Page 20 - AA 2018_09

A RACER’S EDGE The game never stops
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MATT HALL
Disengaging GA, re-engaging race mode

here did our mid-season find a new pilot to be full-time for us And finally, our beautiful Mustang
break go? As I write this, our reasonably efficiently. Enter Emma is flying again after two years being
eight-week break in the Red McDonald, who came on full-time overhauled. I have not had the
WBull Air Race calendar is just as of July 9, and has been working opportunity to fly her since returning
about over and it’s time to head back and training hard ever since. Emma to the air, though those that have
to Europe for the second half of the is from a flying family and is already report she is flying well. I am looking
season. I have mixed emotions, that’s checked out on our Twin Comanche. forward to being back in her later in
for sure! No doubt she will be flying our September when she visits our area.
During the break I was able to re- Extra 300L in no time at all. Then it’s off to Warbirds Downunder
engage with my business back home Like pilots all around the country, in Temora this October.
and re-engage with flying for pleasure. that time of year rolls around where But it isn’t just our aircraft that
I was also able to get some family time our equipment needs a little more love have captured my attention during
including a short holiday during the than usual, and so we put the Twin the race break. Our airfield at Lake
school holidays. Comanche into its first annual with Macquarie is going gangbusters with
It is these periods of time that mix
‘It has been my emotions. It was fantastic to be our full-time technician (both at home a DA approved for five new hangars
and with the race team), Dave Finch.
and a two-storey restaurant and cafe.
a year of clear-minded, sleep in my own bed, It was good to see the condition of the Construction should start in the next
aircraft in detail, and Dave was pretty
month or so, aiming for completion
get up each morning to do my own
changes stuff, and fly my own aircraft when happy with it. So, it will become busier towards the end of 2019.
in the not too distant future and it will
I wanted and not according to a
Big steps for a great site, right on
again.’ schedule! be primarily Emma at the controls. the water – we can’t wait to host pilots
Of our other aircraft, the Extra
who might fly in for a bite to eat or a
So, it is appropriate to write to you
a quick update on what is going on is going strong and I have enjoyed night at our beautiful location.
behind the scenes back home. doing a number of joyflights and This brings me to another point.
It has been a year of changes again, media flights in it. It’s always fun and Usually towards the end of the year
with new personnel and aircraft still relaxing – in comparison to my ‘other’ we host a fly-in. Unfortunately, this
occurring. Earlier in the year, we had aircraft – to fly. year it is on ice while the airfield
the resignation of two of our employees Our old race plane, the MXS is undergoes some development and
on the home front due to personal also in a good place at the moment. we work out our operations over the
reasons of moving interstate and It is quite impressive how strong the coming months with the construction
workload at university. Once again, engine is in that aircraft, especially going on. We’ll nominate a new date,
we found ourselves in a little bit of a when flying it without all the race and perhaps do it as something to
management hole, though were able to equipment in it. Moreover, it’s exciting celebrate the beginning of a new race
quickly put some solutions in place. to fly an aircraft that accelerates at 60 season in 2019.
One of our contracted joyflight degrees, nose high! BUT, all the above aside…. racing
pilots, Scott Bretland, offered to start I realised that I had not flown the is what we are here to do. There are
doing some more work for us, so we MXS for fun for a long time, as it was so many exciting things about racing
gave him the job of finding some always on the road racing and we aircraft!
replacements for our support staff always had a purpose for it when we There is the teamwork, which is
back home. As it turns out, he has now were racing. going very well for us at the moment,
taken on the position as a part-time That is now changing, and I really there is the development too. I think
general manager, with the plan to be enjoy flying that aircraft for no other all pilots like looking at the numbers
Pilot Emma McDonald has full-time by the end of the year. purpose than just going for a fly, it’s and figuring out how they can do it
joined the Matt Hall Racing With the addition of Scott, the ball back to basics, why I love aviation… better. Some want to save time, fuel,
Team. matt hall racing has started rolling and he was able to although that didn’t stop a few people money etc. Others might look at better
from Red Bull Air Race messaging to performance in aerobatics. Essentially
ask if I was using the MXS to do some that is what racing is – finding better
training. ways to do things, how to save in
Sorry folks, it’s just fun. one area to make a step forward in
Our Super Cub, which has been in another. The game never stops.
major teardown for some time, is back As a team, we had some good
on the mend again. Dave is slowly but meetings during this break to come up
surely bringing that one up to near with some strategies for the rest of this
new condition, and we are all (family, year. But that wasn’t our only focus,
team and friends) looking forward to as we also spent time working on our
a summer of flying up and down the future as a race team.
beach with the door open. Nothing We’ve had some great results this
beats it. Well, not quite nothing. year, fingers crossed for a few more to
Maybe it could do with some floats on come.
it too? Smoke on…

20 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION