YFT Microlight takes a flight over the Lake.

Take-off on RWY 01 at Yarrawonga

After fitting a GoPro camera to the wing of one of YFT’s new SST 912 Trikes it was time to take to the air and see how good this little camera realy is. The Answer “Great”!

After take-off Peter headed off over the Lake and then turned West towards the weir bridge.

The Ovens river is in flood and all this water is feeling into the Murray and filling Lake Mulwala to the brim.

Flying over the Weir Bridge

The weir gates were open and all this water is racing down the Murray. What a sight.

So its just another great day for flying at YFT.

Yarrawonga Flight Training Pilots Fly to Wangaratta BBQ.

The day had come and the weather was perfect, as the time approached 1000 hours, aircraft started to assemble at YFT Hangar 19 for the flight to Wangaratta.

"Is there room for my bag on the trike? Because if there isn't, it's not happening!"

Willem’s wife Erika was putting her life in his hands for the first time. After all she was flying to her home town, and if it didn’t work out she didn’t have to fly the return trip to Yarrawonga. (With these antics on the trike, no wonder she felt less than well by the end of the trip!) Seriously, it was a good effort Erika.

It was impressive seeing all the trikes lined up, waiting to depart. One by one the crews entered their aircraft and the engines spooled into life, and departed one by one for their flight across the Warby Ranges.

Steve and Andy after flying only four hours conversion to weightshift, flew with us to Wangaratta

After an enjoyable flight over early blooming canola crops and emerald green grain crops, our pilots and passengers were greeted with an appetising BBQ PLUS sweets at the Wangaratta club house. (Anne says, “Don’t expect that at Hangar 19 because she’s not a good cook!”) Friends had flown up from Barwon Heads and Donnybrook as well as the local region. The Wang Aero Club were pleased and surprised to see so many. They suggested that without our group there may have been about seven people. Andy and Steve had arrived on Friday night for conversion training to weight-shift. After flying all day Saturday, and again early on Sunday morning, they flew, under instruction, to Wangaratta in YFT’s SST 912’s, to socialise with the rest of the aircrews. Good effort guys!

YFT Events List…

Willem on final for 01 at YYWG

If you would like to be on our Events List and receive an email notifying you when Yarrawonga Flight Training is going to an event or having one at Yarrawonga, Hangar 19, just email your email address to yft@yarrawongaflighttraining.com.au and you will be added to our list.

That means you can be part of the fun, and fly with our aircrews. We go to BBQ’s and other events in the surrounding region. We also will be doing a number of weekend fly-aways, and don’t forget the longer Megafauna and Nav-Ex fly-aways. Don’t worry about what type of aircraft you fly… We don’t! Just join in and have fun flying with other like minded aviation people.

What a View of the World!

Willem and David decided to go for a flight yesterday in their respective XT-912 trikes,  and Willem fitted his GoPro camera to the top of the control frame. What views!!

It was a good day for flying but we were all aware that a change was coming from the West. Willem and David departed YYWG and tracked to town of Rennie and turned to the East towards Goombargana Hill. They were going to fly further East, but the Cloud bank was moving in faster than expected.

The two pilots decided to head back to YYWG. It was interesting listening to the conversations on YFT company frequency. “Let’s trade this smooth air at 5,000 feet for some warmth? It’s minus two degrees Centigrade up here!”

Cuppa’s in pre-warmed cups were much appreciated on landing,… even if it was just for thawing cold fingers!

Thankyou to everyone who attended the BBQ at Lee Gordon-Brown’s Hangar at Tocumwal yesterday.

IFR in VH-QBU approach to YTOC

The day at Yarrawonga began well enough. Down South the weather was already turning ugly, however at 0900 at YFT it was still looking good. The phone calls started to come in around 0830 with people pulling out due to the weather. Fifteen aircraft trying to fly in from the various southern aerodromes had chosen to cancel, for fear that if they did manage to fly to Tocumwal, they may not get back. Aircraft from the North were unable to get here either. By 1000 hours the weather at YFT was also threatening, and  the decision was made to drive, by people who had already gathered at Hangar 19.

Some of the Crew in Lee's Hangar

And that’s just what 25 people did. In the extended flying fraternity it is always nice to catch up with acquaintances and friends, and there is always someone new to meet as well. An organised but casual get-to-gether is an excellent reason to get out of the house, postpone the lawn-mowing,  pull the aircraft out of the hangar, and in some cases dust it off… a great reason to take to the skies again! Everyone is welcome at YFT’s events, military, GA and recreational, low time or experienced, fixed wing or rotary wing pilots and families or friends, who all share the special third dimension of the sky. We just ask that you indicate your intention to come as early as possible, and also notify a cancellation, too, (for catering reasons), wherever a YFT event is held. Lee’s hangar was the perfect venue for the IFR day it turned out to be.

Snags and burgers, hot drinks and slices, chatter and laughter reigned supreme, and what a great social atmosphere it was. Thanks again everyone, and a special thanks to Lee for providing the hangar.

Faye and her new aircraft

I received a phone call from Faye last week letting me know that she had decided to buy an aircraft. This was great news. Faye was looking at an XT-912 that belonged to a friend of ours in Shepparton.

Faye asked me if I could do a condition report and pre-purchase check for her. This was no problem, so off we went on Friday, to Shepparton. We arrived and all went well, and then Faye said, “I’ll buy it.”  I was then asked to fly her aircraft home to Yarrawonga. No problem, but I will have to go… like NOW! It was only an hour from sunset. I made it back just before last light.

Faye flying near Benalla

This week Faye has been airborne almost as much as she has been on the ground. She has flown all around the local area and was one of the aircraft that flew to Winton Raceway on Sunday. Today Faye was seen practising her cross wind approaches on runway 05. Well done Faye. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

A friend mentioned that he was racing his car at Winton raceway on Sunday.. sounded like a good excuse for a local flight!

Winton Race way

The next day I mentioned  the Winton races to a few pilots at YFT and they all decided it was a flight that had to be done.

Five aircraft, enthusiastic pilots and a good flying day to be had on the Sunday! We all assembled at the front of YFT’s hangar and as we were spooling up the engines, more pilots arrived and decided to join in. The flight to Winton was enjoyable. Over flying Winton we could see the cars going round the track at break neck speed.

It was quite different to see them from above. Heading back I saw clouds reflected in the still water of Lake Mokoan. You don’t see that very often. On our way back we met up with the other aircraft, and we had a great airborne armada.  Just another great day’s flying at YFT.

Next Sunday, 15th August 2010, weather permitting, we are all flying to Tocumwal for a BBQ. Speed and distance really are concepts, it’s the company that’s so great when you share the air with friends.

Pilot Ellie

Maybe there’s a new pilot in town… She a little short at the moment, but it won’t take long before this little lady is behind the controls.

Mother and daughter get some flying time. Dianne started by doing a high speed taxi to see if Ellie was OK in the back seat. All was good so off they went into the sky around Yarrawonga. Ellie had quite a bit to say about her flight after I bribed her with a lolly pop.

What a day for flying….

David flying his XT-912 into the sunset

Right on the back of flying to Wangaratta we had another fantastic day at YFT. David decided that it was too good to not fly, so off he went with his camera on movie. Two gigabytes and quarter of an hour later, David had created a good movie of the local area. The camera is mounted on the control bar, which gives a pilots eye view of the flight. Anne and I decided to partake in this magnificent sunset as well. We spotted David about 10nm from the aerodrome and headed for him to get some photos of our own.

David on approach to YYWG

This was well worth while and the two aircraft flew back to YFT in formation. What a day, and what a life. Training pilots and having flights like this, what more could you ask for?