A trike is re born. ZU DBP

[John.com]

Very good advice.

WX looks good tomorrow morning (2-4Knt wind till 10am). I will do my best to get to ML. Hope to see you guys there.

Hi Paul, tommorrow a total stuff up work wise for me. Planning to go Wed or Thursday morning.

ATFeindelik!!!

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Fantastic News Alan!!! Something we've all been waiting for.

'Hope to see you in the sky sometime soon!

[Asterix]

Okay - so now you have the ATF - so please pray now for a good weekend! I "carbon - copied" my plans for this past weekend for next weekend - fly to JHB with a big blik at a horrendous price for a one way ticket ( R 1558-00 one way Polokwane to Jan Smuts) then spend Friday morning with my own "Test-Flight" , then fill up "The Witch", and Saturday morning of to Pietersburg. Or Sunday morning. Or Monday morning. However it rolls, I will NOT travel back in any other way than by microlight, which is far more cheap than by "groot blik".

In any event, my track takes me just east of Cullinan - so - are you gonna join me up to there?

Looking at that wing of yours, and all the replacement parts, and from my own experiences from Micro - Craft Africa /Solo Wings - the level of service from these guys are amazing!

I WISH they would start developing the "Aquilla 3" A "new generation" trike. I'll buy one without thinking twice!

[mulderpm]

Hi Alan, Pitty man . Went to ML this morning and flew to Cullinan, Mamelodi and back to ML. Awsome flight. WX man was spot on. The web site John gave me is very acurate. Tnx again John. When I landed @ about 9, there was NO wind. Looks like bad WX again this weekend (Still crystal ball gazing thought). What comes after bad WX....Monday. Hope they are wrong this time I want to go to Kliprivier.

Hans told me he took DBP for a test flight yesterday and she is straight and true. Great, now just get Merv or Fanie to come with you for a couple of circuits. I am sure that is all you will need to get back up there.

Hope to see you and Stef as PIC soon.

[STEEL]

I may be talking on behalf of alot of frequent microlight readers...
Just wanted to say that I have enjoyed following this rebuild.
Great writing and pics along the way.Thanks for taking the time to publish.
Blue skies...

[Bundy]

Thanks Steel Glad you have enjoyed it man....it will definately not be the last "build" I do in years to come....I hope to never have to do a RE build again though for obvious reasons

Sharing our up's and down's with other pilots is a great way to learn from each other. This is one game where you will never stop learning no matter how many logbooks you complete over the years. My wife says I'm obsessed..... She, as you may now guess does not share my love of the big blue and everything related to fighting gravity. I organised a lekker flight once in a R44 for her....the pilot didnt even make the horizon before being "politely" instructed to return to the airfield.

Learning to fly completely changed my life. It remains the 2nd most challenging and personally satisfying thing i've ever done. Being a father to my son will always be the first....and if his enthusiasm is anything to go by...those X mas presents will be getting mighty expensive in years to come.

Wish me luck boys....Thursday morning I go kiss the sky.

[Tailspin]

Thanks Steel
Wish me luck boys....Thursday morning I go kiss the sky.

Bundy

I think we should all bunk work and do at least one circuit just to show our support for you during that very LOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG hour

[Bundy]

Gav..... you dont sound well mate? I think you must stay "in bed" tommorrow?

Spoke at length to Hans who test flew DBP earlier this week and he says she flies beautifully! Only thing concerning me is that we have IAS of 41MPH??? This cant possibly be right? I think the pitot tube is not facing directly into the airflow....it did not look right to me on the ground. When we did the fibreglass repairs to the pod, we did not get the right angle filed into the body putty and thus the tube is pointing skew. I am convinced we are just "underreading". I will have to clock her with the GPS to be sure. If GPS confirms...we will have to move the hanging position forward a notch.

I feel like I'm going "solo" all over again. The butterflies are here in numbers guys! I know I'll be fine once the earth "falls away" though. Will have Fanie or Merv watching over me for the first couple landings. Cant wait to get to grips with The Beautiful Dawn. Looks like Stef will be joining me too....time to get back on the horse big guy!

Hoping and praying for a nice CALM morning tommorrow!

[Tailspin]

I feel like I'm going "solo" all over again. The butterflies are here in numbers guys! Hoping and praying for a nice CALM morning tommorrow!

Bundy

You mean you have a few of these butterflies in your Gut

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Strongs Brother.

Fly Safe

[Bundy]

[Bateleur]

Yes, I need to get back on the horse again. Hopefully we will get a gap tomorrow morning. I am VERY nervous though! For some or other reason I have been thinking back to the day of the prang a lot this week, and all the things that went wrong that day! Forget about that, it is in the past and I have learnt a lot through that OOPS!
See you at the airfield tomorrow morning Al. THE TIME HAS COME!!

[Bulletjie]

Enjoy and fly safe!

[Bateleur]

We are in the air again! Alan and I went out this morning and Alan and Mervin flew DBP while I when up with Fanie in his plane. I needed someone behind me with duel controls, just in case the sh.t hit the fan. It when much better then I though. All came back to me instantly and I am pleased to say that I am now ready for action and will be seeing you all at Microland often.

Bundy, tell us all how that new plane of us flies!! His flight suite stood like a tent down there when he got out of the plane, so I am expecting some good feedback!

See you all at the airfield. This weekend looks bad weather wise, but lest see what happens.

[Bundy]

Well despite the weather I drove out to the airfield on a gut feel. Windsock standing straight at 8 knts constant, straight down 17. Watched it for a while, no gusts, windy but stable. Preflighted DBP and waited.

Mervyn was up in the circuit with a student and reported conditions were not that bad, if we stayed below 7000 no prob. I taxied to the holding point and got Merv to jump in the back. He watched over me while we took off and did two good landings. He jumped out after the 2nd and I headed up on my own.....wow, I'd forgotten how good this feels!

The Beautiful Dawn climbs amazingly well, accelleration off the line much better, and straight and level she cruises at 400rpm lower than before! Loving this new prop! Solid in the turns, floats forever in Ground effect.....I can feel I'm gonna really love flying this plane.

A little rusty but will be fine after a bit of practice. RT gone for a ball of S@#t! haha, small steps. Finally.....but it was worth the wait. Seriously chuffed is me. Whooo hooo!!!

[JvTonder]

Congrats Guys, enjoy DBP!

[Aerosan]

pragtig ou swaer I remeber my first flight after our slight mishap what a feeling once your up and going again geniet haar