Crossing Bass Strait

[JG3]

Crossing Bass Strait

 

Planning for crossing Bass Strait isn’t all that difficult. There’s a well-worn track from island to island, with the longest over water stretch 32nm. At 8500ft and with an 8:1 glide ratio, that’s 11nm, say 10 with a margin, so that leaves only 12nm out of reach of land.

 

Yarram is the best airfield to start from. It’s closest to the Strait, and has NextG coverage to study the weather, very important. There’s excellent facilities there, with an open clubhouse with tea/coffee, microwave, (surely you have some tinned food along....), a bunk room, and even a comfy lounge with TV. Might need to wait there and watch the weather until it’s really OK. With mobile coverage and iPhone or equivalent these days you can get really excellent weather information. You can phone ahead to AWIS at Flinders for local conditions there. If cloud base is below 3000ft, glide distance is much reduced and there’s a chance of no radio to Melbourne..... Of course you don’t go over cloud, eh, I certainly don’t. I was sure glad I went under the thickening cloud that I encountered at Deal on the return trip – there were absolutely no holes left anywhere when I got to the mainland.... At 2500ft I didn’t have radio direct with Melbourne so no sked, but other aircraft could relay if had to do a distress call – not as comfortable as I’d like next time..... The weather can be unsuitable for days at a time so patience required..... The problem is getting both ends right at the same time; this is a transition zone between mainland and island weather influences. A long time Tassie pilot with thousands of hours of fish-spotting experience, reckons that March/April is the best time for flying Tassie – often a big high right over the whole area.

 

It’s 98nm from Yarram to Flinders Island, with three islands along the way.

 

Yarram to Cliffy 23nm, another 20nm to Hogan, another 23nm to Deal, and then the longest stretch 32nm to Flinders Is, with several small rocky outcrops across that last portion. I’ve had a look at Cliffy and Hogan, and they have flat shrubby areas suitable for ditching – they’ll be a lot rougher than they look from the air, so probably wreck the landing gear and bend the aircraft, but dry and survivable. Deal has a good airstrip to service the lighthouse, but it’s to be used for emergency only. Killiecrankie, right at the north end of Flinders has an excellent strip, a good place to land and ‘water the grass’ in celebration. From Flinders to Tassie is island hopping with only short bits of water, and good airstrips on Cape Barron, Preservation and Swan Islands.

 

I enter Cliffy, Hogan, Deal and Killiecrankie in the GPS as waypoints, and then always have the next in line as a ‘Direct To’ with the distance to run on the GPS, and keep in mind the distance back to the one just left behind. Then I can always know which is the closest, in order to continue or turn back. That also keeps right to mind the best location information for the sked, or to call in case of a ditching.... Far easier for someone on the other end of the radio to remember and visualize, for example, “....On track from Hogan to Deal, 10.4nm to run....”, instead of a jumble of Lat and Long coordinates.

 

There’s basic information in the back of the ERSA for ‘Bass Strait Crossings’. Setting up a sked with Melbourne Centre is certainly recommended. When you call on the area frequency, Melbourne will probably ask you to come back on another frequency such as 130.3, and set a time for you to respond. Be aware that that time will be in UTC, so be ready to think in UTC.

 

For the return trip, Lady Barron Grass on Flinders is the best strip to wait and watch weather. It’s right next to town with a shop and pub and NextG service, camping permitted, and a welcoming owner. You can phone AWIS at Latrobe Valley for conditions over there – maybe not quite the same conditions as the coast at Yarram but it’s the nearest. I doubt that Killiecrankie has mobile coverage.

 

So it’s quite doable, with a bit of planning.

 

JG

 

 

[PapaFox]

Excellent write-up. This one has definately been on my bucket list for a while!

 

 

[rgmwa]

Thanks JG. I've saved your writeup for future reference. Enjoyed the photos of your Tassie trip.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[chrisag]

Yarram does have an AWIS as of recently. It will be published in ERSA shortly. Freq. 134.7 and phone no. 03 51825697.

 

It was great to catch up with you at Yarram John.

 

 

[sfGnome]

Thanks JG. Well written and informative - that one's going in the hope chest.

 

 

[Mark11]

I'd like to fly a Microlight (x series 582) following this route

 

 

[bushpilot]

Great summary, JG.. Something our club is talking about doing..

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

I'd like to fly a Microlight (x series 582) following this route

Mark

 

Just bear in mind the following:-

 

1) Glide ratios on an Edge X are going to be significantly worse than JG's Sav. Hence your "out of luck" time will be longer in terms of NM's and because of the Trikes slower cruise therefore much > in terms of time. Throw in some headwind component (always much> as a percentage of cruise on a trike) or worse a side wind, where your impacted whether you push on, or turn back, and what might have been fun might really rapidly become a whole lot less fun

 

2) To get a best outcome for the glide ratios appropriate for a trike you obviously need to be high......I'd be wanting a heated flight suit, and a means of making sure I could continue to see out the helmet visor. End of April can have some transitioning to winter weather.....

 

3) wing loading on a trike is light, An uncomftable set of bumps in a 3 axis is likely to be "wishing I was down there" in an Edge X with a wizzard wing.But then I may be a coward and certainly wouldnt want to play this particular game with a wizzy, in fact Im not sure i have the neccesary balls to even play it when armed with a streak...

 

Andy

 

 

[robinsm]

Its on my bucket list for the Xair.

 

 

[Zibi]

MarkJust bear in mind the following:-

 

1) Glide ratios on an Edge X are going to be significantly worse than JG's Sav. Hence your "out of luck" time will be longer in terms of NM's and because of the Trikes slower cruise therefore much > in terms of time. Throw in some headwind component (always much> as a percentage of cruise on a trike) or worse a side wind, where your impacted whether you push on, or turn back, and what might have been fun might really rapidly become a whole lot less fun

 

2) To get a best outcome for the glide ratios appropriate for a trike you obviously need to be high......I'd be wanting a heated flight suit, and a means of making sure I could continue to see out the helmet visor. End of April can have some transitioning to winter weather.....

 

3) wing loading on a trike is light, An uncomftable set of bumps in a 3 axis is likely to be "wishing I was down there" in an Edge X with a wizzard wing.But then I may be a coward and certainly wouldnt want to play this particular game with a wizzy, in fact Im not sure i have the neccesary balls to even play it when armed with a streak...

 

Andy

Also the Edge x with it's 44l fuel tank won't leave you a lot of wiggle room for an almost 100nm journey.

 

 

[Mark11]

Good comments. Mine is a streak wing.

 

There are means to increase fuel tank.

 

I wouldn't ever do it alone, nor try the whole trip without the frogger approach....

 

Long way off before I do it...

 

Regards

 

Mark

 

 

[crashley]

hi we did the trip to lady baron a few weeks ago in our rv12 had a huge tailwind ( 40 knots + ) so got there from latrobe valley in 70 minutes the return trip had a low cloud cover so could only get to 2000' but the wind had changed directions so we didnt have much of a head wind coming back

 

next time we will spend a bit of time looking at the islands

 

 

[facthunter]

There was an extensive post some time back on ditching "trikes". Is there a link to it? From what I understand you run a good chance of injury.

 

I find the concept of a "well worn path" relating to a track over water, as somewhat inappropriate in conceptual terms. Nev

 

 

[Mark11]

There was an extensive post some time back on ditching "trikes". Is there a link to it? From what I understand you run a good chance of injury.I find the concept of a "well worn path" relating to a track over water, as somewhat inappropriate in conceptual terms. Nev

What's the best way to ditch a microlight?

 

Discussion in 'Trikes and Microlight Aircraft Usergroup' started by Kev, Apr 26, 2011.

 

This might be the post you are thinking about...

 

Regards

 

Mark

 

 

[facthunter]

Think you're right. Close to a year ago. Nev

 

 

[skeptic36]

here

[rgmwa]

hi we did the trip to lady baron a few weeks ago in our rv12 had a huge tailwind ( 40 knots + ) so got there from latrobe valley in 70 minutes the return trip had a low cloud cover so could only get to 2000' but the wind had changed directions so we didnt have much of a head wind coming backnext time we will spend a bit of time looking at the islands

That may be the furthest south an RV-12 has ever been!

 

rgmwa