Date: Monday, March 19, 2001, 2:01:54 PM Subject: Australian Adventures Hello Piper Flyers, I just sent an email asking for advice on renting in the DC area. I thought that some of you might enjoy reading about a similar thing I did at a conference last year in Adelaide, AU, just so I could log time in Australia. At the beginning of the week-long conference, a flying friend and I rented time in a C172, and saw Adelaide and its environs from the air. I flew the outbound leg (since it was my idea). The CFI managed the radio, since their vernacular, though English, was not customary for us Yanks. For example, the Ozzies say "decimal" instead of "point", as in "one two three decimal four five". Also, they describe the altimeter using millibars instead of inches. Our destination was a little gravel strip north east of Adelaide. On the downwind, a Piper Warrior was taxing back up the runway (since there was no separate taxiway), so we extended our downwind to give it time to take off. As I turned base, and then final, my descent was less than desirable and I ended on long final being quite high. So, I slipped the plane with full flaps (note: I've since been told that this is ill-advised on Cessnas), and got the plane smartly down right "on the numbers", and flared very nicely to roll the plane on the gravel. It was one of the smoothest landings I've ever managed, despite the "unstabilized" approach. :^) We got out, took some pictures, and switched pilots, then flew back to Adelaide. At the tail end of that week, we rented a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side (and also the smallest car I've ever driven -- a Toyota Echo), and drove to a place called "Strethalbyn", where there are lots of vineyards and an ultralight flying school! :^) These ultralights are tandem seaters, with a 95HP Rotax "pusher" motor, slung from a heavy-duty hang-glider frame. Each of us took turns suiting up (it gets very cold in an open-cockpit ultralight), complete with "pogo" gloves and helmet, and then sitting in the upper seat behind the ultralight instructor pilot. The controls are completely "bass-ackwards" from normal airplanes. If you want to go up, you push the control bar forward (which pushes the nose of the flying wing up), and if you want to go down, you pull the control bar back (which brings the nose of the flying wing down). If you want to bank left, slide the control bar right, and vice-versa for right banks. The throttle was a foot pedal, which seemed to be either "on" or "off" -- there was probably some variability in it, but since the instructor was doing the pushing and I couldn't hear much variation in the sound, it appeared that way. The ultralight lifts off in something like 30 feet -- a pretty interesting feeling. Actually, the instructor didn't even use the gravel strip -- he just took off on the dirt "taxiway" that had been created by many ultralights driving around on the ground. Once we were in the air, it was a very exciting feeling. The craft flew at about 60 kts. At bit exposed, but quite exhilarating, to have the wind rush past your face. It makes it felt a bit like riding a motorcycle in the sky. We tooled above and around the Strethalbyn vineyards a bit, getting up to about 2000 feet. While we were flying and looking around, a Baron came in and did some touch & go's on the little strip. The Baron finally left, and we descended and landed, again not on the gravel runway, but on the dirt "taxiway". It was a strange feeling to be able to land just about anywhere. While I was waiting for my turn, I struck up a conversation with an older, British gentleman (in his late 50s), who had a baggie full of pictures. Apparently, he was on "holiday" from England, and loves to fly ultralights, and so visited the little ultralight school. The pictures were of his flying experiences, and included shots of his own ultralight which he keeps "hangared" in his garage back in England. While showing me his pictures, he told me about an even older friend of his who was in his early 70s. This older gentleman wanted to see the US, but in a unique manner. He, too, loved flying, and had his ultralight packaged up and shipped to New York, to where he flew commercially, received it, unpacked and rebuilt it, and then proceeded to fly from the East Cost to the West Coast and back, meandering all over the US, visiting countless scenic areas. Recall that these ultralights fly at about 60 knots with a range of 2-3 hours! I hope that I'm able enough to endure that kind of trip when I'm 70! :^) In any case, what a neat way to view the US!! -- Best regards, Alan K. Stebbens , N4184R, PA32-300, SBA