Yeah Scott,

 

When I got back, she who must be obeyed removed the keys, along with anything else I had of a close personal nature worth holding onto. So I guess Kangaroo, Melville, and Bathurst Islands are looking a long shot at the moment.

 

Having seen TasMAINia dive into political correctness whereby certain matters of extreme personal nature are now compulsory, I shall refrain from crossing the strait in case a forced landing there places me in a very difficult position, especially given the phrase mentioned in para 1 above.

 

On this occasion I videoed the trip with my purpose bought Sony Handycam with a HD HDD and inbuilt GPS. I had the camera mounted on the canopy, and had a large capacity battery on it. After departure from Moorabbin (Melbourne), the camera came up with a message stating the battery was not genuine. True, but I had tested it over a couple of months, but not in the air. I replaced it with the correct battery, and the next message stated the HDD could not be accessed. So the first couple of sectors couldn’t be shot (Melbourne – Wollongong – Maroochy). Pity as the coastline along there is very nice, especially the Sydney area. At Maroochy I fixed the camera but it would not shoot forward at all while mounted on the bracket.

 

One thing about my seats is they are extremely comfortable, and the only discomfort is one of internal pressure.

 

The nose gear door actuator developed a hydraulic weep at the bottom so I replaced it in Perth thanks to Rob Stevens (still have to get mine resealed Rob) who had a spare. For the past year my starter motor had shown signs of not being co-operative, and when In the city of Burketown, Queensland (pop. 56), the local charter operator helped me do an oil change, and in the process convinced me it was time to change the starter.

 

Despite my melting memory, I recalled Grayhawk’s post whereby his “cold dead hands” were clutching his B & C starter. So having ordered the starter I picked it up in Perth at #1 son’s house, and had it with me when the starter decided to fail completely in Esperance, where I replaced it with the new B & C, which winds my engine up like a turbine. WOW.

 

I got pinged for traversing one RA near Perth. That day almost all the RA’s were active due to military flying training, and I had noted them all but there were at least seven all in proximity and I missed avoiding one. I am awaiting the bollicking which will arrive in the mail from the desk jockeys who were in school last year.

 

Which reminds me, I gotta go pay a bill.

 

Cheers

 

Dom Crain

 

VH-CZJ