Matt

Well after a few months we finally made it back to The Oaks in the CT4. Better still, we finally got to meet a few more of the forum members including DavidC, Marilyn and Disperse. We also met Darren and Mike (?) who had just kindly handed over the "Come and Get It" trophy to Ian. It was good to catch up with Bruce and all the other regulars and as always the hospitality was overwhelming...there was one notable absentee - where were you Emma?!?!?! Not much of a trip report for this one, an uneventful trip up and back from Canberra under clearing skies. One thing we all experienced was the soggy state that The Oaks is in...not a bad thing as we need the rain...but it made for some interesting maneuvering on the ground and, if it didn't need it before, the CT4 definitely needs a wash now! Not too many pics from us today, Kaz was too busy talking to everyone . I've attached a couple, one on finals to 36R and the other is my favourite new find - OziExplorer combined with Google Earth for GPS track overlays. One of the things I find useful is looking at my circuit tracking, an oval circuit is used in the CT4 (as with nearly all military and higher speed aircraft) and I find reviewing my tracks shows whether I'm flying the numbers, distances, turn rates etc. to get a consistent result...looking at today's track, I think I did OK :).

Glad you made it home safe Ian. How long was the return trip and how was the weather?

Sounds good to us, weather at Echuca at that time of year should be perfect - warm and clear...of course it'll probably rain because we're planning a fly-in! Wherever it is, count us in. Cheers, Matt.

No shooting Dave, just some references from the RA-Aus website: Class G airspace There are no mandatory reports for VFR aircraft operating enroute in Class G airspace, thus after departing the airfield vicinity such aircraft are only required to maintain a listening watch on the "appropriate frequency" and announce if in potential conflict with other aircraft – see AIP ENR 1.1 para 60.1. So what's the 'appropriate' frequency? The local Flight Information Area frequency, if so, calls would be directed to Flightwatch, see below. (Frequency information blocks depicting Class E and G frequencies and the frequency boundaries are included on the Frequency Planning Chart [see below] and on the VNC and VTC.) or a listening watch could be maintained on other specific frequencies; or the distress frequency 121.5 MHz; or if below 3000 feet agl then listen out on 126.7; or when passing near the vicinity of a non-controlled or a towered airport the designated [otherwise 126.7] frequency for that airfield should be monitored to gain information on local traffic. The reference to 3000' I suggest would be RA-Aus's interpretation of 'appropriate' for ultralight operations as there is no requirement in AIP other than 'appropriate'...which of course isn't defined and up to us as pilots to determine that which best meets the requirement of our flight. For Dr Dex, I operate as Paul does and switch to area frequency when leaving 10nm from CTAF. This is what was taught during my RA-Aus and PPL training and I suspect you'd find that most GA aircraft would be on area frequency outside CTAF boundaries regardless of altitude. To me it makes sense to be on the same frequency as everyone else that's likely to be in your airspace - GA or otherwise. Cheers, Matt.

Hi Troy...from the horse: Multicom: A frequency designated for the purpose of carrying out recommended self-announce broadcasts while operating to or from an aerodrome without an operating control tower which is currently not an MBZ or CTAF. The Multicom frequency of 126.7MHZ and the frequencies allocated to MBZ and CTAF are those frequencies with which pilots can make recommended self-announce broadcasts. These frequencies are not normally monitored by ATS. As Paul suggests, it's best to be on the appropriate area frequency when operating outside 10nm from an airfield as this will give you the best appreciation and situational awareness of other traffic within that area including IFR traffic, it's also best in the event of an emergency as a MAYDAY call will be received and actioned by ATC whereas no-one might be listening to the multicom where you happen to be. Cheers, Matt.

Hi Andy...was just asking the same question a few weeks ago when wanting to get some additional maps for our trip to Bundaberg. I'm yet to find another supplier and am looking into how to 'do it yourself' as you can scan and calibrate paper maps into OziExplorer. We're also asking some guys in Air Services to see whether they might be able to assist. Sound like a business opportunity for someone, there is definitely a need. Cheers, Matt.

Saturday it is then...need to get another cake and we can have birthday party #2 for those that missed last week ;) Cheers, Matt.

We're definitely planning on going, not sure if we'll go for the whole weekend or just a day but we will be there (weather pending of course!). Cheers, Matt.

Looked at the forecast for the weekend and thought exactly the same thing. We'll definitely be up on the weekend, not sure which day yet - any thoughts as to who'll be there on what day? Cheers, Matt.

The only requirement for flights above 5000' AMSL is that the carriage of a radio is mandatory for VFR operations, there are no broadcast or other radio call requirements in Class G airspace. Other than the requirements for prescribed calls at aerodromes with CTAFs, in Class G airspace you can indeed go "blasting off into the blue yonder unannounced"...as no doubt many of our non-radio equipped peers do on a regular basis. Cheers, Matt.

Assuming you're in Class G airspace, there are no additional radio procedures / calls than for flight below 5000'...hence my point above about the relevance of the rule and the 5000' limitation. Additional procedures apply in airspace other than G i.e. C, D, E and these have the additional requirement of appropriate certifications / qualifications, equipment etc.

Canberra through Aero Refuelers is normally $1.65, Goulburn through the same company (Aero Refuelers) is normally $1.55...somehow it's cheaper in the country??? Haven't quite figured out if the Anabelle Prinicple means it's worth the flight to Goulburn to fill up or not :) For those wondering what the Anabelle Principle is, I think it's from an AAMI ad where a dad and his daughter (Anabelle presumably) are driving around looking for the cheapest fuel, daughter chimes in with "...the further we drive, the cheaper the fuel needs to be, I call it the Anabelle Principle" very funny ad. Cheers, Matt.

Hey Tristo, the restaurant is great, one of the main reasons we head over there regularly, nice spot to head to for a quick flight and lunch.

G'day Paul, had similar issues with a 12 amp-hour battery in the Sportstar in the very cold months up here - nothing quite as bad as you've reported, just couldn't get the thing to start. Replaced it with a 16 amp-hour unit and had no issues after that. Also found that pre-heating the engine worked...usually involved taking the engine cover off and letting it sit in the sun for about half hour...I'm sure there's more effective engine warmers out there. Also thought it a bit ironic that an engine built in Europe with their winters had issues starting in the cold weather! Cheers, Matt.

Doing the same myself regarding the filming for review purposes - the roll cage in the CT4 makes a great camera mount for a variety of angles and the size of the camera isn't too much of an issue. The RAAF does the same with a lot of their aircraft - the Hornet has 3 cameras in the cockpit, one that looks through the HUD and one on each side of the canopy just behind the pilots shoulders that record all the cockpit activity during a flight. During the debrief the pilot & instructor review the entire flight footage from all 3 cameras (as well as mission computers) and discuss things such as technique, use of automation and systems etc. It's great that this technology is getting small and cheap enough (relatively speaking) that we can all benefit. Cheers, Matt.

If you're interested in the Elmo SUV Cam, check out http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/category566_1.htm, best price I could find in Australia - $999. There's also a few accessories including wide angle lens but you could get that and the camera for less than $1200. If you already have a digital video camera with an A/V input, look for just the 'lipstick' or 'bullet' camera, they start from about $300. Cheers, Matt.

Hi Bushman, http://www.warbirdflights.net/ Contact details are on their "contact us" page. Cheers, Matt.

Have a look in the Aviation Trader, there's a few advertisements for regional airlines and uni's etc. that do cadetships. Also try Googling "airline pilot cadetship" in Australia, plenty of responses other than QANTAS. Cheers, Matt.

Hi Morgan & Andrew, I think Nev's signature line says it all "you never stop learning". I understand the focus on passing the exams but don't limit yourself to only learning what you need to learn to pass the exams...I fear the approach to teaching and learning to 'just pass the exam' will turn aviation into what we have on the roads - people who are taught what they need to know to pass the driving test and little else...I won't get started on that otherwise this post will go for ever! There'll be a lot of very useful information you'll need during your aviation exploits that the exam probably won't cover, learn everything you can from books, personal experience and other pilots...you'll never stop learning about things which you'll never see in an exam but will make you an ever better pilot and keep you alive. Cheers, Matt.

Well 5 days and 1800nm later we've finished our adventure to the Wide Bay Airshow at Bundaberg...which started in Merimbula and finished at home in Canberra. I've also found a very cool way of transferring GPS track from OziExplorer into Google Earth...so GPS tracks now look even cooler! It all started last Wednesday afternoon with a drive from Canberra to Merimbula to pick up the CT4. We stayed overnight in Merimbula and were up bright and early on Thursday to start a long day of driving and flying. First task was to get the car back to Canberra so Kaz had the honours of driving back from Merimbula, about an hour after she left I headed home via the same route - Merimbula-Cooma-Canberra. So far we'd driven almost 6 hours and flown 1 hour...just to get back home again :confused: ...I'm sure only aviation enthusiasts would see that this all makes perfect sense! Next task was to prepare for our flight to our first stop which would be Coffs Harbour. We loaded the CT4 up with fuel, camping gear, clothes, cameras and anything else we thought would be useful for our first ever flying camping trip. We depart Canberra at about 13:30 in clear blue skies and 25+kt winds for the coast, planned route is Canberra-Victor One then coastal to Coffs Harbour. The 25+kt tailwind made a quick trip to Sydney, ground speed averaged about 170kts for this first leg! Approaching Sydney we drop down through the steps from 5500' to 500' for the Victor One transit. Popping out the other end at Manly we climb back up to 3500' for the next leg up to Newcastle and the now vacant beach at Nobby's Head...bit strange not seeing the ship on the beach. Our tailwind at this point had become a crosswind with about 10kts on the nose...which would be with us all the way to Bundaberg...and the outside temperature had risen from about 8 in Canberra to 25 along the coast, very nice ;) Obtained clearance from Willy to transit Willy airspace via the coastal VFR route at 500'. Passing Point Stephens lighthouse we're clear of airspace restrictions and climb back up to 3500' and continue our track overflying Camden Haven and Port Macquarie and on to Coffs. It was a bit eerie up that way on Thursday, there was a lot of burning off happening but due to an inversion layer the smoke didn't make it much above 500'. Approaching Coffs we contact the (very quiet) tower and obtain clearance to track straight in for a landing on runway 03. Flight time Canberra-Coffs Harbour 3.2 hours. After taxiing down to the GA parking area we shut down and are greeted by another CT4 owner called Geoff Partridge. Geoff owns number 48 and is a Coffs local. He's also one of those in the aviation community that go out of their way to help you out if he can...for all our trip planning we actually forgot to think about accomodation and getting around while we were in Coffs. Geoff just happens to be involved with a local car yard and was kind enough to offer us the use of one of their used vehicles while we were in town - a BIG THANKS to Geoff for all of his help and hospitality while we were up there...we'll be back there one day! ;) After a relaxing night at a very nice resort just out of Coffs we head out to the airfield to prepare for our next leg which will take us up the coast to Bundaberg. Departing Coffs we confirm the Evans Head restricted areas are all deactive which will make our trip a bit easier. Heading up the coast we pass by Evans Head - it's a shame to see such a great airfield being overrun by housing. On to Ballina and overhead we contact Brisbane centre to arrange a clearance through Gold Coast, Brisbane and Maroochydore airspace. Expecting to have to scoot past all of this at 500' over water, it was a nice surprise to get a clearance to track overhead Gold Coast to Moreton Island then over Maroochydore at 4500' - couldn't get direct over Brissy due to traffic. Approaching Maroochydore we had a strange experience with a Virgin 737 conducting an approach underneath us...bit odd to look down on top of a 737 passing 1000' underneath you! With Maroochydore behind us we track direct to Bundaberg for what we expect to be a fairly busy approach...and we weren't disappointed. Calling inbound from about 20 miles out we were advised by the controller that we were about number 9 to land with about 15 aircraft inbound and due in circuit about the same time. As we approach the airfield a Mustang is about to begin a practice display and we're all directed to hold wherever we are until the display is complete...at this stage we were over the town so we did a few laps of the main street (big exhaust but no doof doof though :)) then followed the Mustang into circuit for landing. Airmanship Note #1: We noted quite a few ultralights attempting to conduct straight in approaches from 5 miles out while there were high speed GA, warbirds, jets etc. in the circuit. While straight in approaches are legal, I'm not sure they were appropriate in this environment for anything less than high performance aircraft. We spent the afternoon and evening setting up camp and meeting fellow aviators from near and far. On Saturday we were up bright and early to be out at the GA park to get the CT4 refueled for our early departure on Sunday. Spend the day walking around looking at the many exhibits, watching the flying displays and talking to a heap of pilots from Air Force, Angel Flight, Army, Warbirds and more that I can't remember...except for two other CT4 owners that we met, Phil from Ballina (number 37) and Alan from Maroochydore (number 38). There was supposed to be a night display which turned out to be a bit of a fizzer - didn't start till 3 hours after the day display had ended and even for us very keen aviation types, that's a long time to wait. After another restless and sleepless night in the tent (I'm soft - I like my comfy hotels!) we pack up camp and head out to the airfield for our big trip home. The plan is to be home that afternoon tracking Bundaberg-Toowoomba-Tamworth-Canberra, one of our friends owns a BD4 was heading back to Gouldburn so we kept him company on the way home. Unlike the coastal trip, there's not a lot to look at or talk about on the inland track. The Bundy to Toowoomba leg took 1.4 hours and like our trip up, it looked like we'd have blue skies and a head wind all the way home...always the way! We landed to top up tanks and stretch the legs...didn't want to hang around too long as it was pretty windy and cold at Toowoomba...and we were in shorts & t-shirts...brrrrr. Departed Toowoomba for a direct track to Tamworth, along the way the cloud started to build and on this leg we'd leave blue skies behind for a solid layer of cloud at about 5500' which was with us until Canberra. After 2.1 hours we were on the ground and refueling and stretching again...oh, and wandering around admiring the gaggle of CT4s they have at the BAe school there. Departing Tamworth we left our friend in his BD4 who was heading direct to Goulburn and we headed to Bathurst then on to Canberra. After another 2.4 hours under cloud we were touching down in Canberra and wishing we'd put long pants and jackets on...it's funny how we never think about the destination clothing requirements when flying. All up the trip starting in Merimbula and ending in Canberra took 13.4 hours flight time, about 540 litres in fuel and covered just over 1800nm. It was our biggest flying adventure so far and was a great experience. We met some great people, saw some great sights and reinforced my love for comfy hotels :). Attached are some pics from the Google Earth GPS tracks, other pics are in the AUG 2007 photos section: 1. Picture of full track from Merimbula to Canberra via Bundaberg 2. Williamtown VFR Coastal Route 3. Victor One Cheers Matt & Kaz.

If you're interested in options in Defence, defintely give the Air Force a call. I was lucky enough to do work experience with the Air Force as a pilot when I was in year 10. Spent 5 days at 1FTS when it was at point cook attending classes, going to briefings and got a few flights in as well...in CT4s of course ;). Cheers, Matt.

Yep, took the CT4 up...stay tuned for a trip report. But in the meantime, here's some pics from the trip. 1. BAe Strikemaster from Port Macquarie 2. Pip Borman 3. Mig15 4. CT4A - a couple of our new friends 5. CT4Bs at Tamworth 6. Cessna Mustang VLJ...new item on the wish list

Hi guys, this is a Grumman Avenger. There's currently two of them flying in Australia...have just returned from seeing them both perform at the Bundaberg airshow.

Hi Troy, I expect you'll get a lot of responses to this one. The other thing to consider in looking at stalls & spins is spiral dives (which are often confused with spins). There's some great reading on the RA-Aus website which covers all of this, check it out: http://www.auf.asn.au/groundschool/umodule8.html. Cheers, Matt

In my experience and knowing a few ATCs, they prefer to group characters (as Paul has mentioned) for memory and rhythm, we were Sportstar3978 which was always "Sportstar Thirty Nine Seventy Eight". Similar to Paul, we actually found the numbers being dropped and just Sportstar being used...never found ourselves in the same controlled airspace as another Sportstar. The Canberra controllers sometimes had difficulty and confused the Sunstate callsigns with us as they use 4 digit flight numbers so regularly in Canberra you'd have us "Sportstar 39 78" in the same control zone as "Sunstate 14 15" or similar. Remember a few occasions when we became "Sunstate 39 78"...that always got a chuckle out of us and the controllers. Matt.