Sydney to Bairnsdale - routes

[sfGnome]

Hi Ho! In the process of planning Sydney to Bairnsdale and back, with two major requirements;

 

• one refuelling stop on the way (beloved not too keen on landing, so must keep them to a minimum), and
   
   
  
• Keep out of tiger country (I aim to get old, not bold).
   
   
  

 

 

It's going to be week days, so I can't run through Nowra airspace, so figuring on (roughly) Goulburn, Polo Flat (landing), Orbost & Bairnsdale if there's no cloud issues so I can get up to 6500 across the Monaro.

 

Alternatively, if the clouds say otherwise, drop down from Braidwood to Moruya and follow the coast, stopping at Moruya or Merimbula. This leaves Mittagong/Braidwood as the highest part of the trip with ground level at 2500.

 

Assuming that all makes sense (please tell me if there are any holes in it), I want an inland option as well in case the coastal weather is crook. Albury to the Hunter valley is no problem. Question is, what's the best (safest) way from Bairnsdale to the Albury area. It all looks pretty rough and inhospitable to me. Is there an option, or is it the coast or nothing?

 

 

[alf jessup]

sfGnome,

 

Albury down the Kiewa valley to Mt Beauty, be at 8500 by Mt Beauty and pass on by Falls Creek, Mt Hotham Apt then down the Livingstone (Omeo)Valley to Swifts Crk then over a little range to Bruthen then Bdale.

 

I have done the Mt Beauty trip many times in my trike, very little time spent ove tiger country and with the speed difference between the trike and the Sierra it would be a breeze, plenty of landing options on the way from Albury to Bairnsdale.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[sfGnome]

Thanks Alf. Are the East Sale steps (R358) commonly activated?

 

 

[biggles]

Gnome

 

I would agree with Alf's suggested track rather than the coastal route . Another route which many take is is via Melbourne , if you want to avoid all tiger country . Of course it will take an hour or so longer but depends on your "comfort level". Often conditions South of the Dividing range are vastly different to the flat country North . Bairnsdale AWIS and other sources will be of some assistance in determining conditions , or alternatively call me on 0437178223 .

 

Bob ( will be interstate next weekend )

 

 

[biggles]

Thanks Alf. Are the East Sale steps (R358) commonly activated?

Yes active Monday to Friday around 9-4 . Check notams or call Melb.centre . Getting around the airspace is no problem and I regularly track around the Northern boundary . Puts an extra 6 minutes on the journey but you are always within gliding distance of flat country .

 

Bob

 

 

[kaz3g]

sfGnome,Albury down the Kiewa valley to Mt Beauty, be at 8500 by Mt Beauty and pass on by Falls Creek, Mt Hotham Apt then down the Livingstone (Omeo)Valley to Swifts Crk then over a little range to Bruthen then Bdale.

 

I have done the Mt Beauty trip many times in my trike, very little time spent ove tiger country and with the speed difference between the trike and the Sierra it would be a breeze, plenty of landing options on the way from Albury to Bairnsdale.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

G'day Alf

 

Gathering of the Moths, and the Lethbridge Toy Run on today and I'm sitting home in Kyabram thinking about a quiet snooze, instead!

 

I flew up to Albury for a meeting on Friday and it was dashed hot and extremely bumpy. I was orbiting just south of Chiltern when the tower responded to my inbound call with a clearance direct. As I completed the orbit to turn east I hit a beauty and stuff went everywhere. The iPad on the floor pax side, the ERSA likewise and my charts were all over the place. A few minutes later he call again thinking I had got lost! He had me join for a right downwind on 25 but had a Dash 8 doing a left downwind at the same time. He was that wide of the circuit I couldn't even see him out over the lake! I did the longest downwind I've ever done and thought I was going to end up in Corryong before he cleared me to turn base. Of course I floated for half a mile over the hot bitumen and he asked me if I was going to put it down or just keep going back to Shepp

 

I was having a laugh with John Buckley at Shepp aeroclub lunch yesterday (there is a 2 course lunch at 12.30 every Saturday). We were reminiscing about some of Ben's activities over the years. John mentioned that Ben often ran down from Albury along the Mitta Mitta valley from L Hume at Tallangatta to L Dartmouth and then to Benambra following the Mitta Mitta all the way. He said he could do it all below A025 if the weather was ordinary.

 

From Benambra south, join the Wentworth R and follow it to the Mitchell R and then to Bairnsdale. Valleys all the way BUT some are tight and you don't go down them if you might have to turn back. You also have the Mt Livingstone VOR-NDB south of Benambra as an additional guide if suitably equipped.

 

Hope things are good in Bairnsdale.

 

Regards

 

Kaz

 

 

[alf jessup]

Thanks Alf. Are the East Sale steps (R358) commonly activated?

Gnome,

 

The base usually activates at 08:45 Mon to Thursday deactivating at 17:00 usually unless night flying (not all that often), Friday they activate @ 08:45 and deactivate at 13:00 or sometimes 15:00, I have only ever seen them active once in 8 years on the weekend so your chances are good my friend.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[alf jessup]

G'day AlfGathering of the Moths, and the Lethbridge Toy Run on today and I'm sitting home in Kyabram thinking about a quiet snooze, instead!

 

I flew up to Albury for a meeting on Friday and it was dashed hot and extremely bumpy. I was orbiting just south of Chiltern when the tower responded to my inbound call with a clearance direct. As I completed the orbit to turn east I hit a beauty and stuff went everywhere. The iPad on the floor pax side, the ERSA likewise and my charts were all over the place. A few minutes later he call again thinking I had got lost! He had me join for a right downwind on 25 but had a Dash 8 doing a left downwind at the same time. He was that wide of the circuit I couldn't even see him out over the lake! I did the longest downwind I've ever done and thought I was going to end up in Corryong before he cleared me to turn base. Of course I floated for half a mile over the hot bitumen and he asked me if I was going to put it down or just keep going back to Shepp

 

I was having a laugh with John Buckley at Shepp aeroclub lunch yesterday (there is a 2 course lunch at 12.30 every Saturday). We were reminiscing about some of Ben's activities over the years. John mentioned that Ben often ran down from Albury along the Mitta Mitta valley from L Hume at Tallangatta to L Dartmouth and then to Benambra following the Mitta Mitta all the way. He said he could do it all below A025 if the weather was ordinary.

 

From Benambra south, join the Wentworth R and follow it to the Mitchell R and then to Bairnsdale. Valleys all the way BUT some are tight and you don't go down them if you might have to turn back. You also have the Mt Livingstone VOR-NDB south of Benambra as an additional guide if suitably equipped.

 

Hope things are good in Bairnsdale.

 

Regards

 

Kaz

Kaz,

 

I'm in WSL lol, actually at the moment I am in Moomba in Sth OZ working to pay for that plane.

 

And Ben, awesome character, yes I have been shown his LL route and it is quite doable not that I would be trying it in marginal weather as I don't have Ben's cahoona's

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[brilin_air]

Bob ( will be interstate next weekend )

You are always out and about. You off somewhere with Sals?

 

-Linda

 

 

[biggles]

You are always out and about. You off somewhere with Sals?-Linda

Yep, off to Brisbane to see what eldest son has signed himself up for this time (house) . Bairnsdale is nice this time of the year , time you two got into that 125 knot machine and spent the night with us !.

 

Bob

 

 

[sfGnome]

John mentioned that Ben often ran down from Albury along the Mitta Mitta valley from L Hume at Tallangatta to L Dartmouth and then to Benambra following the Mitta Mitta all the way. He said he could do it all below A025 if the weather was ordinary.From Benambra south, join the Wentworth R and follow it to the Mitchell R and then to Bairnsdale. Valleys all the way BUT some are tight and you don't go down them if you might have to turn back. You also have the Mt Livingstone VOR-NDB south of Benambra as an additional guide if suitably equipped.

Thanks Kaz. Don't think I'll be trying it at A025. In fact, don't think I'll be trying it at all if the weather is ordinary, but am looking forward to it immensely.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Kaz,And Ben...his LL route is quite doable not that I would be trying it in marginal weather as I don't have Ben's cahoona's

 

Cheers

 

Alf

Neither do I, Alf. Neither do I