I would like to open my report by saying that Sue Blanc has been keeping me up to date with their lives in their new hometown of Australind via e-mail, and our dear Joe is to go into hospital for an op on the 17th of this month. On behalf of us all Joe, we want you to know we are thinking of you, and hope the operation is a great success.
As mentioned by our editor who was kind enough to write my January Report, I have been away on a fabulous trip in the Aerostar with Claude, covering a considerable number of nautical miles, which I have yet to add up. Claude and I departed Northam on the 5th January and dropped into Meekatharra; Broome (where it was wonderful to catch up with my son Jamie); Denpasar in Bali; Palembang in Indonesia; to Seletar Airport in Singapore.
Here we met up with the others who were to join us on the Air Safari which took us from Seletar to Hat Yai in Thailand; U-Taphao, also in Thailand (here we were an unofficial entrant in their Air Show); by taxi now to meet the others at Bangphra Airport (still Thailand) because the strip there wasn't long enough for us to take-off; another taxi ride back to the Aerostar at U-Taphao; onwards to Phnom Penh, Ratanakiri and Siem Reap in Cambodia; back to U-Taphao and on to Phuket in Thailand; then to Penang, Malaysia; back to Seletar in Singapore.
Here we had a brief change of aircraft, a Tobago TB200, and flew to Tioman Island and onto Jahore, in Malaysia (twice, due weather); into a cab (forced to leave the Tobago in Jahore) for the long (more due to traffic than kilometres) ride back to Singapore.
Then for the return trip via Palembang (Indonesia), Denpasar (Bali); Broome and Meekatharra (Australia, and English speaking people!!); arriving home in Northam on the afternoon of the 23rd January.
It was a wonderful trip, full of interesting hassles. I'm referring to the events on the ground at foreign airports which take up to three or four hours (about thirty minutes in Australia) on ones arrival and departure. You couldn't believe how hard it was at times to get back on the 'air' side to your aircraft! However we learnt to anticipate this, it was all part of the trip, and we met some great people along the way, and saw some wonderful sights. I'm deliberately not telling you what we actually 'did' along the way, because I managed to get Claude to 'write the story' which is somewhere in this issue. You may even be lucky enough to get some photos, because we have a CD absolutely choc-a-bloc full of them! Hundreds I'd say.
There is another reason for me telling you the different 'legs' of the flight, and that is because it has filled a couple of pages, and not having been around, I couldn't think of anything to write. My Committee have been absolutely marvellous in my absence and I extend a big thank you to all of them, and to you too Margie.
Talking about my absence brings me to say that it's time all Club Members thought about the AGM which will sneak up on us very quickly. Since selling the pharmacy and going into semi retirement, my life has taken on a different twist, and Jeff and I seem to spend a lot of time travelling up and down the Perth road, plus we have been away a lot. I have been finding it extremely hard to do my job as your president while living half the time in Perth and half in Northam. In fact I know I have not been doing my job, and I do feel guilty about it. What I am saying is that I will be stepping down from my position on the Committee (I will still be there as IPP) and I would like you to all think long and hard about your new incoming committee. There must be some of you out there who would like to help lead the Club, who have fresh ideas for it's future, so please let us know who you are.
Your Club needs you.

Sunday 8th February saw five pilots trying out their skills in the right-hand seat, on a double circuit with Club Instructor Colin Ekert in the left-hand seat. What a competition! An Air Judge who normally flies from the right sitting in the left seat, and the competitors who normally fly from the left in the right seat!
As the flights progressed, with the wind dropping and the day getting hotter, it was clear that most of the pilots would have preferred the left-hand seat, or better still, not be up there at all! It was a pity that there was not a video camera present to record some of the landings made by our intrepid pilots.
When it was all over, Colin gave a short de-brief on how to fly a right-hand circuit, whilst brushing back what appeared to be some white hairs that were not there earlier on the day.
The end results saw the winner being Errol Croft, second being Sion Miller who flew really well, and third place to David Rose.
The next competition will be Around The Pylons on Sunday 14 March - so Pilots, bring a passenger to witness the Town of Northam from the air.
From Friday 16 to Sunday 18 April, the Royal Aero Club will be conducting formation-flying training. If you are interested in this activity, please contact me for further detail. There is the possibility that we will conduct a two-circuit night-flying competition on the Saturday night, following a BBQ. This event would be to compete for the President's Trophy, which we currently hold.
More on that in the March FlyAbout.

Good news! CASA is going to amend the next issue of "ERSA" to incorporate right hand circuits runway 32 (not previously noted). I await the next issue of ERSA.
As noted in the last Flyabout, planning is under way for formation and aerobatic flying. I will have a Cessna 152 Aerobat at Northam from Saturday the 13 March 2004 until Wednesday 18 March. There is possible room for one more person other than those already having expressed interest to undertake full or part aerobatic training; or spin recovery.
Similarly, the Formation flying training program planned in April (Fri 16, Sat 17, and possible Sun 18) is now full. Others will have to wait for another time. The details of formation flying are still being finalised in order to confirm the proposal is viable. Assuming it goes ahead, pilots already having formation flying approval are welcome to join in some of the flying. Please contact me if you would like to participate.

Height above ground. Stalls, aerobatics, HASELL checks. Remember sufficient height to recover by 3,000 ft means 3,000 ft. above ground not above sea level, so ensure you are using 3,000ft. above the ground eg. ground elevation 700 ft. plus 3,000 ft. translates to sufficient height to recover by 3,700 ft. on the altimeter (3,000 ft. above ground).
Allowing for ground elevation also applies to Practice Forced Landings, and REAL Forced Landings!

The trip was organized by "Wings over Asia", the Singapore Flying Club and the Johor Aero Club, and started from Singapore. From some 14 entries we finished 7th. There were two aircraft from Australia - ourselves and a Navajo from Cairns. I flew the Aerostar with two of my RTW ferry tanks. The system is very flexible, I can use 1, 2, 3 or 4 tanks. I have never had to use four since my flight around the World. Robyn Stewart was with me, co-flying, scribing, and doing Women Weekly X-words.
We flew to Meekathara for fuel, as I don't like to takeoff from Northam at full weight. Then Broome. Next morning, lots of exhaust noises during the initial climb. The FBO called saying they heard them too. Back to the airport. Check the plugs - one was not too good, replace it. Same results. Started to check the magnetos and I discovered that one spark plug lead was damaged. It took us a full day to find a replacement lead.
The flight to Bali was uneventful. There we met with the other Australian of the group from Cairns, flying a Navajo. He had flown a different way, via Darwin and Kupang.
Then to Singapore via Palembang. Met the others. Clearances for Cambodia had not been received yet. We all flew to Hat Yai in Thailand to finally meet at Bang Phra. The field is more or less run by Tom Claytor, but being far too short for me I went to U Taphao, and then took a cab to Bang Phra. Met up with Tom and had an excellent dinner of sea food. Finally, the clearances arrived for Cambodia. Next day back to U Taphao by land, while the others flew direct to U Taphao to refuel. That long drive made us the last to arrive and most of the fuel had been used (there is no Avgas in Cambodia, and that fuel had been organized long before). I did not get all I wished, as this fuel should last for 4 legs: Phnom Pen to Ratanakiri in NE Cambodia, then Siem Reap and back to U Taphao.
In Phnom Pen, we met Robert Gannon and Vicky, his Australian lady friend. Visit of the horrors of the Pol Pot regime. They tortured and killed 3 million people, in some 3 or 4 years. That is one million a year. Just horrible, heaps of skulls sky-high. Some shopping in the market
Next day a short flight to Ratanakiri in the N-E. Dirt strip, red dust. Resort run by Frenchman, ex army, and his charming Cambodian wife. Unfortunately, he was sick in Phnom Pen. Had a swim in a crater lake. Visited the local village and market - all rather primitive.
Next day flew to Siem Reap. Temples everywhere! A visit to the biggest temple the next day, Angkor Vat. Huge! All the temples very badly damaged by trees and by lack of maintenance for the last thousand years. They were built around 800 and 900 but the technology is a far-cry from the European cathedrals (1100-1250) ... sorry I am an ex civil engineer. Too many of them to be repaired, they can only repair the main ones. Impressive.
In the afternoon we visited the lake dwellings on Tonle Sap. This becomes the Mekong further downstream. When the snows of the Himalayas melt, the level rises by several metres. Everything - houses, shops, schools etc -. is on barges which float and rise, and will go down again in the dry season. Reminded me of the film "Water Works".
Next day back to U Taphao. Because I could not get all the fuel I needed in Phnom Pen, my situation was critical. But four pilots offered to give some of their extra fuel, making it possible with a narrow margin. We landed in U Taphao and refuelled, in a hurry to leave before they close the field for the arrival of a Princess. I had to go around as the preceding A/C was stuck on the runway, not nice when on a short reserve...
Landed in Phuket. But we were booked on the "wrong" side of island and decided not to stay. Next day flew to Penang and Singapore. For most of us the tour was over but we had to get back to Australia. Two days rest and mad shopping in Singapore, then back to Palembang and Bali. Bad monsoon weather over Indonesia but the controllers were very helpful, accepting every deviation and offering shortcuts.
Another day of rest, swimming and shopping and then back to Broome. In Broome I got cold in the air-conditioning - shivering and a sore throat which developed into a bit of flu. Lucky that was on the way back.
A marvelous trip. Demanding - especially the silly negotiations in Cambodia where they tried to slug us $250 per a/c as "royalties". The other countries were more normal.
But, on top of visiting new places and seeing how different people live, the greatest reward was in meeting people and making new friends.