Bundaberg Bound

First, however, there was the little issue of getting licensed again after a couple of years away from ultralights. With only one spare day to accomplish a flight review before departure, Kris at Oasis Flight Training, Point Cook, came to the rescue. He took me through a most professional and thorough session which incidentally was an excellent introduction to his immaculate Jabiru. By the conclusion I was feeling a lot less rusty and ready to head north and escape Melbourne’s fresh temperatures.

My introductory flying left me pleasantly amazed. Here I was, ripping around effortlessly at a genuine 130 knots or better, in something my mind was having trouble accepting was actually an ultralight. The Esqual performed willingly, had the most delightful handling and showed itself to be a spirited creature. This aircraft appreciates being flown like the high performance ship it truly is, yet it does not make hard work of it. It feels right, handles crisply and rewards you with GPS figures that will monopolize your attention to the detriment of a good lookout. For quite a while there, I just could not believe what I was seeing.

It was plain from the outset that this was going to be a fantastic trip. Even the forecast looked great.

Bert and I departed Coldstream late afternoon Thursday with the destination as Corowa. I elected to make a 100 knot indicated cruise-climb, which gave a solid climb rate and soon we were levelling off at four thousand five hundred. A neat thing happens when setting up for cruise; as the airspeed passes through 120 knots, you raise the flaps from zero to their negative setting and you feel the aircraft accelerate another bunch of knots!

This leg took us one hour and five minutes total air time and had me planning descent from about twenty miles out. This was novel in my ultralighting experience where previously, waiting till the strip was under the nose was perhaps the more appropriate descent point! I cannot describe how great it is to see the GPS nudging 150 knots as you enter the circuit, then pull the power way back and still fly the downwind leg at 120 knots indicated.

When reducing to eighty knots late downwind, you have to allow time for the slippery airframe to comply with the laws of aerodynamics, before you put flap out. Even the very first bit of electric flap is effective, making further speed reduction a breeze. Visibility over the nose is brilliant. Trim changes are certainly felt but the control authority is such that you need not hurry to keep up with trimming; just do it when you have a spare moment. This aircraft really only requires fingertip control input and believe me, after this, anything heavier will feel like a truck. It is beautiful. In chop control inputs are still relaxed and easy. Vol Mediterrani have certainly done well with the handling.

Control authority remains good even with flap and reduced speeds. I just flew what felt right and this equated to about 65 knots short finals, 55 or lower over the fence and a nose-high touchdown occurs at some ridiculously low airspeed. Select climb pitch earlier if you a trending high, otherwise leave it for short finals. Flaps are very effective give a solid feel to the approach. A trickle of power will take care of any unexpected sink and it sure is not difficult to land. Directional control on rollout is boringly simple, with the rudder remaining effective and differential braking easily up to it even in crosswinds.

With more familiarity, I would expect to routinely fly much slower approaches if desired. Short field landing capability will surprise for such a fast cruiser. Solo and light on fuel it will be incredible, though this is an airplane that will naturally have a willing line of passengers waiting, so don’t count on getting much time in it alone!

Next leg was to Narromine, again with a decent tailwind which varied from 6 to 12 knots, and with some of the best visibility I have ever encountered in Australia, it was just magnificent.

By now I was completely at home in the Esqual and able to soak it in whilst watching the landscape march past at a more than respectable rate. Never seem to get sick of seeing the world being carved up swiftly by a leading edge. I think it was an hour and forty minutes total to Narromine.

Barry Hanchard refuelled us and plied us with a fine hot coffee. What a great thing it is to know you can lob into a place with fuel and lashings of hospitality like Narromine. As a CFI and experienced maintenance authority, Barry has a wealth of knowledge for visiting pilots. I also remember Narromine for its curious morning Easterly which Barry advises blows regularly, despite trends, and then fades away.

Departure from Narromine consisted of a zero flap, takeoff, horsing it off the ground asap (at about 40kts indicated) and flying out in ground-effect. I wanted to see how it would handle it. The Esqual not only did this easily, but fairly bolted out of ground-effect, accelerating strongly through what should have been a high drag situation. I was expecting this high attitude, low airspeed liftoff to raise a protest from the machine, but it was a bit of a non-event. She just got on and did it for me.

It would be an understatement to say we were thoroughly spoiled by favourable winds and fantastic weather. I fully never expect to see such beautiful co-operative weather again! The leg to Moree was as routine as the previous, with an air time takeoff to touchdown of one and a half hours. Fuel burn was not more than 18 litres per hour. As we taxied out to leave, a Bundy-bound Sting joined overhead and you could tell they were savouring the conditions as much as we were. Getting airborne we knew we had Bundaberg made before dark even if the wind spun round in our face.

I think it was about sixty miles out I tried the Bundy MBZ frequency and we listened out. It was busy as hell, with aircraft inbound from all directions, and into the middle of it all steamed the majestic Constellation. This was going to be a beaut show in a corner of the country I had never visited before.

By the time we arrived in the circuit, there was a bit of a lull in the traffic and we landed at 1620 hrs, opening the canopy to a warmth Victorians back home would envy, but which the locals probably thought was freezing.

It was exiting the aircraft here that I realised that I was neither tired nor suffering any discomfort whatsoever from being seated a good part of the day. This was a bonus on top of an already brilliant trip.

We had made a long journey in comfort, with speed and economy that no General Aviation type could hope to match without either retractable gear and/or a huge thirsty expensive engine. Very gratifying stuff.

The Airshow was outstanding. A terrific mix of interesting aircraft well supported by exhibitors and the public. It felt like the whole town had gotten behind the show.

I will not describe the return trip other than to say we had breakfast in Bundaberg, departed at 0830 hrs and landed at Coldstream(Melbourne) at 1620 hrs for afternoon tea. ( fuel stops at Moree and Narromine again, six hours twenty minutes air time with about three and a half hours of daylight not used.) In my book that is damned impressive.

My deepest thanks to Bert Flood for allowing me to sample his pride and joy and to Vol Mediterrani for their excellent design.

Look at how far we have come with ultralights. We have arrived at an era where there are ultralights that routinely outperform general aviation types, and do it cheaply! There are some fantastic types on the scene now. From the seriously fun low and slow machines to practical cross country rockets, the choice is yours.

You know, if you told me twenty years ago, when I was flitting about in weight-shift puddle jumpers, that I would some day be making such a journey ( 850nm) in one day in an ultralight, I would have politely backed away and avoided eye contact, because you would have had to be crazy.

But hey, now I know, never say never.

Care to predict what we will be enjoying in another ten years? I promise I will take you seriously.

Laurie Jones