March, 6th

Finally, it is take-off time, although we are still not on our way heading East yet. I am standing at the start-line with the map and the GPS ready. Gisela is prepared and will film my first take-off. The engine runs smoothly, the oil-temperature indicator moved a bit - so I step on the gas pedal and off I go. After about a hundred meters I lift off just slightly but I keep the microlight on the ground for just a little longer. Then I lift it off the ground. First I go straight until I reach about 500 feet, then a left turn and up further. All around the airfield are little strretches with eucalyptus-trees with meadows in between that look more like sand dunes than like like patches of green. You can't make out too many animals from up here. There is a lot of horse-breeding and keeping of racing-horses in this area. They are protected against the heat and the UV-rays with what looks like some sort of coats. Sprinkled in between the meadows and the trees I see little bungalows everywhere. After having reached 1.500 feet I continue West , towards Rockingham. There you can clearly see rows of bungalows from up hard. I proceed to the eastline. Looking North I see the Perth skyline in the distance. Over the water flying is less rough. My last sightseeing-stop for today is the yacht-habour, then I start my return.

A very friendly pilot offers his help in repairing Gisela's wheels-covers. When she had the small accident, they got cracked right at the spot where they are attached to the base. His only remark was: "There are people who have more bad luck than you..." - and then he showed us his airplane. It had taken him a couple of years to build it according to a construction plan he bought. All that is left is a sceleton - the wings are totally squashed.