The 2024 Australian Air Rally - The FBO

[Bossspecops]

Now I've posted my Leg 09 Flight Report I can do the Leg 10 one...............  

 

Another shortish leg, this time some 117 miles and my FSTramp estimate was 43 mins. I thought I was getting the hang of it by now, so I went with that time as it was, and headed out to Warrnambool around lunchtime.

 

By pure fluke I switched to the Tower View just as I was bringing the gear up and got this really close up pic of my Sealand doing its thing. 

 

 

Heading off south east I could clearly see where the Murray River was just by looking at the vegetation, or the lack of it anyway. That swathe of trees and greenery astern of me showed its location only too clearly.

 

 

Further on there must have been more smaller streams though as there were quite hefty forested areas in view. but the lakes were too small to do any 'splash and goes'.  I'll add some time in on a leg soon so that I can do that. 

 

 

Again there was only one major turning point in my whole flight plan, which gave my rudder pedals something to do I suppose.

 

 

Further south those small streams I mentioned were more obvious, quite a few of them now, but the landscape was mostly sandy sandy brown colouring.

 

 

I was keeping an eye on my timing for this leg quite closely and it looked pretty promising this time for a change, and I was able to think I just might make an on-time landing for once!

 

The forrestation went up a step as I approached Warrnambool, and at one time it was horizon to horizon! Nowhere to land in that lot if I had to!

 

 

On this leg the final stretch was pretty much straight-in to Warrnambool and I did manage to get nicely lined up with the approach, and was still looking good for an on-time landing.

 

 

But as usual I didn't quite make it.  The slower speed of my final approach just brought me over the time limit and I was a minute late, but a lot better than last time! My landing could have been better, waaaaay up the length of the runway, but close to the centre line anyway. As I was now becoming used to, the ramp was right at the far end of the strip, so it took a while to get there.

 

Taxi-ing up to the Flight Ops Office I was greeted by two guys, one in full military uniform toting a hand gun on his hip!  Not quite sure what that was all about, but he didn't give me any hassle, and I shut down 'Austral Rose' for the afternoon and an overnight.

 

 

Tomorrow I'll be off to Melbourne, Australia's largest city, that should see a BIG change in the scenery!

[Rupert]

On 1/24/2024 at 8:02 PM, PhrogPhlyer said:

After an unexpected setback with the tail rotor gearbox replacement, a second night of culinary delights at the RoadKill Roadhouse, followed by sleeping under the stars at Caiguna, Capt. Dirk Doovalaky takes to the air again.  Unfortunately, the weather has turned againt him, and it looks like rain and gusty winds the whole day. 160.4nm and 1+06 to Forrest.

 

Not one of the nicer days to fly. Clouds are thickening everywhere I look.

 

As I get closer the clouds and rain lessen and Forrest comes into view.

 

Touching down and a brief rest before I’m off into the fray again. 297.2 nm and 1+58 to Ceduna.

 

Finally a landmark, the coast. 65 miles over water. Not the Army’s favorite location.

 

Glad that half hour is behind me, LAND HO!

 

Staying 1500ft AGL of less to stay under this thickening deck. Will this rain ever end? Ceduna off the nose.

 

A quick touch and go at Ceduna. The sun peaked out just enough to shine on the wet ramp. 205nm and 1+25 to Port Augusta.

 

And so the day continues, a dark and dreary cloud deck for miles and miles.

 

Trying to spot Port Augusta through the rain. It should be somewhere before this lake.

 

There it is, Port Augusta.

 

Safe on deck, but not for long. From the runway of Port Augusta the skies still look quite threatening. 144.4nm and 1+11 to Parafield.

 

Another long dreary leg towards Parafield. Pretty strong turbulence, blistering rain, visibility varying to nearly non-existent. The cloud deck has been getting thicker and lower. I think a divert to RAAF Base Edinburg is in order.

 

Barely can see RAAF Base Edinburgh with the visibility going well below 2 miles.

 

Safe on deck, collective bottomed out and twist throttle to Idle. These Air Force lads are great, hot fueled the main tank and brought me fresh coffee. I gave them each a BH AAR race patch as a thank you. I think I’ll just sit here and wait for this squall line to pass.

 

A quick hop skip and a jump to Parafield. A little bit of rain, but at least the sky seems to be clearing a bit.

 

A very quick visit and I depart Parafield. 107.3nm and 0+43 to Renmark.

 

A quick hop skip and a jump to Renmark, I hope.

 

The rain has finally stopped. It’s been a long day. The sky is rapidly darkening as I approach Renmark.

 

On the ground at Renmark. Looking for a parking spot, dinner, and some well-earned sleep. I’ll wait ‘til the morning to worry about the rest of the route.

 

Today I flew 914.3nm (plus a few more to divert to Edinburg).

Planned for 6+23 flight time, but with the poor weather I logged 7+10 hours (47 minutes more/slower than planned). Not the best race time, but at least I stayed relatively safe.

 

Plus time = longer than planned, minus time = shorter than planned ( I hope that’s right)?

Forrest (+3)

Ceduna (+12)

Port Augusta (+9)

Parafield (+27)

Renmark (-4)

 

 

 

Great flight shots and descriptions!  And it sure was lucky, maybe lifesaving, when you had a tail rotor issue it was a single main rotor plane rather than the Boeing Vertol products we both have many hours in!!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rupert]

On 1/26/2024 at 8:34 AM, taoftedal said:

 

Is that Rupert in the Baron ... in Newman of all places? ... wait ... is that him in Meekatharra too?  

 

Nope, but thanks for thinking of me!  Sadly RW things like my wife's unexpected illness has made me only an occasional observer of the event! 

 

I loved every one of these rallies that I was a part of, and it sounds like it's going great for you who are still flying, but that ain't me this time. 

 

I'm lucky when I find the time to peruse these pages, enjoy everyone's flights, and occasionally fly a leg in the Baron.  But there's certainly nothing, other than cheering, that I can add to this event.  Maybe next time.

[TomPenDragon]

9 hours ago, Airbasil_1 said:

my comment on Page Nr. 3  explains it all where I have been since. 

 

I'm confused, Basil.  Are you referencing the wrong comment here?  On Page 3, on 18 January you said (as referenced above):

 

Next time I suggest not to open such many threads for one and the same thing… just leave the basic thread open and post in there all the things… 

 

To be honest, with that many threads opened at one time, i've been loosing the overview, and with that, the interest to read all threads.

 

Largely in response to this, 5 hours later I posted:

 

Uhhh guys?  It's been done!  Everything from Stories has been copied over here with its original timestamps, so everything's in sequence and the Stories thread is no more (as far as I can tell).  I was just asking if it was possible, but now it's done and we've got our old "Thread about everything" back.

 

Thank you Adrian K!!!!!

 

All the best,

 

Tom

 

The issue that you cite in your post was resolved within a few hours.  Please clarify.

[TomPenDragon]

16 minutes ago, Rupert said:

Nope, but thanks for thinking of me!  Sadly RW things like my wife's unexpected illness has made me only an occasional observer of the event! 

 

I loved every one of these rallies that I was a part of, and it sounds like it's going great for you who are still flying, but that ain't me this time. 

 

I'm lucky when I find the time to peruse these pages, enjoy everyone's flights, and occasionally fly a leg in the Baron.  But there's certainly nothing, other than cheering, that I can add to this event.  Maybe next time.

 

I'm so sorry to hear this, Michael.  You're one of us now, and we're all with you.  Besides, what's a race without a cheering section?

 

Best wishes for your wife and you!

[Melo965]

40 minutes ago, Rupert said:

Sadly RW things like my wife's unexpected illness has made me only an occasional observer of the event! 

 

Keeping you both in our prayers!

 

[Melo965]

On 1/27/2024 at 5:25 PM, jgf said:

Should have followed me through Alaska, across the Bering Strait, through Siberia, down Sakhalin, Japan, Borneo, Indonesia, then to Australia ....

 

With the slow speed of my Chipmunk, I might have never got here without the Cargomaster assist. 

 

Definitely picking something faster for the next event.

[Melo965]

16 hours ago, taoftedal said:

I for one was starting to wonder ...

 

No worries, slow and steady but I knew I would make it.

[ViperPilot2]

44 minutes ago, Rupert said:

 

Nope, but thanks for thinking of me!  Sadly RW things like my wife's unexpected illness has made me only an occasional observer of the event! 

 

I loved every one of these rallies that I was a part of, and it sounds like it's going great for you who are still flying, but that ain't me this time. 

 

I'm lucky when I find the time to peruse these pages, enjoy everyone's flights, and occasionally fly a leg in the Baron.  But there's certainly nothing, other than cheering, that I can add to this event.  Maybe next time.

We're certainly glad and appreciative of your continued support, and all of us are keeping best wishes in our hearts for your wife's full and speedy recovery. 

[ScottishMike]

“Well sir, tell me how and when you met your passengers.” Inspector Murray was flanked by a uniformed constable.

I explained about the re-creation of the 1976 air rally.

“It was at an informal function held in Sydney by AOPA to celebrate the event. Many of the competitors were present as we were testing and looking at aircraft based in Sydney that might be suitable for the then finalised course.

The Professor, well David Segfield as I now know him, introduced himself as Professor Perth and explained his field of study was native languages. He explained many native poems described actual landmarks so if the landmarks could be associated to a particular language and their position identified it helped define the spread of that particular language. And that he was particularly interested in the native languages of southern Australia therefore our race route was of interest.”

And “Wombat Willie?” still a slight tone of derision in the Inspector's voice.

“Well...” I tried to remember: “His name was not mentioned, the Prof, I mean Segfield said he had an assistant who was essential to the project. I explained they were welcome to come along, but due to the nature of the rally I would not be able to deviate from my planned route. Segfield assured me it would still be valuable for his research even if only one or two landmarks were identified.”

“So you didn't meet “Wombat” at the function?”

“No.” I replied “I told the Prof, I mean Segfield, they would have to make their own way to Perth if they wanted to join me. I first met Wombat Willie in Perth on the start day of the race.”

“I don't suppose you have an address for Willie Wombat? Or a 'phone number?”

 

“How long is this going to take? I've filed a flight plan for today and no, I don't have an address.”

 

“We would appreciate you staying here in Ceduna till we get the results of the Post Mortem on David Segfield. We would also like your permission to dust the inside of the Mooney for fingerprints. We need to identify the missing Wombat Willie, if he has a record the computer will match his prints. Oh! On that subject; we will need your fingerprints for elimination purposes.

We are expecting the results of the Post Mortem this evening or at the latest tomorrow. You might want to call the Foreshore and book another couple of nights.” the Inspector smiled at me coldly.

 

“What happened to David Segfield. How did he die?” I was perplexed by the whole incident. What were the two of them up to? What had they seen from the air?

“I would rather not comment till we have the post mortem results.” The Inspector replied dryly.

The interview appeared over. “You are free to go, Sir. But please stay in town.”

I stood up to leave.

“Just one more thing: Could you outline your movements yesterday after your passengers left the aircraft?”

I explained my movements as the Constable took notes.

“So around three to seven P.M. yesterday you went for a walk along the shore. Can anyone vouch for that? Did you talk to anyone?”

“Well no.” I had to reply. “not till I checked back into the Foreshore Hotel.”

“I see.” was the detective's curt comment.

I wondered what time the prof met his end.

“That will be all for now. Thank you for your cooperation. Constable Jefferson will take your fingerprints on the way out then drive you up to the airport. The forensic team are waiting to dust the cabin of your plane.”

The detective left and I followed the Constable.

The Mooney sat motionless on the tarmac, the three men, I assumed men, difficult to tell covered as they were in white overalls, were waiting for me to unlock. The scene had an unreal almost surreal air to it:

[MAD1]

Those using Real World Weather are advised to not rush north of Sydney for a few days, maybe a week. The remains of Tropical Cyclone Kirilly, which went westward to western QLD, via a trough a lot of that moisture is streaming south-eastward over the Brisbane area. On the ground in the Northern Rivers of NSW and SE QLD, it's overcast, rainy, in last few days and will continue for a few days.

[MAD1]

The Chachapoya Chronicle. Weather and climate news. Tuesday 30 January 2024. By your Aussie Correspondent.

 

A famous poem by Dorothea Mackeller, learnt by most school kids, goes '... I love a sunburnt country ... of droughts and flooding rains ...'. Overseas visitors to the continent who are participating in the Great Australian Air Race re-enactment, can if they wish get a taste of the weather and climate extremes. In the last week or more, there's been a tropical cyclone, bushfires in coastal central NSW, a heat wave (max 49C (120F) at one locality, but that place gets low 40s anyway, last year was the hottest on record for the continent), and flooding. And of course in those parts with heat and rain, now the mosquitoes are very bad. All this adds a little spice to the visiting flyers' experience (we couldn't let them go home thinking the place was bland!).

 

There are a few modern songs that epitomise this environment. Your reporter likes GANGgajang's 1985 hit "Sounds of Then (This Is Australia)" which includes the chorus "Out on the patio we'd sit, and the humidity we'd breathe, we'd watch the lightning crack over canefields, laugh and think, this is Australia."

[ViperPilot2]

ScottishMike Sounds to me like the last stop the "Pacific Clipper" made before landing in NYC at the end of their RTW Flight. Two mysterious 'bug sprayers' who were supposed to 'defumigate' the airplane instead pilfered through the Safe, taking both money and Documents. It's alleged they were Spies looking for 'sensitive' Information about where the Pacific Clipper flew.

 

I'd contact AFP forthwith and verify the veracity of the DI's 'story'...

[PhrogPhlyer]

3 hours ago, Rupert said:

Sadly RW things like my wife's unexpected illness

My thoughts and prayers for your wife's speedy return to health.

 

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

4 minutes ago, ViperPilot2 said:

Two mysterious 'bug sprayers' who were supposed to 'defumigate' the airplane instead pilfered through the Safe, taking both money and Documents. It's alleged they were Spies looking for 'sensitive' Information about where the Pacific Clipper flew.

Have a reference? This is first I've heard this.

Also in Capt. Ford's own words:

"We had money enough for a trip to Auckland and back to San Francisco, but this was a different story. In Gladstone a young man who was a banker came up to me and out of the blue said, 'How are you fixed for money?' 'Well, we're broke!' I said. He said, 'I'll probably be shot for this,' but he went down to his bank on a Saturday morning, opened the vault and handed me five hundred American dollars. Since Rod Brown, our navigator, was the only one with a lock box and a key we put him in charge of the money. That $500 financed the rest of the trip all the way to New York."

 

Another fun Aussie connection to their story:

They approached the harbor at Darwin late in the afternoon. The northernmost city in Australia, Darwin was closest to the conflict that was spreading southward like a brushfire. A rough frontier town in the most remote and primitive of the Australian territories, it was like something out of a wild west movie. After they had landed, the Pacific Clipper crew was offered a place to shower and change; much to their amusement their "locker room" turned out to be an Australian Army brothel.

[ViperPilot2]

 

https://www.panam.org/pan-am-inspirations/634-saga-of-the-pacific-clipper

 

"After being airborne over twenty hours, they landed in the harbor at Natal just before noon. While they were waiting for the necessary immigration formalities to be completed, the Brazilian authorities insisted that the crew disembark while the interior of the airplane was sprayed for yellow fever. Two men in rubber suits and masks boarded and fumigated the airplane.

Late that same afternoon they took off for Trinidad, following the Brazilian coast as it curved around to the northwest. It wasn't until after they had departed that the crew made an unpleasant discovery. Most of their personal papers and money were missing, along with a military chart that had been entrusted to Navigator Rod Brown by the US military attache in Leopoldville, obviously stolen by the Brazilian "fumigators".

[jgf]

3 hours ago, Melo965 said:

With the slow speed of my Chipmunk, I might have never got here

 

Looks like a nice flying plane, especially for sightseeing.  In the last event my old Bonanza was doing good to maintain 130kt once we got in the mountains, but it was still fun ...and that's why we're here.

[Rupert]

1 hour ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

My thoughts and prayers for your wife's speedy return to health.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who has responded with such caring sentiments!!!  I didn't mean to say anything but explain why I'm not flying much.  Molly has an excellent prognosis and we're lucking forward to her 80th birthday party next month.

 

Michael

[PhrogPhlyer]

3 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

 

https://www.panam.org/pan-am-inspirations/634-saga-of-the-pacific-clipper

 

I've read this numerous times, and I just plain forgot I about this, thx!

It "can't" be a function of age.

[TomPenDragon]

The Daily Update

(Cue “She Sells Sanctuary”)

 

CU: “Hi, I’m Claus Ullrich, for Eli Pacheco and Radio Chachapoya. Here’s our Daily Update for January 29th, 2024. Eli Pacheco’s taking a down day today after a marathon of races that started, here in Australia, at 7:00 P.M. Saturday evening with the Dubai 24.

 

“I didn’t care for auto racing at all until last year. But a friend from work told me about this car from Antigua and Barbuda that was racing in this series and was not doing so bad. My family’s from Barbuda. So, I accepted his invitation to watch not one day of racing but two, since that weekend’s race was a, ‘split 12,’ with six hours run on Saturday and six on Sunday. I guess that I was hooked from the time I saw the Antiguan flag on the roof of their Audi. I was thrilled when the Number 21 finished Saturday atop the grid. When they won on Sunday, I cried like I hadn’t done in years – even when the podium ceremony was delayed while they found a recording of the Antiguan National Anthem to play as our flag was raised.

 

“I haven’t missed a Creventic race since. We came in eighth overall and third in the Am subclass of GT3 this past weekend. Mugello, which we won last year, is coming up in March. I’m already looking for a reason why a project manager for Piper Performance needs to be in Italy around those dates.

 

“Eli, while he watches the Creventic and most other sportscar endurance series, is an IMSA man. His race, the Daytona 24, started at five in the morning on Sunday. Still, he came to my hotel room on Saturday afternoon with his laptop, an HDMI cable, and more food than we’ll be able to finish before the Gaggle does. He watched the Dubai with me all night, and when the Daytona started, he left his machine with the Dubai race and watched the Daytona on my computer, since mine doesn’t have an HDMI port. Eli’s a gentleman; he wouldn’t sit on the bed with me, but insisted on sitting in a chair all the time.

 

“I tried watching the Daytona 24 with him; I really did. But I was asleep by 8:00 Sunday evening, and didn’t wake up until just before sunrise the next day – just in time to watch an epic battle for the lead which ended with the Porsche finishing ahead of the Cadillac by two seconds. Eli was still in the chair, still awake. He went back to his room for a shower, and then we watched the AFC and NFC Championship games.

 

“He was starting to nod off before the end of the Lions-49ers game, and when he finally left, he left the Saratoga’s keys on the table and asked me to do the Daily Update today.

 

“And here we are. Let’s run down the Leaderboard:

 

 

“defaid is now in front, with a CV of 2 and 7 legs completed.

 

“ViperPilot2 has recorded reaching Ceduna with a -3, which drops him into second place with a -2 after 5 legs.

 

“ScottishMike is also in Ceduna with a CV of 2. Let’s hope that his legal woes won’t keep him from the course for very long.

 

“JSMR’s CV of -2 and his 2 completed legs places him in fourth place.

 

“The Bosss, meanwhile, has completed 10 legs and has a CV of -5. He’s in fifth.

 

“MAD1’s sent us a weather warning – heavy rains and the aftereffects of Cyclone Kirrily are affecting the Eastern route. He’s in Katanning, with a CV of -8, in sixth place.

 

“Dirk Doovalacky rounds out the field for the PhrogPhlyers in seventh, with a CV of 44 after 8 legs. I sense a recovery run is coming.

 

“And a little bird told me that Melo965 is getting his Chippie ready for his first timed run.

 

“Well, that does it for our Daily Update. I’m Claus Ullrich, for Elias Pacheco and Radio Chachapoya, signing off until tomorrow. Good day and good flying, everyone.”

[ScottishMike]

TUESDAY 30^th. January. 9:30 AM

 

“Hello Sir. ScottishMike is it not?”

I nodded.

The Constable had picked me up at the Hotel, said I was free to leave. But first I had to go to the station to sign my statement and leave a note of my itinerary here in Australia and when I planned to leave the country if before the expiry of my visa. “Just for the record.”

We sat in the interview room, the door left open this time. The Inspector gave me a copy of the statement, the original went into a folder open on the desk.

“You know my itinerary; I'll be following the course of the rally. The exact timing more difficult to predict, things can get in the way of plans. I attempted a smile while gesticulating round the room.”

I noticed some photos half hidden under my statement. It pricked my curiosity more than the desire to get the hell out of the place and back in the air.

“Do you know what my two passengers were up to?”

“We have a pretty good idea.” Was the Inspector's non committal reply.

“Your “Willie Wombat” is well know to the New South Wales Police. He goes under several aliases, his birth records record him as Giorgio Bianchi, born in Sydney.

“Have you picked him up?”

“No Sir, not yet. Should he contact you, or you see him, contact me immediately.” Inspector Murray handed me a card with his contact details.

Sun was shining in through the open door, another nice day to fly, yet the curiosity that killed the cat scratched my mouth: “Is that a photograph of the scene?” I pointed at the manilla folder on the desk.

“It is.”

“Do you mind if I have a look?” I should have gone, vamoosed to the airport, gunning the throttle, lifting into that blue sky, ciao baby. But no, here I was, sticking my whingeing Pom of a beak into the mire.

“And why would you want to see that Sir?”

“Well, all the time they were passengers they were looking for something and I still don't know what. Maybe the photo will tell me. Inspector.”

“I guess it won't do any harm. You already know the location. You do know it was on the Yalata Aboriginal Reserve?”

It was an aerial photo taken from maybe 30 or 40 ft. up. The body of the Prof on it's back, staring blankly up at what was a helicopter or drone. The body against the side of a freshly dug hole about six feet deep and ten in diameter. The hole itself in the centre of a triangle delineated by four stone cairns, the largest at the apex of the triangle the other three along the base, one at each corner and the fourth between them. The triangle reminded me of something, but what exactly?

“Satisfied ?”

“Yes thank you. Oh, one more thing. Did you get the result...”

The Inspector interrupted: “The post mortem. Yes, most likely accidental death.

I think we are finished here. Constable Jefferson will drive you up to the airport. Goodbye.”

“Thank you Inspector. I am sorry you were not warned but Ceduna is an official stop on the rally, there will be more aircraft and their passengers dropping in in the next few days.”

“I hope they choose their travelling companions with more care than you. Scottish Mike.”.

 

[Melo965]

Jandakot (YPJT) to Kitanning (YKNG)

 

Engine started at Jandakot.  Officially starting the Race!

 

I plan on a cruise speed of 110 kts at 4,000 ft.  Skyvector predicts 1 hour and 17 minutes for the 133.2 mile flight.  My Active Sky flightplan predicts 1 hour and 27 minutes for the flight.

 

Since the weather report shows some direct headwinds, decided to split the difference and predict 1 hour and 22 minutes flight time.

 

The Adventure begins!    Ready for takeoff.

 

Leaving the airport and Perth behind.

 

Headed inland away from that beautiful blue ocean.

 

Rivers and forests below.

 

One quarter of the way there.  Clear skies with more forests below.

 

Cool shot of the moon on the horizon.

 

Two thirds of the way there.  Some clouds ahead, but hopefully not at my altitude.

 

Clouds looking more ominous now.

 

Nice camera view.  Does not look so bad from this angle.

 

I was flying along on autopilot at altitude and decreased the throttle a smidge, and the Chippie decided it wanted to stall out.

 

See the red arrow where the stall started.

 

Maybe the steady headwind suddenly dropped a lot or there was a problem with the fuel flow to the engine.  I disengaged the autopilot, increased the throttle, and got control again.  Flying by hand the rest of the way.  I will see if there is a mechanic at Kitanning who can give my engine and fuel lines a once over.

 

Over the town of Kitanning.  This is when Skyvector predicted I should land.

 

Landed a bit long.  One minute early.  Cool to see the moon again.

 

Parked at Kitanning.  Found a mechanic who will give the Chipmunk a once over.  He said the aircraft should be ready by tomorrow morning.  

 

It is 10 km or about 6 miles to town.  A bit far for a stroll.  One of the Cessna Caravan passengers kindly offered me a lift into town.

 

Stopped at the Liberty Roadhouse at the Cafe on Cornwall for a delicious dinner.  I treated my driver to dinner as a thank you for the ride.  We agreed to meet here in the morning at 8 AM for breakfast then the drive back to the airport.

 

Then it was a short walk across town to the Yellow Gum Bed and Breakfast to stay the night.

 

I had a cool drink out on the patio to celebrate a successful first leg of the race.

 

In hindsight, I was really glad to have added the waypoint KNGEH to the flight plan.  It helped immensely as I was approaching YKNG.

 

The airport and dirt runway really blended into the FSX background terrain.  Without KNGEH, I might have missed the airport entirely!

[TomPenDragon]

The Daily Update

(Cue “She Sells Sanctuary”)

 

EP: “Hello and welcome to the Daily Update for the 30th of January, 2024. I am a well-rested Elias Pacheco, for Claudine Ullrich and the rest of the Radio Chachapoya crew. Let’s go right to the Leaderboard, shall we?

 

 

“We have exciting news: Not only has Melo965 started the race; he’s currently in the lead with a CV of -1, in Katanning. Keep it up, Melo!

 

“Hot on his heels are the 2’s. defaid is in second in Adelaide; ViperPilot2 and ScottishMike share third/fourth place in Ceduna, and JSMR is in fifth in Norseman.

 

“The Bosss is in Warnambool, in sixth place with his -5 CV.

 

“MAD1 is in Katanning with Melo, in seventh place with his -8 CV.

 

“And the PhrogPhlyers complete our field, in eighth with their +44 CV. We’ve finally caught up with the PhrogPhlyers’ Captain Dirk Doovalacky of the Australian Army, call sign ‘Double D’, here in Renmark. Captain Doovalacky, how are you today?”

 

DD: "Just right as rain, how can I help you?"

 

EP: “In the interest of full disclosure, I have a closer connection to Team PhrogPhlyers than I have to the other teams – PhrogPhlyer was my first flight instructor. How did you come to pilot for him? How is it to fly for him?

 

DD: "Well, back in the '80s the US Marines were participating in a joint exercise, they flying from a ship and we flying out of Pearce. At the end of the exercise the Officer's Club hosted the US pilots to a debrief, that lasted 3 days and many many kegs of Fosters. Needless to say, we became as close as brothers then. Later in the late '90s I had an opportunity to be an exchange officer to the US, and fate ensured I found myself in PhrogPhlyer's squadron, further cementing our brotherhood. SO when he reached out and suggested I work with him for the AAR, it was with a resounding ‘aye’ that I joined his race team."

 

EP: “You are flying the venerable Bell 206 – the military Sea Ranger variant. You flew here from Caiguna – that was seven hours in the right seat. How’s the 206 to fly, especially for a marathon stint like the one that brought you here?”

 

DD: "Well she was a real pain in the arse, comfort wise. But the JetRanger is a sweetheart to fly. She kicked and screamed at me a few times, but never once flinched on the way."

 

EP: “You had a tail rotor gearbox failure that stranded you at Caiguna for a number of days. Fortunately, you were able to catch it before taking off. How concerned were you about this helicopter’s reliability on your run from YCAG to YREN?”

 

DD: "If I didn't have confidence in a helicopter going the distance, I'd never have started the race. And in the off chance of an engine failure, I'd rather be in a helicopter than a plane, I can land at 0 knots in trees if need be, let's see my stiff-wing friends try that one."

 

EP: “If flying a 206 for seven hours wasn’t hard enough, you ran into weather that forced a diversion from Parafield and that’s left you a total of 44 minutes behind plan. Now, from here you have nine legs to make that up. How are you planning on doing it?”

 

DD: "Well, the sneaky side of me says to plan for 90 knots and fly at 130! But, that wouldn't be proper of an Military Officer now would it? So accuracy in following the course, play the tail winds correctly, and let the cards fall where they may."

 

EP: “Well, I wish you success with that. Hopefully, you left all of the gremlins behind in Caiguna – maybe they ate at the Road Kill and are currently in the hospital. Thank you very much, Double D! Safe flying, mate.

 

“We have one last unfortunate item to cover: Doubtless you are aware of the dicey situation that ScottishMike has found himself in in Ceduna. You should know by now that one of his passengers, who we knew as Professor Platypus Perth, has been found dead. Though never formally charged, Mike had been asked to not leave Ceduna until David Segfield’s – Prof. Perth’s – cause of death could be determined and Mike’s involvement could be ruled out. This happened earlier today; ScottishMike is free to proceed along the course as soon as he’s ready to leave.

 

“The Professor’s partner, Wombat Willie – real name Giorgio Bianchi – is still at large. He is well known to the New South Wales police. He might try to persuade another naive pilot to fly him around the Yalata Reserve, or perhaps out of the country. He may be armed. Fliers are advised to be on the lookout for him. Do not approach him, but instead contact the police immediately should you spot him or notice anything suspicious.

 

“And on this rather somber note, we conclude today’s Update. I’m Elias Pacheco, for Claus Ullrich and Radio Chachapoya, signing off. Keep calm, and be vigilant.”

[ScottishMike]

TUESDAY 30^th. Jan 2024 13:00

It looked good and felt even better, there she stood ready to go. Get out of this place. The FBO guys had requested the keys in case they had to move her. And they had, turning her ready for departure, as if they were in a hurry to get rid of me. She was also fuelled to 85% , all I had to do was sign the credit card receipt.

The inside smelt odd from the white fingerprint powder. Never mind, I would give her a good clean when I reached Parafield.

Weather report:

I dug out my notes from yesterday:

YCDU Ceduna to YPAG Port Augusta 205 nm. @ 140Kts = 1 Hr. 28 mins. + 4 mins Climb = 1Hr. 32 mins Heading 92 Degrees.

YPAG Port Augusta to YPPF Parafield 145 nm. @ 140Kts = 1 Hr. 2 mins + 4 mins descent and land = 1 Hr. 6 mins Heading 165 Degrees.

Fuel 85% for both legs.

Ok, wind 158@15 kts, best rwy would be 170 but it's earth. I chose rwy 110 almost as good and less chance of damage from debris. Take off 13:05 (GMT 05:05):

 

Good riddance Ceduna. That was not really fair, it was actually quite a nice place for a gentle and beautiful holiday. It was my experience I wanted to leave behind.

The wind was strong requiring constant correction to stay on course:

Apart from the wind the journey was relaxingly boring. At 8000' 142 Kts. Aircraft pointing 112 degrees, real heading 100 degrees:

 

Sooner than expected Spencer Gulf came into view, with Port Augusta at it's head:

 

My heading had been good; Port Augusta dead ahead:

 

Above Port Augusta, time 15:18 local time (GMT 06:18) 1hr. 18 mins, a full 19 minutes less than planned. Must have been in a hurry to put as much distance as soon as possible between me and Inspector Murray with the wind also contributing.

Changing heading to 165 degrees and easing off speed.

Skirting round Edinburgh air base (had I slipped into a dimensional warp and was back home?)

Parafield ATC cleared me to Rwy 21R:

 

Almost down:

 

Down 16:37 (GMT 07:37) time 1 Hr. 19 mins target 1Hr. 6 mins. 13 mins. over.

 

Parked up and relaxing with a sponge and bucket I scrounged from Bruce Hartwig's flying school.

[JSMR]

YKNG - YNSM flight. Forgot to post em. 
Taxing out through all that grass. Gotta cut some as its a little frame heavy. Looks good though..

 

Blasting off. Climbing to 10,000ft. Get that TAS up to 170 or so. 


 Oooh she's a sweet bird. 


Got a tailwind. Cruising along at a tidy pace. 


Descent time. 

 

Noresman in sight. 

Little fast. Little high. Little off course. No flaps. Another normal approach!

Got her under control. And more fun with ADE.

 

 

Arrived. 4 mins ahead of schedule.