Stan went to the Hangar on 22nd January, and drove all the way through one of the windiest days Victoria has experienced for some time. Often once you drive over the Great Dividing Range north of Yarra Glen the weather changes completely, but not this time.
He went to receive a delivery of floor trusses which arrived on schedule but were five short, so another delivery still to come.
He is still held up waiting for a delivery of glass sliding doors to complete the framework around the lower level.
The intention was to go back this coming week, but weather forecast for Melbourne over the next five days all seem to be 40 degrees plus, so he will probably put it off for another week.
While moving floor trusses around on top of the frame he discovered the temperature was at least 10 degrees hotter than ground level, and we do have air conditioning at Pakenham!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Well, we've had a further three weeks camping in the hangar and the timber frame for the caretakers residence is well underway. Now a little hold-up waiting on delivery of more glass sliding doors and also floor trusses for the upstairs area, so decided as the weather became extremely hot to head back south to the air conditioner.
And yes, Yarrawonga is starting to feel like home and we've come back to Pakenham for a holiday! Not yet!
But we really have been enjoying our hangar.
From first thing in the morning waking to the chirping of the sparrow family who, up until a few days ago were calling our hangar home, until late at night sitting outside star gazing. (Hope the sparrow squatters haven't taken the opportunity to reinvade during our absence).
Of course we also enjoyed waking each morning to the sound of trike motors, and more often than not, wind. Which prompted the question - are we building in the Windy City? We've been assured it's just the windy time of the year, but I'll keep you informed on that as the year progresses.
Once relatively respectable each morning, we raised our huge hangar door and spent the day admiring our view over the airport to the countryside beyond. Well I did, Stan had to keep working on the framework. But work was nicely interrupted throughout each day by many visitors, numerous cups of tea and of course stopping to watch arrivals and departures of many aircraft.
A vast majority of aircraft arriving at Yarrawonga come to visit the Pilot Shop in the next hangar, run by Peter and Anne McLean. Many of these aircraft park on vacant land between our two hangars which gives us the perfect opportunity to admire and photograph. I intend starting up a page for Planespotting. If I'm going to spend a lot of time at an airport I may as well try to learn the type of aircraft I'm looking at.
New Year's Day and I took my first helicopter ride with Bright Helicopters from the Aerodrome to the Ski Club where the helicopter was taking joy rides. It was a five seater Jet Ranger owned by Craig Campbell, and based in Albury. Stan drove to pick me up and the next morning it was his turn, and I was the pick-up driver. It was really good, no wind in your face!
One windy morning Ken and Pauline Jelleff flew in from Porpunkah where the weather had been calm. We put their trike in our hangar while they looked around, took refreshments, visited Peter McLean, and then decided time to head back. We opened the hangar door, pushed their trike out and an extra strong gust of wind caught it and before we realised what was happening it was on its side with Pauline under the leading edge. It's time like this we received a lot of help from our friends and many others and we thank you all. A reminder to all to be extra vigilant in turbulent conditions near hangars as the wind gust on this occasion came in from the opposite direction to the prevailing wind.
Later in the day another stationary trike blew over in a similar 'mishap' for want of a better word. I make it sound minimal, but any incident is upsetting and of course any damage is expensive.
It was good to see Shane and Paula Gleeson's Drifter fly in a couple of times during our stay. As always, they were really good fun.
Our friend Doug Brooke (who calls himself our 'other son' since he adopted us on a Megafauna trip several years ago) offered his expertise to help Stan for a few days, and duly arrived in his Jabiru which he'd lovingly built himself. And he did a really good job. He also did a really good job of flinging his automatic tent in the corner of our 'lounge room'. Two very important jobs took place due to his expertise. Firstly the rear roller door was programmed so more than one remote operated it (so scared I would lose the one that worked) and he helped purchase and then install our television antenna. So we had telly until it literally blew up several days later, (but that wasn't Doug's fault). McLean's to the rescue yet again and we can now keep in touch with the world beyond the hangar with their spare telly.
One great thing about living at Yarrawonga, whether it be flying or driving, you have many large towns in several directions within an hour. One day while Doug was with us we tripped to Albury/Wodonga visiting Bunnings for the antenna, and generally going around in circles so in the end we were convinced there were 17 Bunnings in Albury.
Another day we did a triangle trip to Wangaratta (where we visited Brian Carey, a cousin of Stan's, and the Brucks Mills) and then on to Benalla, before returning.
Ian Buchanan-Black visited Peter and Anne and they shared him with us one weekend. He seemed to accomplish a lot of flight time during his stay as everytime I turned around his red trike was taxiing for take-off.
We also managed some time with Russell Purdy who flew his Pegasus trike in from Mansfield on 13th January looking as cheerful as ever. It might have been a quick trip back to Mansfield if the tail wind at Yarrawonga continued throughout his flight. I've realised Yarrawonga time doesn't just apply to the time of day, but the date of the month, so I'm starting to set camera with dates on the photos.
And a few nights ago we went to inspect floor coverings in a magnificent holiday castle located on a big bend in the Murray River in Tocumwal.
We also called in to the Museum in Mulwala which is a 'must see' for everyone. It is so well set up and extremely interesting. (Bit scary when you recognise many items on display and can remember using them). We went there especially to see a very early aircraft which, prior to our visit we thought was John Duigan's who in July 1910, made the first flight in an Australian-built aeroplane. (Our hangar is situated on John Duigan Drive). But we had our wires crossed and the aircraft housed in the Museum was in fact built by Australian pioneer aviator Douglas Sloane who lived from 1890 to 1917 and came from Mulwala.
And yes, Yarrawonga is starting to feel like home and we've come back to Pakenham for a holiday! Not yet!
But we really have been enjoying our hangar.
From first thing in the morning waking to the chirping of the sparrow family who, up until a few days ago were calling our hangar home, until late at night sitting outside star gazing. (Hope the sparrow squatters haven't taken the opportunity to reinvade during our absence).
Of course we also enjoyed waking each morning to the sound of trike motors, and more often than not, wind. Which prompted the question - are we building in the Windy City? We've been assured it's just the windy time of the year, but I'll keep you informed on that as the year progresses.
Once relatively respectable each morning, we raised our huge hangar door and spent the day admiring our view over the airport to the countryside beyond. Well I did, Stan had to keep working on the framework. But work was nicely interrupted throughout each day by many visitors, numerous cups of tea and of course stopping to watch arrivals and departures of many aircraft.
A vast majority of aircraft arriving at Yarrawonga come to visit the Pilot Shop in the next hangar, run by Peter and Anne McLean. Many of these aircraft park on vacant land between our two hangars which gives us the perfect opportunity to admire and photograph. I intend starting up a page for Planespotting. If I'm going to spend a lot of time at an airport I may as well try to learn the type of aircraft I'm looking at.
New Year's Day and I took my first helicopter ride with Bright Helicopters from the Aerodrome to the Ski Club where the helicopter was taking joy rides. It was a five seater Jet Ranger owned by Craig Campbell, and based in Albury. Stan drove to pick me up and the next morning it was his turn, and I was the pick-up driver. It was really good, no wind in your face!
One windy morning Ken and Pauline Jelleff flew in from Porpunkah where the weather had been calm. We put their trike in our hangar while they looked around, took refreshments, visited Peter McLean, and then decided time to head back. We opened the hangar door, pushed their trike out and an extra strong gust of wind caught it and before we realised what was happening it was on its side with Pauline under the leading edge. It's time like this we received a lot of help from our friends and many others and we thank you all. A reminder to all to be extra vigilant in turbulent conditions near hangars as the wind gust on this occasion came in from the opposite direction to the prevailing wind.
Later in the day another stationary trike blew over in a similar 'mishap' for want of a better word. I make it sound minimal, but any incident is upsetting and of course any damage is expensive.
It was good to see Shane and Paula Gleeson's Drifter fly in a couple of times during our stay. As always, they were really good fun.
Our friend Doug Brooke (who calls himself our 'other son' since he adopted us on a Megafauna trip several years ago) offered his expertise to help Stan for a few days, and duly arrived in his Jabiru which he'd lovingly built himself. And he did a really good job. He also did a really good job of flinging his automatic tent in the corner of our 'lounge room'. Two very important jobs took place due to his expertise. Firstly the rear roller door was programmed so more than one remote operated it (so scared I would lose the one that worked) and he helped purchase and then install our television antenna. So we had telly until it literally blew up several days later, (but that wasn't Doug's fault). McLean's to the rescue yet again and we can now keep in touch with the world beyond the hangar with their spare telly.
One great thing about living at Yarrawonga, whether it be flying or driving, you have many large towns in several directions within an hour. One day while Doug was with us we tripped to Albury/Wodonga visiting Bunnings for the antenna, and generally going around in circles so in the end we were convinced there were 17 Bunnings in Albury.
Another day we did a triangle trip to Wangaratta (where we visited Brian Carey, a cousin of Stan's, and the Brucks Mills) and then on to Benalla, before returning.
Ian Buchanan-Black visited Peter and Anne and they shared him with us one weekend. He seemed to accomplish a lot of flight time during his stay as everytime I turned around his red trike was taxiing for take-off.
We also managed some time with Russell Purdy who flew his Pegasus trike in from Mansfield on 13th January looking as cheerful as ever. It might have been a quick trip back to Mansfield if the tail wind at Yarrawonga continued throughout his flight. I've realised Yarrawonga time doesn't just apply to the time of day, but the date of the month, so I'm starting to set camera with dates on the photos.
And a few nights ago we went to inspect floor coverings in a magnificent holiday castle located on a big bend in the Murray River in Tocumwal.
We also called in to the Museum in Mulwala which is a 'must see' for everyone. It is so well set up and extremely interesting. (Bit scary when you recognise many items on display and can remember using them). We went there especially to see a very early aircraft which, prior to our visit we thought was John Duigan's who in July 1910, made the first flight in an Australian-built aeroplane. (Our hangar is situated on John Duigan Drive). But we had our wires crossed and the aircraft housed in the Museum was in fact built by Australian pioneer aviator Douglas Sloane who lived from 1890 to 1917 and came from Mulwala.
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