Across Oz Katanning WA to Kingaroy Qld

[Friarpuk]

Hi folks

 

At the end of May 2013 or thereabouts I am planning to fly across Australia. Below is my planned route. Any comments, wisdom, or advice welcome.

 

Friarpuk

 

 

 

[CrayonBox]

No advice from me, but it would be great to be there when you arrive! What date do you anticipate that or is there any way you can keep the forum updated with your locations?

 

Enjoy the ride!

 

 

[gregrobertson]

I hope you still have some influence with the man up there. A tail wind would be very handy.

 

It should be a great trip. Skyrangers just love this sort of thing.

 

Greg.

 

 

[cooperplace]

Hi folksAt the end of May 2013 or thereabouts I am planning to fly across Australia. Below is my planned route. Any comments, wisdom, or advice welcome.

Friarpuk

can I come with you?

 

 

[Mick]

Hi Friarpuk,

 

I will be making a similar flight hopefully in the next fortnight. I will be leaving Jandakot for Esperance, then around the bite like you to Port Augusta, from there to Broken Hill, Bourke, St George and finally to Gladstone.

 

My mount will be an Evektor Sportstar. I am just waiting for RAAus to register it and then I will be heading west to get the aircraft and start the trip home.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

 

[rgmwa]

Can't offer any advice but I'm interested in your plans for refuelling on the way. I assume you will be using unleaded mostly?

 

rgmwa

 

 

[ian shield]

Hi folksAt the end of May 2013 or thereabouts I am planning to fly across Australia. Below is my planned route. Any comments, wisdom, or advice welcome.

Friarpuk

what type of aircraft are u doing it in & what are your predicted fuel stops.

 

 

[Camel]

Hi, Fuel, food and accommodation can be expensive accross the Nullabor, I found Mundrabila roadhouse to be very reasonable and enjoyed the stay, we put the plane outside the motel room and fuelled at the premium unleaded bowers, at the time avgas was a dollar dearer, avgas was not available at Mundrabila. Dinner and beer was reasonable as well.

 

Across the Nullabor there are gravel and dirt runways and tracks and was difficult avoiding stone damage to the prop , do run-ups on the go.

 

 

[Friarpuk]

what type of aircraft are u doing it in & what are your predicted fuel stops.

I fly a Skyranger Swift with a rotax 912. You can check out my plane build and flying videos at http://friarflyer.blogspot.com.au/

And as for the stops you can see the stops on the map with the pins and the airport markers

 

 

[Friarpuk]

Can't offer any advice but I'm interested in your plans for refuelling on the way. I assume you will be using unleaded mostly?rgmwa

Hi

 

I am hoping to use 95+ ULP as much as possible. I keep two empty plastic jerry cans in the back and a Mr funnel and can hump fuel from the bowser to the plane if I need to.

 

 

[Friarpuk]

Hi, Fuel, food and accommodation can be expensive accross the Nullabor, I found Mundrabila roadhouse to be very reasonable and enjoyed the stay, we put the plane outside the motel room and fuelled at the premium unleaded bowers, at the time avgas was a dollar dearer, avgas was not available at Mundrabila. Dinner and beer was reasonable as well.Across the Nullabor there are gravel and dirt runways and tracks and was difficult avoiding stone damage to the prop , do run-ups on the go.

Thanks Camel

Some good advice. I drove over with the family at the beginning of January and did a bit of a reckie on the way. Strips didn't seem too bad, at Caiguna and Nullabor, but I will have a look at Mundrabilla on country airstrips guide. The wife must have been driving and me asleep when we went through there.

 

I am planning to pack the sleeping bag and a tent to keep costs as low as possible. But then I am stopping with a mate at Temora for a few drinks and a catch up, hence the detour to southern NSW.

 

 

[Friarpuk]

Hi Friarpuk,I will be making a similar flight hopefully in the next fortnight. I will be leaving Jandakot for Esperance, then around the bite like you to Port Augusta, from there to Broken Hill, Bourke, St George and finally to Gladstone.

My mount will be an Evektor Sportstar. I am just waiting for RAAus to register it and then I will be heading west to get the aircraft and start the trip home.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

Yeah I'm detouring to Temora to catch up with a mate. If I wasn't doing so I would cut up through Broken Hill to folk I know at Dirranbandi.

 

 

[Friarpuk]

I hope you still have some influence with the man up there. A tail wind would be very handy.It should be a great trip. Skyrangers just love this sort of thing.

Greg.

So does this Skyranger pilot! BTW thanks again for the therapy flight the other week!

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

At Coral Bay WA for the next few days. My planned route is Meekathara, Kalgoolie, Forrest, Eucla , Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Aldinga and home.

 

Using Avgas so the above may not suit you.

 

Phil

 

 

[Friarpuk]

At Coral Bay WA for the next few days. My planned route is Meekathara, Kalgoolie, Forrest, Eucla , Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Aldinga and home.Using Avgas so the above may not suit you.

Phil

Hope you have a good flight and tail winds! I have interesting memories back tracking with a 737 at Kal!

 

 

[biggles]

At Coral Bay WA for the next few days. My planned route is Meekathara, Kalgoolie, Forrest, Eucla , Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Aldinga and home.Using Avgas so the above may not suit you.

Phil

Good stuff Phil . Look forward to your comments when you return .

 

Bob

 

 

[kaz3g]

At Coral Bay WA for the next few days. My planned route is Meekathara, Kalgoolie, Forrest, Eucla , Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Aldinga and home.Using Avgas so the above may not suit you.

Phil

Hi Phil

 

I am envious! I used to live at Cobra Station in the Upper Gascoyne and desperately want to get back over there and visit. I'm hoping to be able to get across through Alice, Giles, Warburton but will have to do something to improve endurance because of the avgas thing.

 

I hear they have had quite a bit of rain down through there last few months so should be liking good.

 

Fly safe

 

Kaz

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

Hi PhilI am envious! I used to live at Cobra Station in the Upper Gascoyne and desperately want to get back over there and visit. I'm hoping to be able to get across through Alice, Giles, Warburton but will have to do something to improve endurance because of the avgas thing.

 

I hear they have had quite a bit of rain down through there last few months so should be liking good.

 

Kaz

Yes, country looks very good, still water in water holes. Karajini national park is the best it has been after two good summer rains.

Some colour, but too early yet for the main wild flower blooming

 

Fueled at Patjarr then Newman, shorter route than Warburton.

 

Phil

 

 

[kaz3g]

Golly Phil

 

You went over some tiger country there! Not much between Docker and Carnegie at the best of times.

 

Did they have avgas at Patjarr?

 

I start to feel uncomfortable after 2.5 hours and the noise stops at 3.3 so, unless I shell out for a 40 litre buddy tank, my endurance is not much better than 330 miles including reserves.

 

Kaz

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Golly PhilYou went over some tiger country there! Not much between Docker and Carnegie at the best of times.

 

Did they have avgas at Patjarr?

 

I start to feel uncomfortable after 2.5 hours and the noise stops at 3.3 so, unless I shell out for a 40 litre buddy tank, my endurance is not much better than 330 miles including reserves.

 

Kaz

Kaz did you ever live in hervey bay?

 

 

[kaz3g]

Kaz did you ever live in hervey bay?

No mate... Never even been there. Last time I went up that way was about 1965 and it hadn't been discovered back then. I remember the road to Mackay from Maryborough was pure mud and inches deep in water and we were so busy trying to stay on it I think we missed the turn off.

 

I sat and chatted to Bob and Dolly Dyer on the beach outside their shack at Brampton Island. We ate oysters I had gouged off the reef a hundred yards off shore and washed them down with cold Porphry Pearl...OMG!

 

Kaz

 

 

[rgmwa]

I sat and chatted to Bob and Dolly Dyer on the beach outside their shack at Brampton Island. We ate oysters I had gouged off the reef a hundred yards off shore and washed them down with cold Porphry Pearl...OMG!Kaz

That's going back a while, Kaz. I remember watching Pick-a Box for years when Barry Jones was a fixture on the program. What an amazing memory that man's got. And for some odd reason the name of Bob and Dolly's boat, Tennessee II, has always stuck in my mind, even though I've forgotten heaps of far more important stuff over the years.

 

rgmwa

 

ps. I don't suppose this would qualify as thread drift, would it?

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

Golly PhilYou went over some tiger country there! Not much between Docker and Carnegie at the best of times.

 

Did they have avgas at Patjarr?

 

I start to feel uncomfortable after 2.5 hours and the noise stops at 3.3 so, unless I shell out for a 40 litre buddy tank, my endurance is not much better than 330 miles including reserves.

 

Kaz

Guys,

Avgas at Patjarr by phoning, fly over village to bring out Refueller. Pretty good at $2.40 for that remote area.

 

Ayers Rock to Patjarr via Giles was 257 miles. Next refuel Newman at 365 miles. So you would need a bladder if not flying a Jab or similar.

 

Tecnam with me and he used a 20 lt bladder twice so far (Kalgoolie now) head winds both ways so far!!!

 

Longest stretch was Newman to Carnarvon about 108 lts. Although I could have purchased BP ultimate at Coral Bay for $1.99 if required.

 

Next stop Forrest and overnight at Eucla. Down hill now and hopefully a tail wind along the Bight.

 

Phil.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Good luck with the tail wind...stay safe.

 

Any details on the bladder would be welcome. Does he land or is it plumbed into his fuel system?

 

Kaz

 

 

[Friarpuk]

Okay, the Qantas flight is booked from Bris to Perth for Friday the 31st of May. Then the real flying will begin from Katanning to Kingaroy, in between the fronts with a good westerly up the rear, hopefully!