Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Aircraft Projects Underway or Completed

Moderator: Tailspin

User avatar
mic
Ready for the first flight
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:08 pm
Location: morningstar

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby mic » Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:01 pm

thanks, got back in 2hours 29min achieving some good ground speeds high up with relatively smooth conditions considering the heat downstairs, The safari seems like a flying ball room compared to a normal bb space wise. she flys sweet ou ! jy moet my nie so weg jaag met die temperatuure wat ek moet koel hou, ek kannie eers totsiens se
User avatar
KFA
Toooooo Thousand
Toooooo Thousand
Posts: 2789
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:09 pm
Location: Now at Petit (FARA)
Contact:

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby KFA » Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:05 pm

Watter Safari was saam?
Luck-The moment when preparation meets opportunity.
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
"Opportunity Is Missed By Most Because It Is Dressed in Overalls and Looks Like Work." - Thomas Alva Edison
BUSHPILOTS FLY TAILDRAGGERS
Failure is not the opposite of success, it is the stepping stone for success
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:25 am

Ou Grote s`n. Sorry Mike, I had as much the jitters as u obviously did. (**) (**) It was 35deg when you left, and that is what worried me. :shock: :shock: Like I said, she`s an easy aeroplane to fly. (!!) Was this your first flight in a Safari??
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:31 am

And then, just for a short while, Loeriesfontein international was very busy, with 4 aeroplanes and 5 pilots around. And then VERY quiet again, after they left! Sorry I dit not say ghoebaai, but glad you obviously had a pleasant flight!! (^^)
User avatar
mic
Ready for the first flight
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:08 pm
Location: morningstar

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby mic » Mon Jan 14, 2013 8:30 pm

i sat in frans's when he first started his one flying and godfrey took me up for a 5min flip about 6 months ago in this one but i didnt have a cushion so i couldnt see out front to fly and land it, all i could see were the rudder ''perils''
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:16 am

So my friend phoned lost night. "Uncle Boet, 70 of my meatmasters have gone AWOL!!" Meatmasters are the rage here now, it is a very hardy type of sheep that thrives where others turns up their toes, and start to push up daisies. My calculation is that he stands to lose more than 100k.....not on, and I can not help but to feel sorry for my friend. So we took off at sparrows this morning, to go look for his lost flock. The land where we search borders on the mountains. On the way there we fly across some very rough terrain, and I think, "Pleeeaaase Rotaxie, don`t die on me now!!" No wind this morning, otherwise it would have been interesting. The area we have to search is all flat,featureless countryside, with short bushes and shrubs,and the only trees are the Prosopis invaders along the rivers, all reasonably green after some good rains a couple of weeks ago. We check every flock of sheep on his land, and the neighbours`, just to make sure THEY were honest. Hard to miss anything from about 500 ft up.The Sishen Saldanha railway runs through the land, and I think THAT is where the problem lay. We can see suspicious tracks, but that is all. 70 sheep just gone. Stock theft has become a huge problem here, and a VERY expensive one too. If we found his missing sheep, the flight would have been a lot more enjoyable!

Fly safe. vhpy
Attachments
000_0001.jpg
000_0001.jpg (75.14 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
100_0057.JPG
100_0057.JPG (64.55 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
100_0061.JPG
100_0061.JPG (82.11 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
100_2537.JPG
100_2537.JPG (66.81 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
IM001312.JPG
IM001312.JPG (34.58 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
IM001834.JPG
IM001834.JPG (44.9 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
no place for an engine out!.JPG
no place for an engine out!.JPG (68.96 KiB) Viewed 4991 times
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:31 am

And yesterday Loeriesfontein International was BUSY again. Kobus Luttig popped over to come have a look at the Sling coming togther. The Savannah sure looks a lot better now after it has been removed from the box!!
Attachments
101_0206.JPG
101_0206.JPG (52.03 KiB) Viewed 4988 times
Savannah XL.JPG
Savannah XL.JPG (52.08 KiB) Viewed 4988 times
Vrry purrdy.JPG
Vrry purrdy.JPG (59.2 KiB) Viewed 4988 times
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:32 pm

As normal, I worries myself wide-awake at 04.30 this morning. The weather too perfect to let it go to waste. After yesterday`s terrible heat, and what was to come today, the morning air was nice and cool, and not the slightest breath of wind. Can`t let this go to waste!! So I go flying. Nice to be able to release all the controlls, and your little aerie just mozeys on like nothing is happening. (!!) (!!)
Soon the big salt and gypsum transporting trucks start roaring by, leaving a dust trail that surely must be bad for the environment, and very destructive to the poor gravel road. As a matter of intrest, the road going North past Loeriesfontein International, to Kakamas, is the longest gravel road in South Africa without ANY town in between. There is niks, nada, buggerall, for more than 300kilometers. Just a sometimes, or should that read MOST of the time, neclected and terribly corrugated, VERY dust road with very few turns or hills. Meandering NNE, untill, if you are lucky, and not stranded somewhere in between with a LOT of punctures, you will reach Kakamas and the Orange river.
The lack of wind lets the dust lay still on the road for a long time, after all the trucks went past, seven this morning. And then the dust starts to look like early morning mist! Fortunately, up here, looking down from my lofty perch, I am not bothered by the dust. I notice my one tank starting to suck bubbles, and change tanks. Time to go back........
On short final, I promise myself a greaser. Mmmmm, lucky this morning. (!!)
I decide to refuel before leaving for graft. Measures both tanks with Oupa G`s petrol dip stick. This thing is VERY accurate, and should be part of every Bushbaby and Explorer`s kit. Thanks Oupa!! Damn, I was cutting it fine this morning. Four liters left in the right tank, and 10 in the left tank. Syphons twenty five liters in, and measure. Yep, shows a total of 39 liters on board. Safe to go fly on another perfect day!
And then some people can not understand why pilots are looking at life from a totally different perspective, and a smile hovering close by!! (^^) (^^)
Attachments
dust!!.jpg
dust!!.jpg (34.88 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
More dust.jpg
More dust.jpg (18.99 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
No 7 coming around the bend.jpg
No 7 coming around the bend.jpg (25 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
The bane of the gravel roads in Northern Cape.jpg
The bane of the gravel roads in Northern Cape.jpg (43.07 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
Oupa G`s petrol measuring tool.jpg
Oupa G`s petrol measuring tool.jpg (36.05 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
Curved to work in the BB`s flat tank.jpg
Curved to work in the BB`s flat tank.jpg (37.56 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
Marked off in 5 liters.jpg
Marked off in 5 liters.jpg (34.08 KiB) Viewed 4899 times
Last edited by Boet on Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
bobthebuilder
Pilot in Command
Pilot in Command
Posts: 923
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:00 pm
Location: Johannesburg
Contact:

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby bobthebuilder » Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:55 pm

Boet..... That was such a well written story with beautiful pictures. I'm filled with envy. You live in a beautful part of the world.
Byron Kirkland
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Thu Jan 24, 2013 7:31 am

Thanks Bob, I am blessed with exeptional flying freedom here, and lovely countryside. My Dad used to say: The air is so clear, you can see ahead 14 days into your future!. And a friend from Joburg remarked: I do not trust this clear air, I want to see what I am breathing!

Fly safe!!
avgas
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 695
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:35 am
Location: Nylstroom/ Vaalwater

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby avgas » Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:36 am

Dis 'n moerse lang dipstick :shock:
Ek het 'n kort dipstick van hout "dowel" gemaak maar meet in 10L inkrimente. Works lekka.
A dipstick is as essential as a fuel strainer and pitot cover (^^)
Real men don't have to kill a Rhino for a Horn
Balls to the wall
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Sun Jan 27, 2013 11:07 am

Works for me. ## ## ## ## Much moore accurate in 5 liter incriments!! Must I make you one as well? :roll: (-)













In KFA se beroemde woorde: Die hoek van die koek bepaal die hang van die slang.
avgas
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 695
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:35 am
Location: Nylstroom/ Vaalwater

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby avgas » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:00 pm

No worry Boet.
Daai honeymoon dipstick werk goed, maar my stompie meet 10l en is goed genog vir my, drankie baie vir die offer (^^)
I work on 20L per hour during planning and then land with plenty reserve :wink: 10L a side enough for short hop around the airfield but on longer trips I like to land with at least 10l in each tank. Including header tank gives you 25L or 1 hour+ safely. @17l/h=1.4hrs
I would not fly out of big busy fields with same quantity ($$)
Real men don't have to kill a Rhino for a Horn
Balls to the wall
User avatar
Boet
Three Thousand
Three Thousand
Posts: 3795
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:40 pm

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby Boet » Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:56 pm

Now WTF? :evil: :evil:
User avatar
KFA
Toooooo Thousand
Toooooo Thousand
Posts: 2789
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:09 pm
Location: Now at Petit (FARA)
Contact:

Re: Finally: MY own Bushbaby Explorer

Postby KFA » Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:00 pm

Hy het seker gedink jy het 'n structural lift nodig ou Boeta man......... :roll: :roll: :roll: :wink: puff
Luck-The moment when preparation meets opportunity.
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
"Opportunity Is Missed By Most Because It Is Dressed in Overalls and Looks Like Work." - Thomas Alva Edison
BUSHPILOTS FLY TAILDRAGGERS
Failure is not the opposite of success, it is the stepping stone for success

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 35 guests