This month has been one of mixed fortunes for the Club with the surprise resignation of our new Instructor Mike Calvert for family reasons and an indication from C.A.S.A. that our Club Open Day would be defined in accordance with C.A.O. part 29 as an Air show, this being the case and to avoid unacceptable financial cost to the Club it has been decided to cancel the Open Day. However all is not lost and adopting the philosophy that goals should be set in concrete but the path way leading there made in sand and immediately set about advertising for a new Instructor and at the time of writing we have received four applications to consider so hopefully we should have a new Instructor shortly, in the meantime Kevin Lathbury has provided valuable support to fill the gap and I hope that Kevin will continue with the Club in conjunction with our new Instructor to provide a better service to our students in the future. There will also be a new Club day for members and guests to be organised in the future when some suitable date can be fitted in to the new flying activity programme. The coming month of October holds two main flying events mainly the monthly competition and a Sunday Flyers fly in to Wongon Hills for a meet and B.B.Q. with the resident Club member Keith Betty and his friends at the strip. We already have one full Aircraft booked so if any one else wishes to join in please call me to make the necessary arrangements, as I have said before the Sunday Flyers is a good way to stay current and socialize with fellow pilots at a reasonable cost. The Fly in is also open to private owner Club members. Talking about reasonable cost the Club is offering a once only special for the month of October see details later in this magazine. The month after on the 26th to the 27th. Of November the Royal Aero Club is holding the annual West Australian Light Aircraft Championship (W.A.L.A.C.) at Murrey Field. Ray Howell and myself have entered to represent the club and if any other pilots are interested in competing please give Ray Howell a call for details. If you would just like to come down to Murrey Field to fly the Club Flag and support the Northam Aero Club pilots Ray and I will be driving down on the flying day which is the 27th and would have spare seats so give us a call, first come first served so to speak, it should be an interesting day out for all aviation enthusiasts. Talking of competition flying please note that the Club will be holding a competition seminar on the 7th. November 2004 and I would recommend any pilot who has not flown for some time and may be a bit concerned about all the changes in Airspace regulations etc. to come along and find out what competition flying is all about namely having fun, keeping current, improving your flying skills and most importantly getting back into the air at little cost. More details later. As always if you have any suggestions or ideas to put to the committee relating to the function of your Club please do not hesitate to call me.

DAVE ROSE





COMPETITION WINNER'S SAY...

The weather has been absolutely superb the last few days, and Sunday was no exception. The mornings have been a bit nippy I must admit.
Six pilots arrived for the September Club Competition, but disappointingly, two were unable to compete as they were out of hours or medicals or something, and with no instructor present to Air Judge them, they had to be content to be our Ground Judges.
The comp was a Low Level Spot Landing Competition, flying two circuits, with the landing on the second and last circuit being judged for the Spot Landing. Air Points were accrued over both circuits.
Charlie (CMP) was to have been flown, but due to a fouled plug, she was returned to the hangar and replaced by Poppy.
The circuit was rather busy with a continuous flow of Ag planes and Singapore Flying College students, so one had to keep a good 'lookout' to keep track of them. A little bit of a breeze had popped up too, and operating off RW14, most of us ended up having a bit of a tailwind on landing. Luckily for me, I landed Poppy in the fifty point zone (the allocated 'spot'), and can only assume I must have just pipped Errol in 'Air Points' because I'm sure he too put PGL on the spot.
Being my first competition for some time, I was thrilled at having a win, and would like to thank Ray for his continued good work in the organization and running of the monthly competitions, as well as a big thank you to all other competitors without whom the comp wouldn't have been possible.

Robyn Stewart



SCOTT'S BABY…..

What is possibly the first turbine powered Ayres Thrush to enter Australia in the last three to four years N3298W has been delivered to Scott and Rebecca Powell of Taurus Aviation in Northam. The aircraft was purchased through Aviation Specialists P/L of Moree NSW after being engaged by Scott to find a suitable aircraft to add to their fleet.
Scott flew over to America in February of this year, to a place just out of California, to inspect the aeroplane which had been previously owned by San Joaquin Helicopters, who had purchased the AyresThrush new in 1997 to use on forestry contracts. Scott then engaged an international ferry pilot to ferry the Thrush home to Australia.
In preparation for the ferry flight, San Joaquin Helicopters fitted avionics and a ferry system including wing mounted pod tanks. The hopper was also converted to a fuel tank.
The route taken by the ferry pilot was from Delano California via Santa Maria Hawaii, Christmas Island, American Samoa, Norfolk Island, Coolangatta and on to Moree arriving Easter Saturday. The trip total time was 50.55 hours, with the pilot reporting the aircraft flew extremely well and he praised the workshop personnel of San Joaquin Helicopters for their total professionalism in preparing the aircraft.
The registration of the Ayres Thrush has been changed from N3298W to VH-TBV and is powered by a Garret Turbine Engine, 940HP.It carries 1950lts. and the spraying is done at a speed of 135 knots. At spraying speed VH-TBV burns 240 lts. per hour.
To quote Scott "She really moves along".
Best wishes for the future Scott, and may you many productive and happy hours flying in TBV.






FLYING ACTIVITY PROGRAMME FOR 2004 -05

September
12th. Monthly Competition.
20th-22nd C.A.S.A. Safety seminar in Perth.

October
10th. Monthly Competition.
24th. Sunday Flyers - Wongan Hills.

November
7th.. Competition seminar.
14th. Monthly Competition.
26th-27th. W.A.L.A.C. at Murrey Field.

December
12th. Monthly Competition and Christmas lunch.

January
Holiday Break

February
13th. Monthly Competition.
27th. Sunday Flyers.

March
13th. Monthly Competition
26th-27th. Cunderdin Air Show

April
10th. Monthly Competition.
24th. Sunday Flyers.

May
8th. Monthly Competition.




Welcome to our new members
Mike Calvert, Stephen Burke and Peter Brandenburg . May your sojourn with this club be long and enjoyable.