Video: Flying the C206 from Richmond, via Longreach and Emerald

[Tomo]

 

Edit: fixed broken link!

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

where's the video?

 

 

[Tomo]

where's the video?

Good question! I'll go looky...

 

Edit: Fixed!!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

What the hell you doing out in that country Tomo ??......long nav !!.......................................................Maj...

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

What the hell you doing out in that country Tomo ??......long nav !!.......................................................Maj...

We thought he could do with the experience Ross...

 

 

[Tomo]

Can't let aviation opportunities go past Maj! Was asked to do a friend a favour, so you know what my answer was!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That's good nav experience country Tomo...hope you enjoyed it..................................Maj...

 

 

[Tomo]

Very much so

 

 

[Tomo]

Up flying in my stamping ground

I like it up there, there's pretty much nothing... but there's just something to the country that I like. My mate flies from Longreach (Steve Cavill - "Outback Ariel Mission") so I keep tabs on the local happenings from him. Dropped into my mates property for smoko on the way home, he lives on track almost between Richmond and Longreach - "Westbury". Good country up there, could do with some rain though.

 

 

[Jeff Gordon]

Great Video Tomo. Love the Great Wide Plains that are Australia. Just like being at sea, except more interesting.

 

 

[Tomo]

Thanks Jeff! Yeah I love the country out there for some reason!

 

 

[winsor68]

What is the fuel burn on that mighty beastTomo?

 

 

[Tomo]

On cruise it runs around 13 gal an hour. So around the 55ltrs hour for cruise.

 

 

[robinsm]

What awesome country! Great video.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Good on you buddy, that kind of featureless country really teaches you how to navigate if you haven't got a GPS ... LOL. It brings a whole new meaning to dead reckoning. That country has a whole beauty of it own doesn't it mate.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I had a flight earlier this year from a cattle station North of Hughenden Qld (Soda Valley). Left at sparrow-fart intending to drop in an hour or so later, to another Station (Lammermore) about 60 South of Hughenden.

 

On arrival over where Lammermore should have been by GPS, I was confronted with low early morning cloud just above ground level, below me. Cloud was probabily about 500 AGL and would have burnt off in an hour or so, but I didn't have an hours fuel to hang around and wait.

 

I hung around for about 15 minutes above looking for landmarks to locate Lammermore, but failed to do so.

 

I then set course for Charters Towers, as my final destination was Townsville. Tracking just South of the Flinders highway , I noted that a large cloud band paralled the highway on the north side of the highway. Probabily 80nm out of the Towers it became obvious that I wasn't going there either, due extensive cloud cover.

 

I then altered my course to the South to track to another cattle station Bruslee, where my good friend Brian has an Xair, about 60nm South of Charters Towers.

 

Arrival at bruslee was in clear skys with still 1 Hr + fuel in the tanks (the lightwing carries 90 lts max, for around four hours safe endurance) , and I was certainly ready for breakfast by now, which I had originally hoped to have at Lammermore about three hours ago !..I then loaded more fuel for my final leg to Townsville.

 

This was at no time a real stressfull flight, but one in which fuel remaining had to be considered often, where enroute decisions had to be made, and where alternate destinations had to be considered, and used. Had things become more serious due either fuel or weather, there were lots of other stations with airstrip where I could have safely landed as required. Most of the flying was in smooth early morning air for good Xcountry efficiency.

 

Point I'm trying to make here folks over this vast brown country is threefold:......

 

1. Always have plenty of fuel in the tanks, don't depart anywhere with less than full fuel.

 

2. Don't always rely on reaching a planned destination.

 

3. Always have plenty of alternates available, and be flexable enough to use them when needed.

 

The wide open country that we are blessed with in Australia is very enjoyable to fly over, but can also be challenging at times...................................................................................Maj...

 

 

[Tomo]

Thanks Maj, great tips.

 

My trip out there was pretty anti climatic in that everything went to plan, and the weather was perfect. Only complaint was the smoke!

 

I cheated a bit in that I followed the roads pretty much, and also had the GPS, and Auto pilot... Also Brissy centre keeping tabs on things - flight plan and SAR. Once we got a bit of height it was smooth as smooth. Lots of time to look around and keep ahead of yourself.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Back in the old days (before GPS) the instructors used to laugh about how accurate students were following headings, speed and time when flying Nav courses West of the Great divide ... no features, just a compass and accurate speed and time keeping. Amazingly we used to be on track virtually every time. I hope we don't lose that skill Tomo.