Not long after we left Wattle Downs the drier Brigalow country gave way to the patchwork quilt of the Darling Downs.
It was on this leg that we started to run into the bad weather that had been active along the coast while we had been having good weather out west.
Toowoomba Airport was fine but very cold and strong gusts into the 20 knot plus range.
When we left Toowoomba passing showers were adding to the weather difficulties.
The main reason for going to Toowoomba was to see the warbirds collection of the late Guido Zuccoli. We weren't disappointed. The collection is first rate.
Next stop - Oakey the home of Army Aviation. When we arrived there were helicopters everywhere.
A couple of Blackhawks doing sling load training, several Kiowas doing autos and the Singaporeans in their Super Pumas doing circuits.
The Hawker Hunter is privately owned but is stuck there because of fuel supply problems. No provision for buying fuel off the army (as Murray found out!)
The Fly Past Museum of Army Aviation has an interesting collection of aircraft and memorabilia and we were treated to a BBQ lunch by the curator and his band of volunteers.
The army has a level 5 (ie: So realistic they can take a person from zero time to licenced without actually flying a real helicopter) simulator. Not yet finished. Now about 3 years and 20 million dollars over budget.
Major Choice gave us a very detailed briefing of the capabilities and planned uses for the simulator. Here we are in the main control room where the scenarios are punched in and run. To the right of the picture is a glass window which looks out over the simulator.
The simulator looks, from the outside like most simulators. A big box on a bunch of hydalic controlled legs.
Inside there are two areas. The main cockpit and a small control console which can also be used to run the scenarios.
The main cockpit looks like a real blackhawk flight deck, as you would expect! Three colour projectors throw the outside view onto the screens so the pilots see the "outside world" through the windows.
