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Old 08-28-2018, 06:20 AM   #238
woofa.express
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tocumwal, NSW, Australia
Posts: 1,744
Default Re: tell a Model A related story

Approval to Carry a Spreader.

Australian aviation law requires an aeroplane to be able to jettison or dump a load within 5 seconds. Liquid loads present no problems however solids such as fertilizer or seed simply just can’t comply. They just don’t flow fast enough. Rice is the slowest to flow infact the normal sowing rate is almost the full dump position. Simply nothing can meet this impossible requirement. And aviation always insisted on viewing a dump demonstration. So how did we manage this. By cheating of course.
The first time I was required to demonstrate a new type of aeroplane was off a secondary airport at Melbourne. It took some 3 attempts to prove that it could be done. It was frustrating. On the third attempt, with aviation watching, on the count of five I slammed the dump door closed and when I landed and out of sight I dumped the rest on the ground. I also lied. In hand loading I would count each 50kg we tipped in like this. 1 2 4 6 etc. They would look with alerted curiosity but shortly their attention would wain and the irregular counting would continue.
The second time I was required to demonstrate on a new type was at Finley. The smarty aviation blokes insisted they wanted the demonstration with wet rice, just like we sowed each spring. I lied again. “you are too late in the year for this. Rice has been harvested and exported.” There was maybe 100,000 tons in sheds only half a mile away but they weren’t to know. “But, I continued, I have urea and we do spread alot of that”. They agreed that would suffice. In those days it was prilled like glass and flowed like quick silver, well nearly anyway. We loaded the plane. I explained that this load presented a great cost to me. My neighbour who was a dairy farmer said I could do as many trials on his pasture as was required. So I sent them, aviation, down the road, about 7 miles away. I took off and spread two thirds of the load enroute to the testing ground.
I had passed the test in 4.9 seconds. I was pleased with myself and they appeared happy. I bought them a counter lunch and they departed back to their ivory tower in Sydney with the numbers I needed.
Footnote.
1. I believe every dump test they ever witnessed had to be a set up.
2. My dad always taught us kids to tell the truth. However when dealing with the government just tell them anything, he said. I once told a customs officer who pinched me for the non declaration of a video camera that I had no conscience about lying to the government, as I explained, they lied to me every day.
The shot shows a spreader underslung beneath the belly. The aeroplane is an Airtractor and being loaded with shot rice to sow into bays of shallow water.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 1997 GARY ATS .jpg (76.7 KB, 10 views)
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Last edited by woofa.express; 08-28-2018 at 06:26 AM.
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