Melo965

Tom, thanks a lot for the offer but I am already on my way. I will be there as soon as I can to join the party. Had originally planned to fly there yesterday but the aircraft I chose for the flight was just not reliable enough. Stalled out once, and lost an engine to boot at another time. To top it off we had a power failure during a local rain storm. So yesterday was a wash. So I found a much better aircraft this morning. It is working very well. Currently at 13,000 ft headed east. 906 KIAS and 1,003 kts Ground speed. On a side note, Canberra PR9 Marham Rose is still at RAAF Darwin. Like my buddy Kit, I have decided to fly around the world to get home again, just in the opposite direction. I will fly Marham Rose to Dean Forest regional or Tain. Kit, let me know which one you prefer? From there I will hop in my Mk XI Spitfire PL965 and fly the rest of the way home.

It sure was a lot of fun! After the Chipmunk, having this much power available is intoxicating!

Bankstown (YSBK) to Cairns (YBCS) to RAAF Darwin (YPDN) Engine started at Bankstown. Marham Rose on Runway 11C. Another view of this beautiful Canberra PR9. Ready to start takeoff roll. Gear up over the runway. Got tower permission to expedite climb to 50,000 ft. Steep climb out, because I can. Climbing through 25,000 ft, swinging around to the south over the water to get lined up for the first photo pass over Bankstown. Continuing the climb through 42,000 ft. Bankstown (YSBK) photo from 50,000 ft. It was worth it to wait an extra day to have the infrared cameras installed. Pictures through the cloud cover (if present) with no issues. Coff's Harbour (YSCH) photo. Ballina (YBNA) photo. V+1 Gold Coast (YBCG) photo. V-1 Brisbane International (YBBN) photo #1. V0 Brisbane International (YBBN) photo #2. Rockhampton (YBRK) photo. V0 Mackay (YBMK) photo. V0 Townsville International (YBTL) photo. V0 Innisfail (YIFL) photo. Extra picture. Just happened to also be in my flight path. Cairns International (YBCS) photo. V-2 CV = -2. Weipa (YBWP) photo. Gove (YPGV) photo. Snapped an extra picture. I did spot a MD-83 on final approach to Darwin. Darwin International (YPDN) photo. Camera run completed. Switching camera off and descending to land. Notice how cold it was at altitude. Brrrr. . . Runway 11 in sight. Final for runway 11. Finally stopped. Used almost all of the 11,000 foot runway. Parked at RAAF Darwin on the military side of the airfield. Flew 2,662 miles from Bankstown. Striking up a conversation with the pilot parked next to me. Here is my flight path in Marham Rose. I also completed the circumnavigation of Australia. 1,817 miles from Darwin to Jandakot in the Chipmunk, followed by 2,804 miles on the Southern route in the Chippie. 4,621 total miles in the Chipmunk. Then 2,662 miles in the Canberra PR9 back to Darwin. Total distance flown in Australia = 7,283 miles. Now to figure out how to get back to Cairns for the banquet.

Beautiful!

Hope that works! Good luck!

The secondary office for my company was right on the Santa Maria California airport. I used to go there once a month for a few days to handle all of their IT issues. I came out from work one afternoon at 4 PM to see the Goodyear blimp landing about 100 ft away. (Can't find the pictures I took then, at the moment.) The next morning I had breakfast with the Blimp pilots in the airport hotel. They were very nice and answered my questions. The Blimp's top speed was 35 miles per hour. Makes my Chipmunk seem like a speed demon.

I saw the Goodyear Blimp flying right overhead at low altitude in southern California once.

OMG, Kit's a closet government contractor! Question: What is an Elephant? Answer: A Mouse made to Government specifications.

My heartfelt condolences for the loss of your friend. His family will be in my prayers during this difficult time. 60 was much too young to lose him.

Parkes (YPKS) to Bathurst (YBTH) to Bankstown (YSBK) Engine started at Parkes. Starting takeoff roll. Leaving Parkes behind. Climbing through 3,200 ft on way to cruise altitude of 4,000 ft. There is some weather on this leg. Correction: Weather and Terrain. That hill ahead is in the middle of my planned flight path. Almost half way there. Initialting a thousand foot climb to get over that hill ahead. Hope that does not screw up my arrival timing. Up at 5,000 ft. Also had to change course to go around the mountain in my flight path. Just enough altitude to get over the shoulder of the mountain. Still at 5,000 ft. Passing Orange (YORG) on the left. Glad to leave that hill behind and be back on course. About 13 minutes left to go. Descended back down close to 4,000 ft to have the sight picture I am used to on approach. External view. Approaching LOWDI waypoint with 4 minutes left to go. There I will initiate an 84 degree turn to the left to get lined up for waypoint BTHNH. From there it is another 28 degree left turn to get lined up for runway 35 at Bathurst. Currently cruising at 102 kts, will have to speed up significantly if I am going to make it on time. Airport in sight ahead on the left, still a ways off. 126 Kts and no flaps, only 1 minute to go. Short and fast final. 150 kts and on time if I can just stick the landing. Added flaps and slowed down to 84 kts on touchdown, but landed on time! Plenty of runway ahead to slow down safely. Parked on the dirt next to a few other aircraft. Time to refuel, stretch my legs, and grab a snack for the LAST leg of the race! Bathurst (YBTH) to Bankstown (YSBK) While I was completing my pre-flight inpection, everyone else decided to leave. Wonder if they are flying to Bankstown too. About to start up. Hope the weather does not give me trouble on this last leg. Takeoff on the last leg of the journey. Leaving Bathurst and climbing to altitude. Will have to climb to 5,000 ft again for this leg. At 5,000 ft. Terrain ahead does not look good even at this altitude. 5,000 ft was just enough after all. No need to change course. Leaving that mountain behind. Still hilly ahead. Staying at 5,000 ft for the time being. Hope the extra 1,000 feet of altitude does not put me behind schedule. Flying over Lawson. Over Hazelbrook and finally leaving the hills behind. Dropped back down to 4,000 ft. Over Glenmore Park and finally into the Sydney basin. External view. That light patch in the distance is Bankstown airport. Six minutes to go. This Sydney basin reminds me of the Los Angeles basin where I lived for many years. Four minutes to go. About to dive down to pattern altitude. Two minutes to go. Keeping the speed up and no flaps yet. Hope that Beechcraft ahead stays out of my way! Using a classic Spitfire approach. Gotta land during this minute. On time touchdown! V0 and CV0. Full stop. Almost stayed on the runway. Any landing . . . Parked at Bankstown (YSBK) Mission accomplished! Now for something completely different on the Eastern route.

Best of luck getting it sorted out!

It is for the default 206. Look for "FSX Bell Jetranger Camouflage Schemes" here in the file library.

PP, here is my helicopter picture: Bell 206 JetRanger RAAF. I don't take credit for the repaint.

Starting off with a quote from TomPenDragon: "let me remind our listeners that, the way the rules are written, the first team to reach Bankstown with a CV of 0 wins." On this Monday after the Superbowl in the USA, I decided to fly all 4 flights today to complete the Southern Route. Here are the first two flights. Tocumwal (YTOC) to Narrandera (YNAR) to Parkes (YPKS) ready to start engine. Starting takeoff roll. Leaving Tocumwal behind. This huge lake is Lake Urana. An easy splash and go for Kit in the Sealand. Half way there. Exterior view. Some clouds ahead but a great day for flying. Approaching 20VOR waypoint. The airport is off screen to the left. About to turn 60 degrees left and line up for runway 32 at Narrandera. Final for runway 32. On time touchdown. Parked at Narrandera. Pretty quiet here. Just a quick stop to refuel, grab a snack, and stretch my legs before the next flight. While I was getting my snack another aircraft pulled up. Refuelled and engine started for the next leg. Based on the current wind direction, the takeoff was from the gravel runway (05). Climbing out and on course. Passing interesting ridges below. Keeping an eye on the weather. So far clouds are not at my altitude. More clouds nearby, but no factor. About half way there. Those clouds look worse, but able to avoid them easily. Exterior view. 8 minutes to go. Really like how the Chippie gleams in the sun. Approaching waypoint PKSWF. Airport in sight under right wingtip. At PKSWF I made a 12 degree turn to the right to get lined up. Lined up for runway 04. 2 minutes to go. Short final for runway 04. Touched down on time. V0. Parked at Parkes. (say that three times fast) The only fudge I did before the next flight was to wind the FSX daytime clock back some. Did not want to be landing in Bathurst or Bankstown in the dark. Two more flights to go!

I do not plan to complete the Combined in the Chipmunk. It was great fun to do the Southern route though!

Beautiful!

Moorabbin (YMMB) to Mangalore (YMNG) to Tocumwal (YTOC) Taxi out to the runway for takeoff. Leaving Moorabbin behind. Melbourne city center behind on the left. About two thirds of the way there. Nowhere to land below in an emergency. If yesterday had been a clear day like today I would have seen RAAF Point Cook. There is a Beechcraft Baron ahead flying from right to left. Runway in sight ahead. Got here much earlier than expected. Harder to accurately judge times on these shorter flights. Touchdown 3 minutes early. Parked at Mangalore. Finding accomidations for the night. Ready for takeoff to Tocumwal the next morning. Leaving Mangalore behind. Lots of lakes below. Passing Shepparton (YSHT) below on the right. Flying over the Arcadia Streamside Reserve. Almost there. The Murray river is below. Runway in sight. Running late this time. A darn tree in the way on the centerline again. Touched down 3 minutes late. Over estimated time on the last leg, but under estimated on this leg. Luckily they cancelled each other out, so back to a cumulative V0. Parked at Tocumwal. Only four more legs to go on the Southern route.

EXCELLENT!!

Good luck getting it sorted out!

Warrnambool (YWBL) to Moorabbin (YMMB) Continuing my flight reports. Leaving Warrnambool, and Kit and his Sealand behind. Glad he was able to get the Sealand airworthy and flying again. This was a very consistant view for almost the entire flight to Moorabbin. I had planned to overfly the Point Cook RAAF base on my way to Moorabbin so purposely flew on a slightly more North Easterly heading. Alas it was to no avail, I never even saw Point Cook as I flew almost directly overhead the base. Finally broke out of the clouds as Moorabbin was coming into view ahead. For a while there, I thought I would have to divert to an alternate airport because of the weather. On the approach. And only 1 minute early with quite a distance to go. May not make the timing I am searching for. On arrival target minute but still pretty far away from the runway. Did manage to touch down on time, but landed long and fast! I did get the Chippie stopped and over to the parking area, but this was for sure the worst landing on the Southern route. Will have to get a mechanic to check over the brakes of the Chippie before the next leg. Next stop is Mangalore (YMNG)

Can't wait to see what is next.

I had the gear retracting while still over the runway, not best practice in the RW. She got up to 50,000 ft in under 10 minutes!

I know I am getting ahead of myself, still have some flight reports to complete and submit. My Chipmunk landed in Bankstown and then flew back to Bathurst for the car races, then back to Bankstown again. My flight paths there and back again. Upon arrival at Bankstown, I was pleased to hear from the RAAF that they are making an initial order of 250 DHC-1B Chipmunks for their training needs. So my primary mission during this Gaggle was a success! After the previous productive discussion with Kit at Warrnambool, and further consultation with the RAAF, they have agreed to hire me and the Albion Canberra PR9 (which Kit arranged to have shipped here while he was stuck repairing Austral Rose) to do some aerial survey work between here and Darwin International Airport. Kit gave me some valuable advice on the performance and flight characteristics of the Albion Canberra PR9, and my test flight yesterday went well. Wanting to roll even with zero throttle once the engines are running. I plan to overfly all of the Airports on the Eastern route and take reconnaissance photos for the RAAF and deliver them to their side of Darwn International later today. In the process, I will complete a circumnaviagation of Australia! Looking forward to flying this fast jet after the slow and steady Chippie.

I am currently reading "DAMN LUCKY" about 2nd Lt John "Lucky" Luckadoo who was a pilot in the 100th BG and made it home safely after his 25 B-17 missions. Author is Kevin Maurer.

Great stuff, and a very cool airplane!