Testimonial Words penned by a very satisfied customer... For thousands of years mankind has wondered what the world looks like to a bird soaring through the sky as it twists, turns and dives towards the ground in search of prey. Modern aviation has brought this experience within the reach of a limited group of people, mainly fighter pilots who need to roll and dive to evade predators, just as birds have done for millions of years. Paul Duncan of Green Machine Adventure Fights now offers us all this experience and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity, which I grabbed with both hands literally. Paul has had ten years experience flying the CJ6A primary trainer known as a Nanchang and 25 years flying experience in all types of aircraft. It has tandem seats, one behind the other. Both are equipped with a full set of controls and both enjoy an uninterrupted view of the surrounding countryside, courtesy of a sliding perspex canopy which locks down. Green Machine offers made-to-measure flights ranging from a sedate outing affording unmatched views of Canberra and its surrounds, to the Adventure Flight where in you choose how many of six aerobatic manoeuvres you wish to enjoy. I’d hate to spend the rest of my life wondering, so I chose all six. Once airborne, Paul guided us above the Barton Highway to Murrumbateman. I tightened every strap I could around my body, and settled back to enjoy the best view of the ground, sky, ground, sky, ground, sky, I was ever going to experience. After each manoeuvre, Paul double- checks to see if you wish to continue, and all he heard from me each time was “Go Paul! For starters I chose the wing-over we’ve all seen in war movies, and then progressed through a loop-the-loop, a barrel roll, (a loop with an extra twist), an aileron roll, and a stall turn. I saw the world from every angle the birds do, but I know I enjoyed it more than they ever would because they take it so much for granted. Silly them. As we turned for home, I knew the exhilaration I was feeling would last for a long time, and the grandeur of the mountain ranges all around me seemed to reflect the special nature of this experience. It would not have felt out of place to have heard an angelic Rugby Choir singing “What a Wonderful World" at that very moment. As in all things, presentation is paramount, and Paul Duncan garnished the offering with his genial accommodating nature, and his meticulous attention to making sure I had the safe, enjoyable, adrenaline- pumping experience I was seeking. Truly a day to remember forever. The worst mistake anyone could make is to postpone taking one of these flights until they’re too old to climb into the cockpit. I’m into my sixties, and I found it a breeze, so my advice to everyone is, “Don’t think about it,..... do it now. The only drawback is how self conscious you feel for weeks afterwards walking around town with the “Nanchang smile" plastered all over your face. Frank Murphy ACT |
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