Flight to The Centre

[JG3]

Gday All,

 

I just got back from a grand flight to Alice Springs and The Centre. 2700nm round trip. Wish we were still out there, but a rain front was pushing in from WA.

 

Went with Hans (701) and myself (Savannah) from Kilcoy, Roger and wife Kerrie (Savannah) from Caboolture, and Brian (Savannah) from Boonah. Went Injune, Rolleston, Longreach, Lark Quarry, Boulia, Mt Isa, Boulia, Bond Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, Hermannsberg, Palm Valley, Kings Canyon, Henbury meteorite craters, Curtin Springs, Ayers Rock, Kulgera Roadhouse, then they went south to Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges, Broken Hill, and are now following the Darling back home. I went east into the Simpson Desert and found an abandoned oil exploration strip and landed and stayed the night. Wish I could have stayed longer, but the approaching weather pushed me all the way home on a strong tailwind.

 

Some photos are at:

 

Picasa Web Albums - j.gilpin - Centre Flight...

 

Cheers,

 

JG

 

 

[flightygirl]

WOW! that is my dream trip! would love to hear more about the planning and where you stayed, how you worked out refueling, what did you carry etc. My partner and i have a Savannah and plan to fly from Sydney to Uluru next year. We are hoping others come along for the trip.

 

What precautions did you take flying in the remote areas? how many hours did you average for each leg? questions questions!

 

the photos look amazing. no doubt the trip of a lifetime!

 

Rach

 

 

[JG3]

Yes, by all means do it!

 

I'll do a write up for the magazine, that will answer all those planning questions.

 

It's really quite easy when you know the right spots and contacts.

 

JG

 

 

[flightygirl]

cant wait to hear more! am so inspired to get the maps back out and get back into planning. so would you say you went at the best time of year? we are still a little flexible with when we leave, so am keen for advice on best time of year to go.

 

 

[Spin]

Brilliant photos as usual, John. Thanks for posting.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

what Spin said John..great photos thanks for sharing:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest JRMobile]

Truly great pics John, some of the geography of the center are the stand outs for me eg #25, 26, 27.

 

Thanks for sharing! :)

 

Cheers John

 

 

[sfGnome]

Fantastic photos!

 

 

[GregF]

I am so jealous.........

 

Truely Awesome!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Cheers

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Mighty Jealous here too.

 

I have a 2 week trike trip coming up later in the year, but won't quite be making it all the way to the red center.

 

Hope I can get some shots half as good as yours . . . and finding that abandoned strip in the Simpson Desert. Can't get much more isolated than that.:thumb_up:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

[Tomo]

Incredible. :thumb_up:

 

Will have to show my Grandad your pictures as he has covered probably every meter of Australia and that country, but I bet he's never seen it in this perspective. From above! (Tour operator for 50yrs.)

 

 

[JG3]

Yeh, any of those aircraft could do the trip. All those strips that you need, such as Kings Creek Station, Curtain Springs, Bond Springs, and Kulgera Roadhouse are long, well-maintained dirt strips suitable for the Flying Doctor aircraft.

 

I have a passion for going 'off-road', thus the big tires, but that's a whole different game....

 

JG

 

 

[Kenny]

Likewise I am also extreemly jealous as I was to make the number 5 plane on the trip but due to an accident with a circular saw 3 weeks before I couldnt make it.

 

Now after seing the photos I am even more upset. This would have been my first big trip to the outback.

 

Anyway John well done with the pics and I hope to join you all on the next one maybe Birdsville.

 

Cheers Dags:score 010:

 

 

[JG3]

Yeh, Dags, we thought of you often, and wished you had been able to come along.

 

Next time for sure, and there will be more trips for sure....

 

As to planning and fuel stops, I'll write up a guide later when I can make the time. I just have a lot of issues to catch up on first, and resent spending too much time at the keyboard this time of year.

 

Fuel and logistics are not a problem when you know where to go. It's quite doable in just about any aircraft, and sure is worth doing, so keep your dreams alive for next year.

 

So that you can start by booking your holiday time, this is the advice from Ken Watts at Bond Springs, who's been flying out there for more than 40 years, and will welcome visitors to that airfield.

 

Late April thru May -- cool to cold mornings - very good temperature inversions - warm days - light winds. Chance of frost late May.

 

 

 

June thru July -- Cold frosty mornings - low level temp inversions with a higher inversion level at 5-7000 Ft. AMSL -- fresh and gusty winds associated with cold fronts moving across the Great Australian Bite. As we experienced, winter rain a possibility, usually from the same North West cloud band.

 

 

 

August thur Sept -- Cool to cold mornings with a chance of frost -- warmer days - lighter winds - good temp inversions - diminished chance of rain.

 

After 2nd week in September I always say that you can expect the weather to be getting hot.

 

 

 

Late September you can expect the start of the equinoctial gales -- October defiantly with a slight possibility of cool mornings but hot days -- turbulence & thunderstorms.

 

Tailwinds always,

 

JG

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Great trip, great photo's and we're all very grateful for this fantastic post. Australia- clearly a country whose enormity and beauty can only be fathomed from above- we are all so lucky to live here.

 

Many thanks + all other comments!

 

 

[Powerin]

Thanks for the pics John. The flying you do really is the epitome of "recreational" aviation. Something that we can all aspire to!

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

 

 

[dazza 38]

Nice photos John, Thank you

 

 

[IanR]

We just got back from a similar but shorter trip to the centre - absolutely magic - particularly Coopers Creek, etc. What I would like to know is how you get such good photos - my wife took heaps but only a few came out well !! Yours are so clear.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Ahh, my old stamping grounds. The channel country looks better than I have ever seen it and that lone gum tree has a fence around it to keep the tree eating beasties out. I built the roads Birdsville - Bedourie - Boulia - Winton - Longreach - Windorah and I managed the clinics Birdsville to Urandangie from Winton. Did trips over the Simpson to visit friends, but never bothered with Uluru. Went to Alice once for the Aust Women Pilots conference. The Alice - Boulia trip was the longest leg I have ever done - a tad over 4 hours into a headwind. Pax legged it to the amenities as soon as we landed. Your pictures have brought back many memories. Must go for a nostalgia trip one day.

 

Sue

 

 

[planedriver]

The number of posts say it all.

 

What a great trip and fabulous photo's.

 

Thank you so much for posting them, for us all to enjoy.

 

Many who are able, will have itchy feet now, and start planning, i'm sure.

 

Kind Regards

 

Planey