Tell us about your last flight

[Flightrite]

Cesspool ML last night,  getting more & more a rat race every day!

[facthunter]

ALL cities are like a fungus spreading across the Land, when viewed from the air.  Nev

[RFguy]

8 circuits , YCWR , windy, gusty  but straight down the runway.

mix of 500', 800' , 1000' circuits depending on what height the clouds were blowing in for that circuit.

 

I actually had fun today. Relaxed, flying with just the tips of my fingers.

Usually with circuits I feel they are a chore.

 

[Old Koreelah]

Today I had intended to be flying to parts unknown out west; instead, I’m glad to be sitting up in bed at home with a cuppa. 
After weeks of planning, yesterday I flew to Narromine to meet other flyers for a BFR with Dan of Wings Out West, which was supposed to be followed by a trip around small towns with an airstrip and a pub…

 

Weeks of watching the weather map assured me it would be fine, clear and smooth. Instead, thirty NM west of Quirindi I ran into a solid bank of low cloud, forcing me down to about 1,000’ agl. The flight plan abandoned, all I could do was follow cleared valleys on my way west, keeping under the cloud blanket. Over Mendooran I found a decent-sized hole and started climbing up on top, into the sunlight. That turned out to be a very dumb idea, as it started closing on me. On coming back down, one tight turn took me momentarily into the soup; it’s frightening how fast things turn to crap when the ground disappears! 
 

Eventally finding Gildandra, I was ready to get on the ground, but the way south appeared clear. Got to YNRM okey and had a very useful session in Dan’s Cub. Because it’s his specialty, I got Dan to give me a few tips on getting down safely in case the noise stops.

 

The crappy weather put paid to the weekend so we decided to head home.

 

On the way home low cloud stopped me flying high over the big forests common out that way, so I regularly  swapped between OzRunways and Google Earth, which does show forests. Something I learned (and still cannot explain) is that there’s a lot of forest areas that don’t appear on GE! 

 

One lesson from this trip: just because you’re in the middle of a large High on the map doesn’t preclude crappy weather! Those slight wobbles in the isobars mean something!

[Old Koreelah]

On 4/6/2022 at 6:09 PM, facthunter said:

ALL cities are like a fungus spreading across the Land, when viewed from the air.  Nev

Feedlots for humans.

[waraton]

Check out the green in the picture with the Ivanhoe to Menindee road through the middle. A change from my usual blue sky red/dirt pictures from out this way which are the usual state of affairs in the Far West of NSW. 

[Blueadventures]

20 minutes ago, waraton said:

Check out the green in the picture with the Ivanhoe to Menindee road through the middle. A change from my usual blue sky red/dirt pictures from out this way which are the usual state of affairs in the Far West of NSW. 

Nice decaying cloud shadows, would have been very nice conditions.

[Flightrite]

I high pressure doesn’t always mean fine WX especially in winter! 

[trailer]

16 minutes ago, Blueadventures said:

Nice decaying cloud shadows, would have been very nice conditions.

Was magic out west today.

Edited June 18, 2022 by trailer

[waraton]

Yep was a good flight. 

[RossK]

My last flight was almost my last flight!

After weeks of Melbournes coldest start to winter in 40+ years, the weekend looked good for a trip away with only morning fog being an issue.

We made it to Hopetoun in NW Vic and spent the night at the local pub being entertained by the friendly locals. I can highly recommend Hopetoun as a weekend fly in get away.

Sunday morning arrived with a good layer of low cloud/fog as forecast. This was due to clear by 11am.

By 11am the cloud was still 500ft agl max.

Our plan was to track direct to Bendigo and refuel and then home via Kilmore Gap.

We sat around the strip waiting for the layer to lift and by 13:15 we were airborne at 1000ft agl.

By Birchip we were down to 600ft and it was it was looking worse ahead. So we landed on 04 and checked weather with friends in Melbourne. We decided to walk into town and get some fuel whilst we waited for the weather.

By 15:15 we were airborne again at 1800ft with a broken layer at about 2500ft

I was constantly calculating nearest airstrip for the just in case scenarios.

We were about 30 miles from Bendigo when there was a solid bank of cloud from the surface to about 2000ft, The overhead layer had gone and there was a higher layer of cloud at about 8000ft.

I wasn’t comfortable with going over the top as we couldnt see past it, so we tracked north looking for a way around. We could hear on the radio that it was clear at Bendigo and reports from a friend in Melbourne said it was clear there too. So we just had get past this bank and we were home.

The further north we went, the worse it got, so a quick 180 had us back tracking and I climbed to 2500ft, from here we could see through the two layers of cloud, so I climbed higher and we could actually see the end of the lower bank in the distance. So we headed back on track and went in between at 3500ft. Less than 5 mins later the lower bank just stopped and it was clear to 8000ft and we could make out Bendigo in the distance.

I was now relieved that we had enough fuel and clear weather to get home, so we flew on and passed Bendigo at 3500ft, but.

I had forgotten one thing. Time. The actual time. I had been counting minutes between airfields and concentrating on alternates. Half way between Bendigo and Kilmore I realised it was 16:50 and we were 30 minutes from home. Sunset was 17:08 and last light 17:35. I texted a friend to confirm last light as it was looking dim outside. Romsey was looking as a viable alternate at this stage. After confirming we could make it before last light, we pressed on.

Along the VFR route I could actually see the reflection of the strobe on the wings, it was very dim outside!

We made it to Sugarloaf reservoir and by recognising the road layout, I found the airstrip, joined base at 1250ft and 100kts, pulled power to idle, got to Vfe and put the flaps out. Turned final, and greased on probably my best landing of the year.

At this point my wife asked “did you see the roos?”!

There was three roos between the road and the threshold, but none on the strip!

We taxied back and shut down. I think I sat there for a good two minutes, realising that we just got lucky! I have a time stamped photo of us at touchdown at 17:24 – 11 minutes before last light. The photo doesn’t look as dark as it was, but it was dark! The strobe was clearly visible without looking around, the landing light was casting a bright beam in front of us. 15 minutes before last light is dark when you are trying to find an airstrip.

Had I realised the actual time when we were at Bendigo, I would have landed.

Get thereitis is real, and it nearly cost me big.

I will no longer plan to be that close to last light – I will monitor my ETA with reference to last light and if it’s under 30 minutes, I’m finding an alternate from now on. Never again. Never!

[RFguy]

Nice story Ross. It is good to write those sort of things up I feel for your own self assessment and others to ponder.

What I have realised about flying within 15 minutes of first and last light is that you cant see the paddocks  NOR the fences and power lines with enough detail to figure out if it is a paddock you can choose for a forced landing....

I have to go to Baradine tmw YBAD. do I take off at first light? maybe not, since that first 5 minutes on the climb is where the engine is likely to break if it is going to ....

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2022 by RFguy

[Mike Gearon]

Great story to share. Last light is a problem as the season changes. All the time in the world summer daylight saving. Glad you’re safe. 

[facthunter]

It's when a series of things add up that the holes in the swiss cheese line up. Get home Itis can be lucky "to get anywhere safe" scenario.. Been there, done that.  Nev

[Blueadventures]

On 18/06/2022 at 6:12 PM, Blueadventures said:

Nice decaying cloud shadows, would have been very nice conditions.

For those who have not done gliding there is a rule that cloud edges speckled with sun light are decaying and less lift and the sharp distinct edges are building and have working lift.  So gliding pass on the speckled edges for the sharp to get better lift an d in my powered flying like seeing the speckled edges for less lift / turbulence bumps.  

[pmccarthy]

I flew out of Kyneton yesterday (Sunday) about 10.30am but most cloud was at 550ft AGL and I climbed through a large hole to the north heading for Bendigo but it just got worse so turned around and landed, put the plane away.

[Flightrite]

The old crash comics from days gone by used to have numerous such stories, most not ending well! Do we ever learn? Humans are not very good at learning by their mistakes, we try and we fail all too often. At least this one ended with just a “phew”!👍

[facthunter]

Most pilots think accidents only happen to OTHER people. Nev

[RossK]

29 minutes ago, Flightrite said:

The old crash comics from days gone by used to have numerous such stories, most not ending well! Do we ever learn? Humans are not very good at learning by their mistakes, we try and we fail all too often. At least this one ended with just a “phew”!👍

Yes, to err is human.

I don't want to make this mistake again, can't make these mistakes often and  keep getting away with it. I just wanted to share to both dissect for myself and share a lesson learnt with others. 

Anyway, back to our regular more enjoyable flight reports please.....😀

[facthunter]

When you start out you need a lot of luck. As you use up the luck your experience should compensate but you will not live long enough to learn it all from Your mistakes. You have to learn from the mistakes of others AND you never stop Learning. When you think you know it all you are getting dangerous again.   Nev

[IHC150]

Hi all,

 

I finally had the 🦆🦆🦆 line up last week (not the holes in the swiss cheese - fortunately!) where some free time coincided with some decent weather so I ventured out for an overnight camping trip to Hay. There have been a number of days recently where fog has been an issue around the aerodrome at Corowa - inevitable given the location next to the Murray River - but with a bit of patience, safe flying weather can often be found in the afternoons.

 

I managed to join together enough shreds of video footage from the trip to make something that is watchable - at least my daughter tells me it is watchable, but she is biased! Anyhow, feel free to click on the link if you are stuck indoors and need a bit of an aviation fix or as a distraction from one of the coldest starts to winter in a long time. Alternatively, if you have access to an aircraft and it's not blowing a blizzard outside, turn off the PC/tablet/mobile phone and get out there and aviate! 😁 🛩️🛩️

 

 

[Flightrite]

With the advent of todays gizmo’s to make flying somewhat easier and safer these events should be very few and far between. Avplan, OzzyRwy’s and A/P’s (which are plentiful these days) all help to avoid the “Oh-sh1t” factor…….but then again do they really? Are we relying on modern technology to reduce the level of alertness we might have once had pre the techno crap? Now that’s the question!

[facthunter]

Thanks IHC . Very  watchable, Not many hills around HAY.  Nev

[IHC150]

Thanks Nev!

 

You're on the money about how flat it is! Great place to send an overconfident student pilot for a Nav exercise with nothing but the basics (i.e. no GPS/EFB etc switched on). Not many big lumps of dirt or rock or big puddles to use as landmarks and if you are coming in from the south it can be tricky to work out if you need to go left or right when you cross over the Murray or hit the Murrumbidgee! Especially if you haven't been keeping a close eye on the compass - you can easily end up 🦘Edward! Cheers Lawrie

[sfGnome]

2 hours ago, Flightrite said:

With the advent of todays gizmo’s to make flying somewhat easier and safer these events should be very few and far between. Avplan, OzzyRwy’s and A/P’s (which are plentiful these days) all help to avoid the “Oh-sh1t” factor…….but then again do they really? Are we relying on modern technology to reduce the level of alertness we might have once had pre the techno crap? Now that’s the question!

They help you to know/remember when is last light, but until you’ve discovered for yourself just how dark last light is, all the reminders in the world won’t help. A number of years ago, I took a few friends for short joy rides out of Mount Beauty late in the afternoon. By calculation, I was fine for the last run to finish before last light, but it gets really dark, really quickly down there between all the mountains. That was a very uncomfortable landing, and one that I’m not going to repeat any time soon.