JG3

Like Narromine used to be.......

I'm already in direct contact with Fernando, trying to figure what's happening here. Never heard of similar results in any of the many conversions done.... JG

Well stated, my feelings exactly. I went to 11 early Narromine fly-ins, even when in a 50 kt ultralight that took two days to get there. I don't want to go to such an airshow that's being advertised, so definitely won't be going either......

Yeah, trifocals are a bit of a nuisance. Takes awhile to get used to them, but it will happen. Many of us have adapted quite well, and now no problem. I've been flying with tri-focals for 20+ years now and don't notice them. But I am talking about true tri-focals, with the three sections, not the gradually changing multifocals which I couldn't get used to.... Some manage to get used to them, but I couldn't find any advantage. For my flying glasses I request my optometrist to set the dividing line between the distance and middle range so that I can view the distance over the panel and the instruments in the mid range without tilting my head. I request reading distance to be set just right for maps on my lap. Works really well. I have had prescription sunnies for flying, but now find clip-on sunnies more convenient than swapping. And can change easily from really dark shades in bright glare to orange tint for hazy conditions. Doesn't need to cost anywhere near $1000. Just choose a pair with slim ear pieces so they fit best under the earpads. By all means stay away from surgery except for a bad cataract, which will give brilliant results, but you'd still need the tri-focals cause that new lens can't focus....... JG

This is the Windyty forecast for Birdsville at 2000ft tomorrow morning 5am. Looks like a lively ride......

Both belong to the station, and are definitely off bounds, vigorously defended..... I know of a couple of flyers who landed on the highway, and even then she came driving over immediately to abuse them, thinking that they might have used her airstrip....

I found this clip-on funnel at a King Kong Discount store. It works just great, don't have to hold a funnel with one hand and pour with the other. The inventor deserves an award.

I didn't keep track of total fuel usage, but at 17-18 litres/hr at 80 kts for 56 hrs that would be about 1000 litres. I started with about 170 litres of 95 mogas, then carted 20 jerry cans (20x22=440), so about 610 would have been mogas and the rest avgas. A lot of work to cart all that mogas.... I still don't know important it is to avoid avgas, but on a long trip to the Pilbara when I had used a lot of avgas, I did once get a bad mag check and found the first plug that I removed completely covered in lead deposit, couldn't even see the points. All the rest of the plugs had the cavity between the insulator and the shell completely full of lead..... So since then I've made more effort to avoid 100LL (the LL doesn't really stand for low lead, but actually Lotta Lead), and always carry spare new plugs if I'm going to have to run on avgas..... 80 kts is my preferred cruise for speed/economy compromise. Best economy cruise is of course nearer to the best glide speed, which is more like 60kts, so a bit tedious..... This is the fuel cart that I made up from an old golf clubs cart. Weighs 2.5kg. When towing the weight centers right over the wheels and is really easy to tow. Breaks down for easy stowage in the aircraft. These wheels are 200mm diameter and roll really well even over rough dirt. 100mm would be the absolute minimum.

Must remember that you should always be within gliding distance of the runway, so an ultralight with it's typical glide ratio from 500' is going to be much closer to the runway than a faster aircraft at 1000', so no chance of being run over from behind, and in a position such that it's right in line of sight from the aircraft at 1000' who should be watching in that direction for ground traffic and picking his point to turn base. The only point of conflict on a common flight path would be on final, which is going to be very short for the ultralight, so excellent visibility from base leg for the ultralight looking out the longer final for the faster oncoming aircraft, and excellent visibility for the faster aircraft looking in from base and final to his proposed touchdown point. That ultralight circuit makes for excellent separation.

I always follow roads if they aren't too much out of the way. Even if the road loops out from the straight line track, the extra distance isn't very much at all, well worth following it. Some say, "If you're following the road might as well be driving it." But not true at all. Driving the road you only see the white lines, the oncoming trucks and the doddering caravan in front, barely time to glance at the continuous bush along the way. From 2000ft the whole perspective is just as good along the road as it is along the direct Xcountry, but it sure is comforting to know that continuous runway is down there.... Some places like Arnhem Land there's no road to follow, and real dense tiger country, so just have to carry on if you want to go there. More altitude gives more options, but over that gulf savannah country it still doesn't give any better options, and the scenery becomes really blah at high altitude.... Of course I'm constantly scanning to watch for opportunities for landing sites and assessing how I would approach them to get it right....

Good idea. I'll get some photos next time I'm at the airfield.

I've just added a lot more detail about stopover sites and fuel stops, and an interactive map to zoom in on details. JG

A blog with the story and photos is at 2017 Flight to Arhem Land and Centre

I've since just finished flying the Arnhem Land coast, so can answer my own question... I knew that a permit is required to land at any of those small airstrips. There are dozens of ideal strips, some with only a couple of houses at them. They are considered to be private property, and a permit is required to land at any of them. The process is to apply to the Land Council and then they must contact elders at each site for permission. I applied to two strips to be able to camp overnight without intruding on the residents. Did not receive any reply at all.... Later, I talked to a mission pilot up there and he reckoned no way to get a permit unless knowing someone there and being invited. So I had to fly right through without stopping over.... You don't need a permit to land at any of the Security Controlled airfields, such as Gove, Elcho Island, or Maningrida, so long as you don't leave the airfield. But of course, not allowed to camp on such a airfield....

I was just up that way and learned the real story behind this incident. It seems that a Cessna 206 had hit a couple of cattle when landing and was blocking the middle of the actual strip. The Jabiru was able to land on the remaining portion of the strip, but was doubting takeoff with full fuel, so elected to try the road verge. Didn't work out, but there was a valid reason he tried it....

[quote=" So interesting though this thread is, it doesn't have much purpose in the real world, IMO. Not quite. Some years ago we had an aircraft with an engine failure setting up to land on a golf course fairway, only to notice a couple of golfers strolling away right in the wrong place. They showed no notice of his approach and he had no way to warn them, so he diverted to land on a nearby highway and was killed in a collision with a 4wd.....

It used to be performed every year at the Clifton Fly-Ins.

Excellent advice!

In 2012 I got a South Dakota license with only a one night receipt, a written test and a short test drive. Many itinerant RV owners with no fixed address go especially to SD to do the same. I forgot to mention that I also did the written FAA exam for the Light Sport license. This is a fairly comprehensive exam and needs some considerable study. I used the King Schools on-line course, $300 but worth it, and scored 93%. This study is necessary to familiarize the differing rules and airspace designations. There are lots of serious military areas over there, some totally prohibited some shared, and TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions) which usually follow the President when travelling around and have 'lethal force' protections not to be messed with....

[quote=" To me that reads you need a PPL or higher (which is recognised by ICAO) to do the conversion. There might be some other exemption buried somewhere but it wasn't immediately forthcoming in the time I had to look, but I doubt it. Pretty much correct. I have experience of flying Light Sport/Ultralight aircraft in the USA for several months each year for four years. I couldn't find any way to legally use my RAAus certificate over there. It's not recognized at all. The flying schools that I approached read the rules that I would have to do 20hrs basic training. Only vague indications that if I presented a really official looking logbook they might be able to recognize some of that time. But their system requires that after the training course you must do the final test with an official FAA examiner, who would have to agree to that shortcut, and that didn't seem to be likely..... Before you can even start training you must get clearance from the TSA (Transport Security Authority), fingerprints life history, etc, etc., to make sure you aren't a terrorist.... I jumped through the hoops and passed all that, cause those guys have no sense of humor at all if I got caught out..... Then I went and did the aero medical, cause it's not possible to get a drivers license in most states these days without proving history of residence (except South Dakota where you only need a receipt for one night in a caravan park to qualify....) Another advantage of doing the medical is that I received a Flight Training License, which doesn't have any real value other than for training but I hoped it would at least show that I had made the effort. The medical was really easy, just listen to my heart, stand on one leg and read a chart. But no way was I going to pay for 20hrs basic training, since I did that 25yrs ago and have 2700hrs experience. Especially since our training system is far more detailed that theirs, (no extra time required for x-country or endorsements over there)..... Then I just went flying, several hundred hours from 150 airfields in many states, and never got questioned. Just must be careful not to cause an incident that would start an investigation..... You wouldn't be able to rent an aircraft that way. I had my own 'ultralight'. They have an ultralight Part 103 category that requires not training or registration at all, really a strange setup! But they must weight less than 254lbs empty and can only carry 5usgal of fuel, so are pretty flimsy and useless except to get high enough to get killed.... I had an overweight 'ultralight' that would qualify as 95.10 here, so was a really capable aircraft. There are lots of them over there and so long as you stay out of the 'GA big boys' way everyone turns a blind eye, "If it looks like an ultralight and sounds like an ultralight and flies like an ultralight then we'll just pretend it is...." Once again, must be really careful not to get in the way of the 'big boys'.... Most Americans do have a really good attitude of personal freedom, in that "...if you're not interfering with anyone else, just go for it..." I had intended to buy a Light Sport aircraft, but the catch is that you must be an American citizen or Green Card holder resident to be able to register an aircraft there..... So it's not easy at all. I think I investigated all possible dodges and had help from sympathetic friends and instructors, but I couldn't find a way around.... If you were to get a PPL here then that is valid over there with just a check ride and a written test to cover differences in rules and airspace, etc, (and probably TSA clearance these terrorist days...) PPL is valid for Light Sport and ultralight aircraft. To rent probably would just need to show a logbook for time on type and go for a check ride. I hope you can find a way, cause there's some terrific flying over there, especially in the western states. JG

Does anyone know of an airfield along the north coast of Arnhem Land where I could likely get permission to camp overnight???? JG

Tony is goin well. Last summer flew across to Washington DC area all at 500ft, he likes to fly low......

I can't find the original photo, but it's near the front of this blog http://jgflyingroadtrip2014.blogspot.com.au/