The Terrors of Long Distance Flying
The night terrors only get more complicated .. wind, rain, storms, navs, daylight, breakdowns, plugs, fuel, temps, pressures, accommodation, food, ..
0530hrs. After a restless night in a little jump bed on my sister’s floor on a freezing Toowoomba it was enough for me. I jumped in the shower and when I emerged, wet but fresher, the porridge was ready. To the ATM for some fuel cash, the universal language at strips where others have swipe cards, and a quick drive to Danny’s hanger at Wyreema to charge up the trusty Savannah ADV, “Zefiro” the slickest in the West.
52 cranks of the prop and the 912s finally burped, but the oil was too cold for an accurate reading. All other checks good, full fuel and two 20 litre reserve bottles safely stowed with everything else, a quick defrost of the screen, and off we go. Key on, fuel pump, mags, full choke, CLEAR PROP to the sunrise and crank. And crank ….and crank …and crank ….and crank. Rest. Choke off. Full throttle. And crank ….and crank …and crank ….and crank. Rest. Battery showing strain. Throttle off, full choke, and crank ……..and crank ………..and a cloud of smoke and ignition!!! A good long warm up is called for!
Billy, Michael, Andy and Trev witnessed a less than perfect touchdown at Clifton on 0600hrs ten minutes later, straight into the sun, but it did stop me right in front of the club house. Run over the maps and a final tweak or two to avoid the Pilliga scrub and Pukka air space, no, no tea thanks, and with no other craft up yet, taxi to 24 and away from the sun. The gutsy little 912 will trim out happily at 70 knots and 700 feet a minute, so with a slight turn to the left and the compass showing 204* we are bound for Narrabri by about 0800hrs on June 13.
You see, we have sold our home just South of Toowoomba and have built a retirement(?) house on King Island. Roughly 850 nautical at 204* and one massive puddle will get you there.
Lots of scrub between Clifton and Narrabri, but the trusty Garman, the maps, 4500 feet of clear air and a judicious eye out for clear paddocks 300 meters long, give me some confidence. Mt Kaputar is a great big sign post that says,” Narrabri just to the South West.” What a glorious sight all those crags and crannies make on this lovely clear and sunny morning.
Seems strange, that 182 just took off on 18. I would have thought this tail wind would have been down to the ground. OK straight in approach. Calls, checks, 65 knots, 12* flaps, bit of a flutter in that sock, and float ….. Beggar this, it’ll be 36 for me when we leave! Off behind the fuel shed and what a relief! Glad I didn’t have that cuppa! No card, no Scotty from the flight school to fuel me up, so I’m glad of the extra 40 litres I’m packing. Think I’ll stretch my legs while the syphons do their thing.
OK. Walk round, kick the tyres, wriggle the tail, check in with Sharon, waiting patiently for me in Melbourne and Trev, the trusty CFI, concerned about all his little birds and back into the cock pit. All checks done and all secure again, backtrack 36, call, and into the crystal clear air. A gentle climbing left turn through 240* and we are tracking down the Eastern side of the Pilliga towards Mullaley. The sky is so big and clear the Warrumbungle’s are visible from cruise height so I keep just to the left of the scrub and point hop down the map to join up with my track from Mullaley to Parkes. Coonabarabran (what great names they have down here) slides through on my right, bit of a diversion round the end of this range and there’s the dish. Just to the West of the restricted air space and full zoom on the camera brings it into full focus. I wonder what distant star it’s peering at?
Parkes is just over there, so let’s do a flyover and check the sock. Don’t trust these Cessna’s! Calls, and down we go, a lovely three pointer on #####. (Oh well, we can all dream Billy!). A quick call to John and he is on the way with some Av Gas. Sam has just flown in from Temora in his slick RV6 and his mate is following in his hoary old Volksplane. I’ve heard about these tough old suckers for years so while the Savannah fills up and another 40litres goes into reserve, we wait ……. I’m glad I’ve packed cash so I can pay John his $155. Two couples on a jaunt from Sydney start their preparations on their lovely RV4 and Lancair while we wait ……. Might have a can of baked beans and call this lunch …….. An army jump team start up their turbo props and take off on 04 …….. Will I have a drink ? Just a mouth full …. Is it?? Yes it is, the Veewee is in sight. Down, down, flare and perfect but what is that horrible grind as he swings off the black? Poor beggar, his tail wheel fell off. They just don’t make Bugs like they used to! Sam runs over to his mate to give a hand but I just can’t bring myself to witness the poor dudes chagrin.
Phone call to Trev and a text to Sharon,
Left PKS 1.20 SHEP 4.00 ILUB XX (See if you can work that out), checks, calls, follow the Lancair and RV4 out to 04 and we are off. Funny how your perceptions get screwed up here. The sun seems to be in the wrong place again as we track 204* for Forbes, but there it is, right on course. I just love this part of the flight as we start to cross all the rivers Mr Peters taught us about back in grade five. I wonder what that old sod is up to now? Probably only a decade or so older than me. Funny how at 25 he seemed ancient to us.
West Wyalong to the right, Temora to the left, Grong Grong straight ahead. Lake Urana just on the horizon on the right. Hmmmm .. old John the fuel guy said the weather would be lousy near Shepparton, amazing that he should know, that’s 240 nm from him. Where is that shower going … will I get there in time. Over Savernake with 50 nm to go it’s all too dark. Flick through the ERSA for a diversion to Tocumwal. Funny CTAF from memory. Here we are with a student doing circuits in Jab telling me that 36 is the go. Thanks Glen. Down onto Toc International to marvel at all the wartime infrastructure. Phone Trev, text Sharon and Don, the CFI gives me hanger space and a ride to the Bakery Motel for a good sleep after seven hours in the air with a couple of diversions. Up to Food Works for a chicken and a loaf of bread and its lights out for me after some forgettable TV.
Ker-chingggg, eyes open at 4.15. The night terrors are back… wind, rain, storms, navs, daylight, breakdowns, plugs, fuel, temps, pressures, accommodation, food, Bass Strait, SKEDS …I wonder why I can’t shift this headache. Oh Yes!! No water yesterday. Better fill up. Three glasses later I’m back in bed with the air con down and the electric blanket up.
Ker-chinggggg, eyes open at 5.15, 350 ml out, 500 ml in, back to the pillow.
Ker-chingggg, 6.15. 350 out, 500 in and have a shower. Macca is talking to an old girl from Bannockburn. Seem to remember that name. Celtic fair there today, all welcome.
Two slices of bread and a cup of coffee, make that two, and Don’s back to take me to my beloved ‘Zephero’ for another days’ adventure. Don and Glen are off to Deniliquin today for a fly in, so I use Don’s card and give him $70 cash to fuel up. Reorganise the maps and draw a few new lines to track from Toc around Pukka and down to Lorne for the scary bit along the cliffs to Apollo Bay. There goes Mt Camel, Pukka is off to the left and I can see Mt Macedon off to the left in the distance. Good marker that one. Now, something fully about Backus Marsh. Oh yeah, gliding field in NOTAM’s. Have to split the distance between the field and their soaring area. Geez, this is a long way with two coffee’s and 2 l of water in ya!! There’s Bannockburn. Knew that name rang a bell. Geelong off to the left, there is Melbourne CBD back there, what’s that near Anglesea, .. a smoke stack? No, power station. Here is the coast, Lorne, Wye River, Pt Hawden 10 nm out, and there is Apollo, 4000 feet down. Sea mist off to the South, but I can see ships 10 miles out, so I might be in with a chance here. Where’s the LOOOOOO!?
Can’t find Apollo in ERSA but I’m sure it is 126.7.
‘Apollo traffic, Savannah 4601, 10 nm NE inbound descending through 4000’ ETA 6 minutes, you there Vic? Apollo traffic’.
‘Savannah 4601, Apollo Bay. Vic’s not here, I’m Ben and we have 5 kts NE active runway 27, Apollo. You’re clear to land’
Mid field cross wind, downwind, base, final, full stop.
Hey Ben, good to meet you. Been to King Island lately? Yesterday? All OK? Weather today? Scuds early? Checked the radar lately? Clear!
Now, Steve’s mobile number … Stevo, how’s the fishing? Been on the water today? Scuds early? Front through at 3.00? Clear now? 8 kt NE? See you in an hour. You’ll pick me up? Good lad!
Top off the tanks with the spare 40 l. Out with the charts to check on the frequencies. Lots of changes on the way down and one over the middle of the Strait. SKEDS procedures.
Text: Landed Apollo, KI 12.00. Weather OK.ILUB XX
Take off downhill on 09 I think, bit of cross wind doesn’t matter. That hill to the West is a lot scarier!
‘Melbourne Centre, Savannah 4601, departing Apollo Bay at this time on track for Cape Wickham King Island and King Island airport, 4500’requesting ten minute SKEDS over water. Melbourne Centre.’
‘Aircraft requesting SKEDS Apollo to KI repeat call sign and type, TAS, Melbourne’
’Melbourne Centre, SAVANNAH 4 6 0 1, ultra light, 90 kt TAS’
‘Savannah 4601, SKEDS in place, report next at 21’
‘Click click’
1122 ‘Savannah 4601, you OK.’
‘Sorry Melbourne, just dodging a scud. Thanks, will report at 31 on new frequency 123.9’
OK Savannah, don’t be late’’
‘Melbourne Centre, Savannah 4601, reporting @31, can see Cape Wickham’
ÓK Savannah, are you cancelling SKEDS?’
‘Melbourne Centre, no, keep them there, 8nm still to go, will call as I cross the coast’
‘Roger Savannah’
‘Melbourne Centre, Savannah 4601 crossing KI coast just West of Cape Wickham light, Cancelling SKEDS. Thanks for your help’
‘Savannah 4601, cancelling over water SKEDS, gooday’
Click click.
‘King Island traffic, Savannah 4601, over Cape Wickham, descending through 4500’, inbound, ETA your circuits 12 minutes. King Island traffic’
(Recorded voice) ‘King Island CTAF 126.85’
Checks, carbie heat, 300’descent per minute, throttle back, set trim, 115 kts on the GPS, 98 on the dial, check harness, hatches, Rex flight inbound from Melbourne behind me by three hours with Sharon on board.
Looks like 10 is the go. Bit of a cross wind but 1585 meters of black in front of me, I think I will land long! David, who runs the Rex flights and fly’s a 172 is there to help me tie down in preparation for the blow at 3.00pm and offer me a cup of coffee. No headache yet, but a couple of glasses of water will keep that at bay anyway.
Now, statistics:
10.3 total engine hours @ 18 l / hour translates to about 180 l with five stops and some long warm ups because of the cold mornings.
Averaged about 97 kts with a tail wind all the way ranging from 2 kts to 15 kts.
Measured distance 862 nm. Would have shaved a few off this around the Pilliga but added a few at Tocumwal.
Three mandarins, one apple, one can baked beans, one packet of Smiths chips, 150 g dried fruit and a packet of Spearmint and a swig of water.
Would I do it again????
TOMORROW!!!!!!
