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Flight to the Far Corner of OZ


JG3

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Excellent trip story, with accurate information, and great photos! Thanks also for the heads-up to Windy.com - that is truly an excellent weather website! The number of layers available, is staggering!

 

It's a major advance on EarthWind map, which is still relatively useful, though. The major advantage of EarthWind map, is the ability to find the winds at varying altitudes.

 

[/url]https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=128.59,-29.58,1470/loc=89.794,-29.887

 

 

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The story is that they are only for use by the Flying Doctor, and then only when 'official traffic control' (police?) is in action.

 

 

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It's a highway, frequented by road traffic - that comes and goes randomly and suddenly. Previously-unseen vehicles could pull out onto the highway from a track in the scrub, near the "runway", just as you decided it was safe to put down.

 

Accordingly, the highway traffic use has to be regulated if incoming aircraft need to land, and traffic control initiated to avoid conflict. I thought that would be a fairly obvious condition, to anyone with a degree of "forward thinking"?

 

In most cases, where a light aircraft pilot decides to do an emergency or precautionary landing on a road or highway, it's quite common for the landing aircraft to hit road vehicles, or other road obstructions.

 

In many cases, roadside guide posts and/or road signage have to be removed before the aircraft lands, as they are a potential danger to aircraft wings, particularly if the weather conditions are gusty with cross-winds, and departure from the centreline upon landing is likely.

 

With many of these highway runways, the guide posts and signposts are installed with a quick removal arrangement on their base, so they can be pulled down quickly for aircraft arrival, and re-erected quickly for normal road use.

 

Many years ago (I think it was around 1985), a former business associate with a PA-28, had engine stoppage due to fuel starvation, supposedly due to a faulty fuel tank selector valve (we suspected operator error, but he was an accomplished liar, so he got away with it).

 

He put down on the highway between Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie - which although wide enough at the time, didn't have enough wing clearance between the highways sealed section, and the roadside signage.

 

As he coasted to a halt, he caught a wing on a very substantial piece of roadside signage, and tore the wing off. He had a 13 yr old girl as a passenger, but fortunately, neither he nor his passenger were injured.

 

 

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Thanks John, great story and pictures, and great fuel cartage system. I've walked a few miles just to get something to eat. Bought two folding bikes, but they were too heavy, and still too big.

 

Also very impressive coverage of Australia on that map!

 

 

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It's a highway, frequented by road traffic - that comes and goes randomly and suddenly. Previously-unseen vehicles could pull out onto the highway from a track in the scrub, near the "runway", just as you decided it was safe to put down.

 

Accordingly, the highway traffic use has to be regulated if incoming aircraft need to land, and traffic control initiated to avoid conflict. I thought that would be a fairly obvious condition, to anyone with a degree of "forward thinking"?

 

In most cases, where a light aircraft pilot decides to do an emergency or precautionary landing on a road or highway, it's quite common for the landing aircraft to hit road vehicles, or other road obstructions.

 

In many cases, roadside guide posts and/or road signage have to be removed before the aircraft lands, as they are a potential danger to aircraft wings, particularly if the weather conditions are gusty with cross-winds, and departure from the centreline upon landing is likely.

 

With many of these highway runways, the guide posts and signposts are installed with a quick removal arrangement on their base, so they can be pulled down quickly for aircraft arrival, and re-erected quickly for normal road use.

 

Many years ago (I think it was around 1985), a former business associate with a PA-28, had engine stoppage due to fuel starvation, supposedly due to a faulty fuel tank selector valve (we suspected operator error, but he was an accomplished liar, so he got away with it).

 

He put down on the highway between Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie - which although wide enough at the time, didn't have enough wing clearance between the highways sealed section, and the roadside signage.

 

As he coasted to a halt, he caught a wing on a very substantial piece of roadside signage, and tore the wing off. He had a 13 yr old girl as a passenger, but fortunately, neither he nor his passenger were injured.

You're right about outback traffic Came across a guy camped in the middle of the track one night, sleeping in his tent. Another time we stopped at the Burke & Wills Dig Tree. You can't get much more remote than that. As I stopped my young daughter opened a rear door and threw up on the sand. I moved the car forward to get away from the smell and avoid it being tramped back into the car. Ten minutes later a Land Cruiser came up and parked in my original spot. Before we could run back and warn them one of the kids had jumped out of the car straight into the mess.

 

 

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Thanks John, great story and pictures, and great fuel cartage system. I've walked a few miles just to get something to eat. Bought two folding bikes, but they were too heavy, and still too big.

 

Also very impressive coverage of Australia on that map!

One thing I learned about tripping around in little planes: you sure get to walk a lot.

 

Luckily, the human body is designed for it. This source claims 30km per day is one of the design parameters.

 

[/url]http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190610-how-modern-life-is-transforming-the-human-skeleton

 

 

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