The 2024 Australian Air Rally - The FBO

[TomPenDragon]

3 hours ago, MAD1 said:

Wow TPD, now that is a route and a stamina based jaunt. Good luck. (Love the Canberra phase.)

Thanks - it's been a Helluva trip.  Canberra phase?  I'm not flying one this time, though I have one in the hangar.  Eli and Claus visited Canberra in a biplane during the Gaggle, but that was a couple of weeks ago.  If my screenshots came out, I'll post a PIREP on that in a few days.

[ScottishMike]

Our heads had cleared and it felt our bodies had re-attached. The party had passed, we felt just about human again and fit to fly. Time for our private exploration of this northern east coast of OZ.

We took the pearl back down to Rockhampton and set out for Lady Elliot Island, just about the southern most point of the Great Barrier Reef. Planning to explore northwards up the coast.

It was not easy to find; it turned out it was one of those airfields that only show up on the GPS when you go down to 10 nm. resolution. We used good old fashioned co-ordinates to locate the Island.

 

Once found the approach was straight forward:

 

The rwy is just shy of 2000' so only possible because of little fuel, no load and just the two of us on board. Of course we could have landed on the sea, but the island is surrounded by a coral reef so access to the island from the sea is perilous.

 

We landed and despite the sign the welcome was frosty:

 

It transpired they did not want private aircraft visiting. They helped us taxi and turn ready for departure:

 

The only approved method of arrival or departure was using their very expensive reserved flights:

 

The island itself was charming, but the resort gave off an air of Eco-snobbishness. Extremely expensive if well done. We wandered round the island for an hour or two and the few people we met were charming if a bit “eco holier than though” about their holiday choice. I got the impression that if you farted you were expected to purchase a carbon offset.

The weather was turning grey and rainy so we decided to leave. I was a bit apprehensive about the short runway so we implemented short runway procedure: right up to end of the runway, parking brakes on, flaps down max, and releasing the brakes on full power:

 

I had found one photo of the island before the resort was established and couldn't help thinking it had an unspoilt charm that had been lost in the eco luxury it now advertised:

 

We headed for Gladstone to re-fuel and head further north. The weather had other ideas; the visibility was dropping to almost nothing. We could have landed at sea but unless it was a reserved water landing area we could not be certain of obstacles, fishing boats, reefs, bridges etc. So we decided it would be safest to land on a rwy. Gladstone said they were IFR only. So an IFR approach and landing it would be. This was our first attempt, what we thought were landing lights turned out to be white smoke from an unseen chimney:

 

Back into a disciplined IFR circuit for our second attempt at rwy280:

 

On a correct heading 280 to the left of the chimney smoke just visible in the distance:

 

Holding our nerve and the approach was not too bad as the rwy appeared out of the fog:

 

And almost down, both of us too busy to take pictures:

 

Taxing to general aviation parking. What we could see of the airport looked charming:

 

Parked and everything off, with a good degree of relief.

 

The fog lent an air of intimacy and seclusion. We decided to wander into town find a good hotel, decamp our bags and return out into the foggy shroud to find a restaurant and bar with music.

Good night all.

 

[TomPenDragon]

Fly with Eli

03 March, 2024.  Kushiro to Anchorage

 

It's a chilly morning, a Quarter to Seven, as I walk to the field.

 

With the long over-ocean run ahead of me, I take extra care during the preflight.  It's not that the aircraft has ever given me any cause for concern - quite the opposite.  With so much flying, day in and day out, and with an aircraft that has been so reliable, I've found myself getting distracted, performing the checklist items perfunctorily, and rushing to get into the air.  The issue is worse than  just missing something on the ground that later becomes a problem in the air.  The sloppiness that's been creeping into how I approach Sara from the first moment I touch her in the morning has been extending into my flying as well.  Yesterday, I wasn't paying attention when I passed Iwo Jima, my one alternate between Guam and Tokyo - just missed it completely.  The day before, I blew my top of descent point heading into Guam.  I'm happy that I've lived a good, long life.  Some people I've known and cared about didn't get that chance.  But I want to keep living it.  So, I preflighted Sara this morning with the diligence and fascination of a beginning student.

 

Preflighted, unchocked, started, warming up.  After bringing the avionics online, I take a look at the flight plan beyond northern Japan and into Alaska.  With the 41-gallon aux. bladders and her standard 51-gallon tanks, Shemya seems certain at only 1,322 miles - running high and lean of peak, Sara could do that on the mains alone and still have fuel to spare.  Filled to the brim as she is, Dutch Harbor seems like a reasonable goal at 2,051 miles.  If the winds are favorable, King Salmon is another 400 miles.  If everything goes perfectly, Anchorage is sitting there at 2,731 miles.  I flew the 2,400 miles of the '76 nonstop at 5,500'.  Can I get another 300 miles out of her at 25,000'?

 

Whoa!  Was that ever a kick in the Astral Dome!  Sara sure likes the cold air.

 

Turning onto course.

 

A shot of the rising sun seems appropriate, considering where I'm flying from.

 

At FL250 now.  I'm showing 62 knots of wind directly astern, and 289 knots over ground.  Oh, Sara!

 

What follows is a bit of a leaning clinic, using the GI275 EIS.  When Claus started flying with me, we had a heated discussion about leaning.  I always flew at what my later flight instructors and the POH said - 50° rich-of-peak EGT (ROP).  While I've never had a complete engine failure in the air, I've cracked a few cylinders and spent a lot in overhauls over the years.  It turns out that 50° ROP is about the most damaging power setting for an engine. 

Claus pointed me in the direction of Mike Busch, who's lectured about the "red box" at the EAA AirVenture.  The above isn't from him.  It illustrates the same point, however.  The problems with flying in the red box are twofold: Excessive cylinder head temperatures, and explosive predetonation of the fuel-air mixture, neither of which are very healthy for an engine.  Put together, well, if your cylinder head is aluminum, which almost all of them are, it loses half of its tensile strength above 400°F, the last thing you want going on inside the combustion chamber are explosions rather than an even burn.

 

Looking at the GI275, I'm now flying at peak EGT.  The red box chart is illustrative, but most aircraft engines are pretty similar.  Peak EGT is just lean of the red box.  It's the richest point where all fuel is being burned.

 

The next page of the EIS is the fuel computer.  Looking at the left-hand column, it's giving me an endurance of 11:13 (real) and a range of 3,073 miles (artificial - remember, I've got a 62-knot tailwind right now that could change at any time).  The speedo's showing 150 knots.

 

Back to the main page of the GI275 EIS, which shows a low CHT of 292°F and a 15.4 GPH fuel burn.

 

Let's try peak power.  Building off of Mike Busch's concept of the "big pull" of the mixture lever to spend as little time as possible inside the red box, I first throw the mixture forward until the engine started running rough and then pull it back until I see the maximum fuel flow - in this case, 17.7 GPH.  CHT is 296°  Airspeed's starting to creep up.

 

I'm seeing 98° ROP on the EGT...

 

On the fuel computer, I've lost a couple of hours of endurance and nearly 400 miles of estimated range.  I've gained a couple of knots of IAS.  Since I've got a relief tube (or jug) aboard, I don't really need a few more knots, so...

 

...let's try 64° lean-of-peak (LOP).

 

I've burned a gallon since I've started playing around with this.  But I'm now just shy of 12 hours endurance - and that's after takeoff and a climb to 25K - and estimating 3,255 miles of range,

 

Sara's sipping fuel like a fine wine now at 14.5 GPH,  The CHT has climbed from peak power to 297°.  At that temperature, the engine's more at risk from lead fouling than it is for overstress.  She's slowed slightly, but I won't have to put down for half a day.

 

All aircraft engines and airframes are different.  Use what works best for you.  But I'm going long.

 

Off the northern tip of Japan.

 

I can't see Russia from my plane.  But it's right off of my wingtip.

 

Shemya comes alive on the DME.

 

Well inside US airspace now.  Phew!

 

There's still plenty of gas left in the tanks, so I decide to blow past Dutch Harbor.

 

There's Elmendorf.  I deliberately go past my customary TOD so that I can spiral down over Anchorage.  I have some extra fuel, so why not?

 

And there's Merrill, where I'm going to set down.

 

The sun's setting down, too.  On approach to 25.

 

And down.  2,700 miles (eat yer heart out, Bosss), 11 gallons left.  And back in the Western Hemisphere and across the International Date Line, and just in time for dinner.  I'm hungry, too, after all of that and just the last ot the Tim Tams to eat all day.  Excuse me...

[Rupert]

On 3/3/2024 at 1:00 PM, TomPenDragon said:

My Esteemed PhrogPhlyer,

 

In your helicopter collage, a certain manufacturer seems to be rather over-represented (the background's probably Bell's Beach, too), here is a small attempt at balancing the scales:

 

 

SWEET!!  Though I personally prefer wheeled gear on choppers.  And I'm pretty partial to Boeing Vertol products as well as the older Boeing fixed wings

 

Having said that, if it's a 737, I ain't going!

[Bossspecops]

1 hour ago, TomPenDragon said:

 

And down.  2,700 miles (eat yer heart out, Bosss), 11 gallons left.  

 

 

 

Too right!  That's over 1000 nms more than I can manage, that Sara sure has some tankage! 

 

That was an excellent treatise on getting the best fuel mileage from your aeroplane, not sure I've got enough instrumentation aboard 'Austral Rose' to do that, and with my ancient, 1950s tech engines, I'm not 100% sure it'd work the same way too.

 

I'm about 1.5 hrs out of Alice just now, and the scenery is VERY boring indeed, mile after mile of red desert. 

[ViperPilot2]

Many Thanks for the Tutorial, TPD! I'll try this with the Boomerang and see how it goes.

 

2,700 nm in a Saratoga... that is one mean feat. Props to you (and yer Bladder!) 

[Melo965]

10 hours ago, MAD1 said:

(Love the Canberra phase.)

 

Hi MAD1, I am the one flying the PR9 Canberra.  Hope to get a few legs done today.

 

Best regards,

Melo

 

[Melo965]

4 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

And down.  2,700 miles

 

Great flight, and thanks for the fuel and endurance lesson too.

 

[Bossspecops]

Made it to Alice Springs, 1112 nms in 6 hrs 20 mins. With a few pauses to re-install some crazy Orbx scenery that didn't want to behave. 

 

PIREP tomorrow, while I'm en route to Darwin I expect.

[MAD1]

ScottishMike. I think re your sim scenery for Gladstone, the smokestack is the Gladstone Alumina Refinery, which is east of the airport, which aligns with your scenery screenshots. Gladstone is one of our few (compared to the UK, USA etc.) major industrial precincts. It's a major coal loading port for QLD coal (exported worldwide including to Japan, perhaps China). I have extended family living there, have visited as a tourist the alumina plan and been on a tour, very interesting.

[MAD1]

TPD re "Fly with Eli". Thanks for the wonderful, technical post, most of which went over my head, but I got the gist, very educational about engine stuff. Cold up there too at 25K, -49C! Amazed that you guys are happy to fly a single engine GA aircraft over those (what seems to me) very long distances, and over open ocean to boot. I'm learning heaps just by watching what you guys do.

[MAD1]

Rupert. And if it's a Boeing "Max" anything, don't get in it. (quick $ over Quality Assurance, guess which one has won?)

[MAD1]

Bosss. Yep, that's the Outback from the air, or from a car driving across it. But it does have it's vastness and desert stark beauty as an allure, but very lonely if something goes wrong!

[MAD1]

Melo. Apologies, I got the wrong pilot. But anybody with a Canberra is a champ in my books. By the way, as I mentioned, as an early birthday present to myself (May), I came across a brand-spanking used Concorde in good condition in a hanger in an obscure airport. Apparently a very, very, very rich guy bought one when they were being phased out. I talked to him, he said he'd be happy to loan it, long term, to Club Chachapoya, in fact, he'd love to see it flying again. He'll cover all the costs. Could be an ambassador for world peace liaison, fly the Club members anywhere in the world they want to go, FAST!

Was going to keep my cards close to my chest, but hey, I can't help it. So, the Concorde will be signed 'Club Chachapoya Charters'. Anyone interested in taking her up for a spin? I can't per se, a bridge too far to go from my trusty Cessna 182RG to that, but, I will be onboard as an 'international ambassador', I bags the jump seat in the cockpit!

 

Is any Club member Concorde qualified, or within reach of that? If so, you could be Chief Pilot. I'll put myself into training, quasi-properly, so once I study the manual (have watched many RW YouTube videos, one favourite, is a RW British captain saying how they were being escorted by the UK primary air defence fighters, fastest available at Mach 1.n, and he radio'd to them something like "Thanks fellas for the escort, but we have places to go", lit the afterburners (preheats) and the video out of the Concorde window showed the Concorde just smoothly leaving them behind at Mach 2, they were at max throttle at their 1.n, wonderful!), will be able to take her out for taxi runs, that's all initially, but later this year will be able to be First Officer I think.

 

It could become the Club taxi. "Where do you want to go in the world"? "Oh, let's fly down to Rio for the day". "OK, pick you up at 8, don't be late"!

[Bossspecops]

27 minutes ago, MAD1 said:

 

Is any Club member Concorde qualified, or within reach of that?

 

 

I've 'flown' the RW Concorde simulator at Brooklands if that qualifies me? 

 

The 'instructor', Capt. Mike Bannister no less, asked me which airport I'd like to fly from and I said 'Kai Tak?'  He looked sideways at me, but I explained I'd tried it 5-6 times the previous evening on my laptop with FSX and he was OK with that.

 

I got it down nicely too, although that turn before  you get to 'Chequerboard Hill' is a real bum-clencher!

[Bossspecops]

20 hours ago, ScottishMike said:

 

We took the pearl back down to Rockhampton and set out for Lady Elliot Island, just about the southern most point of the Great Barrier Reef. Planning to explore northwards up the coast.

It was not easy to find; it turned out it was one of those airfields that only show up on the GPS when you go down to 10 nm. resolution. We used good old fashioned co-ordinates to locate the Island.

 

 

Once found the approach was straight forward:

 

The rwy is just shy of 2000' so only possible because of little fuel, no load and just the two of us on board. Of course we could have landed on the sea, but the island is surrounded by a coral reef so access to the island from the sea is perilous.

 

 

 They definitely couldn't have made that strip even an inch longer! Talk about minimalist!

 

A pity the inhabitants weren't a bit more friendly though. 

[MAD1]

8 minutes ago, Bossspecops said:

 

I've 'flown' the RW Concorde simulator at Brooklands if that qualifies me? 

 

The 'instructor', Capt. Mike Bannister no less, asked me which airport I'd like to fly from and I said 'Kai Tak?'  He looked sideways at me, but I explained I'd tried it 5-6 times the previous evening on my laptop with FSX and he was OK with that.

 

I got it down nicely too, although that turn before  you get to 'Chequerboard Hill' is a real bum-clencher!

Wow Bosss, sounds like you might be our Chief Pilot. Now, choosing Kai Tak for the Concorde, really, in RW I presume it never flew into there and couldn't. Ah yes, the many videos are by Mike Bannister I think, that name is familiar.

[Melo965]

2 hours ago, MAD1 said:

Melo. Apologies, I got the wrong pilot.

 

MAD1, no worries at all.  After you see my latest flight report later today, you definitely won't ask me to fly the Concorde. 

 

[ScottishMike]

TPD, instructive description of the complex interaction of fuel, temperature and altitude.

It reminded me of years ago when we lived in Italy and friends had an Alfa Romeo Giulietta (early 1960s) it had a four cylinder D.O.H.C. engine, and through an unfortunate series of events managed to blow a neat hole in the top of each cylinder head.

It turned out the fuel they had been sold was of a lower octane than the engine required and they where on their way to visit our house in the Alps (an altitude of 2200m. About 6000'). The combination of lower oxygen (altitude) and later combustion due to lower octane created a shock wave in the hemispherical cylinder head that focused itself exactly at the top and centre of each cylinder blowing a neat 3mm diameter hole in the top of all four cylinders.

 

How many bottles of oxygen did you go through on your high altitude marathon?

[TomPenDragon]

56 minutes ago, ScottishMike said:

How many bottles of oxygen did you go through on your high altitude marathon?

None - Sara's pressurized.  I'm kicking along right now in her replacement at FL240 outside, 9,279' cabin altitude (reminds me of home).

[ViperPilot2]

For you blokes flying pressurized Light Singles or Twins... What's your 'favorite' Altitude?

 

I presume you guys are in the 'median' Flight Levels from like 12k to 20k?

 

Please expound on your preferred Altitude...

[jgf]

5 hours ago, MAD1 said:

anybody with a Canberra

 

[jgf]

5 minutes ago, ViperPilot2 said:

For you blokes flying pressurized Light Singles or Twins... What's your 'favorite' Altitude?

 

I presume you guys are in the 'median' Flight Levels from like 12k to 20k?

 

Please expound on your preferred Altitude...

 

In FS?  Typically 12k-15k,  going any higher I'll be in a jet or something like a B-17.

[Bossspecops]

4 hours ago, MAD1 said:

Wow Bosss, sounds like you might be our Chief Pilot. Now, choosing Kai Tak for the Concorde, really, in RW I presume it never flew into there and couldn't. Ah yes, the many videos are by Mike Bannister I think, that name is familiar.

 

Mike was BA's Concorde fleet Manager, and wrote THE book on the aircraft's time at BA and Air France. A well recommended read. Oddly enough, it's called 'Concorde' 

 

They did fly the Concorde into and out of Kai Tak, but not in scheduled service, only on trials and charter flights. 

[Bossspecops]

6 minutes ago, jgf said:

 

 

Oh yes, an RB-57F, or WB-57F sometimes. A SERIOUS Canberra, almost as serious as a PR9.