Introduce yourself

Fantastic initiative David, thanks for blowing off the cobwebs, getting the ball rolling and creative juices flowing! Not only for yourself, but for all the 100ASA2024 Crew too!

James Moline, I thought I had introduced myself previously, however not here.

So, Friendly most of the time, but don't ask my ex wife. 🤣 Obtained PPL in '64, flew for fun and occasional country trips. Architect, F in law said...not taking my daughter flying, so the end for about 25 years. 2 kids, 4 adult gr kids. Eventually purchased SeaRey amphibian in 2003. Best thing I ever did, made me poor but happy. Around Oz in bucket list. Bought my first motorcycle for my 78 birthday because you are only young once 🤣🤣 Was treasurer of SPAA for some years so met a lot of seaplanes. Buy me a drink or three and I can tell you lots more lies. James 0418235879 jmoline@moline.Com.Au.

See you all soon.

Hello everyone

I am Ian Bishop and intend joining the around Oz clockwise trip, unfortunately my SeaMax will not be working so I will be in my Savannah - yes - only a land plane.

I know, not at all the same, but beggers can't be choosers. I live in the Whitsundays and have met some of you. I have been flying for many years but most of these years only sufficient to keep my licence. i learnt to fly in texas, then got my UK licence and about 25 years ago my Oz licence. I did a trip around the Northern half of Oz aout 15 years ago in a Jabiru J430 I built and am keen to do the full trip. I operate from my little (and dodgy) runway at home.

I will be leaving home at the end of March to meet up wth everyone on the 6th.

Looking forward to meeting you all and although I am very IT illiterate, hopefully in the Zoom meeting tomorrow morning.

Hi!

• Hi! I'm Cathy Babis and I will be flying with, David Geers

• I am from an aviation family. My dad had an avionics business at KLUK in Cincinnati, Ohio. From my earliest memories I wanted to be a pilot and a ballerina...Hey, Barbie can have a lot of careers! I soloed in 1970 & earned PPL in 1971

• I joined Civil Air Patrol as a teen and dragged 4 of my 5 brothers in with me, earning scholarships for solo & PPL.

• I served in the US Army for 6 years during the final years of the Vietnam era as an air traffic control tower operator, earning commercial, flight & ground instructor, single & multi engine ratings at age 20 on my off-duty time.

• After the Army, I began flight instructing, ultimately serving as a Chief CFI at 2 FAA approved schools.

• I worked for a couple of popular FAA written exam test prep schools and also taught a few aviation classes at university level.

• I spent 20 years working for the US Department of Defense making instrument flying charts for military pilots to use to fly to worldwide destinations.

• Since retiring , I have taught Aviation/STEM youth summer camps, traveled, volunteered at Wings of Hope NGO, and reached 100 scuba dives.

• The most fun aviation thing I have done is earn my commercial seaplane rating in Spetember of 2020! The first time we landed in the water, I let out a "whoop" likely heard miles away. I also followed Michael Smith's around the world journey and imagined that I could do something like that, even in a land-only airplane.

• I hope that by flying with David and possibly becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the perimeter of Australia (we don't know for certain at this time whether it's ever been done), I might inspire women, both the young starting careers and the mature to dust off their dreams, to join the fellowship of aviation.

Hi. I'm Andrew Cooper and look forward to joining this odyssey in my (new to me) Searey. I watched video of the last Searey Adventure trip around Australia and also Michael Smith's circumnavigation of the world with great envy. I probably won't emulate that feat just yet, but am keen to make up for years of not spending enough time in the sky.

I look forward to making many new friends along the way.

Hi to get the ball rolling I'm David Geers and I'm planning on flying this adventure with my new friend Cathy Babis from the USA, who I'm sure will post a message shortly updating us on her interesting career.

As some of you will know a group of us did this flight back in 2014 with five seaplanes.

With 2024 being the 100th year anniversary of the first circumnavigation of Australia by a seaplane, that was the only excuse I needed to blow the cobwebs of x-ray whiskey whiskey, and start organising this adventure.

Michael Smith is also planning on recreating as close as possible to the original trip, you may know Michael as he is famous for the first seaplane to fly around the world solo, and a great bloke.

Although I have been doing a lot of thinking about this trip and plan is still reasonably raw and open to suggestions. So far what is set in concrete is that we will be leaving from Point Cook on the anniversary date of 6 April 2024. My plan is to fly clockwise and Michael's will be anticlockwise following the original track back hundred years ago.

So far there are 6 other seaplane operators that are keen to join this adventure. Some will be keen to travel with Michael as he is planning on keeping to the original flight of 44 days. And some might consider coming with us as I plan to take approximately 60 days and flying in the other direction. We will obviously meet up somewhere along the way, more than likely in Western Australia.

If you would like to join us or can help out please contact me or leave a message here, I look forward to our flight paths crossing. Cheers David