to Sydney for another display in May. With the new job, new house etc etc there is plenty to keep me busy at the moment.
My next event is the National Aerobatic Champs at Easter, then the Tyabb Airshow and probably down to Sydney for another display in May. With the new job, new house etc etc there is plenty to keep me busy at the moment.
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February 2, 2010
Champion Aerospace supporting Blair Aerosport!
We are proud to announce that Champion Aerospace are now supporting us. Champion make the finest ignition parts available. They recently added the Slick line of ignition products to their business. We look forward to working with Champion in the future. There will be more information available in our web page.
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