Yeah, between having more important things (did I say that out loud?) to soak up the $, a severe lack of block time off, and VERY severe lack of licensed manpower in Oz (there is a bunch of stuff that needs a LAME to do before I can hook in and do more on my own but the boys are so busy they just never get near mine - no matter how many times I ask) the A36 restoration ground to a halt 18 mths back. I did have a months leave planned 7 or 8 months ago AND the LAME lined up but the company cancelled my leave
I still need to get the new STBD side skins re installed on the fwd fuse before I can do anything else.
I get down to BNE with 5 days free (1 or 2 being weekend when the hangar is closed) - take one look at the aircraft crammed in the hangar and KNOW I might as well kick back and play with the Grandclone (he is an awesome kid) in the morning and fly the Tigermoth/C195 in the afternoon, have a few beers with the boys in the evening and not get stressed - there is just no point.
It got harder still months ago when my company stopped flying to Brissy. Instead of 7 hrs with daily flights it became 13 hrs via MEL and a
VB seat to BNE on the two days a week we fly to MEL arriving at 0815..the other 2 days we arrive at 2215 which means no connecting flights to BNE. In early Feb the sched changes and all 4 arrive at 2215
You just look at your roster now with 4 days off and several STBYs you USED to turn into LVE and duck down to Brissy and resign yourself to 7 days sitting in asia achieving nothing.
There are a few things slowly falling into place at the moment which SHOULD make 2012 the year when the whole thing gets very nicely back on track.
I am just awaiting news from a mate in the US about a set of wings off a 1978 A36 which, if as advertised, are undamaged, corrosion free and low time...and about 1/3rd the cost of restoring my wings - not to mention the ENORMOUS time saving.
2 or 3 weeks of solid days could have the fuse finished structurally speaking - and I have some good options for re wiring the old girl for not a whole lot more than the cost of parts, and on a reasonable time frame.
The engine is still all nicely inhibited but before I take it off the ground again I will send it over to YBAF and have the fellas over there re hone the cylinders and give the internals a real close look - it only has 500 hrs on it.
So 'life' has been getting in the way but there is a glimpse of some light at the end of the tunnel
The Grandclone, so named by FTDKer, turned 2 on 4th January...and HE thinks I walk on water
