Crossing Bass Strait

[Russ]

chasing info....mainland to tazy

 

when............don't you even think about it.

 

Tips..........??

 

 

[Marty_d]

Virgin, Jetstar, or Spirit of Tasmania.

 

 

[Russ]

so.........i stow me 160 in the overhead locker........aye what

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Done it three times. Needs planning. Via King Island or Flinders, similar exposure either way. Wear life jackets and stay in touch with Centre on 15 minute skeds. Fly high as practical, but cloud may force you low, so don't count on it. Choose the weather.

 

 

[gregrobertson]

Pmccarthy gives good advice. I have crossed Bass Strait many times in GA aircraft. (Archer 2, 210,and TB20 Trinidad). Always from Latrobe Valley via Cliffy Island- Hogan Island- Deal Island-Flinders Island-Cape Barren Island- Cape Portland. Plan to fly as high as you can, above 7500 you should not be out of gliding range of land, albeit sometimes a little rocky island . File a flight plan and talk to Melbourne centre and use skeds. Wear a life jacket, warm woollen cloths. The better prepared you are the more you will be able to enjoy it. Greg.

 

 

[Russ]

might.......just might, have a buyer for my 160 on that little isle.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's fairly likely he/she won't want it sitting on the bottom of Bass Strait. A mate of mine sold a 230 that had been used with a school. that flew to Kiwiland via Norfolk Is. Might have landed Lord Howe too. Nev

 

 

[Russ]

Greg....you mention, in part.......wear warm woolies, yea ok, up high get's a tad cool.......pull on cab heat, cozy as. ( was intending 10k asl..thereabouts )

 

"skeds".............i'm listening, enlighten me, thanks mate.

 

life jackets.....yea, got them, use em off the coast runs, always.

 

R

 

 

[facthunter]

Jabs glide well. Helps the crossing planning. Note the wind component carefully when doing an equi-time point and allow for turning height loss. (When you have to turn) Also gliding into wind use a faster airspeed. Nev

 

 

[billwoodmason]

Russ,

 

Skeds are scheduled radio reports of your position as you proceed over water, usually at 15 minute intervals nominated by the pilot - organised by a radio call to Melbourne Centre prior to proceeding over water. In the case of a missing report Melbourne Centre will initiate a search if necessary.

 

 

[Oscar]

Russ, you might want to think about the water temps for timing your trip - the water down there is pretty cold, most of the time, not fun to be in at all. Also, quite strong swell can last several days after a windy patch, and can be a nasty, confused chop across the prevailing currents. I bought my boat up from Lakes Entrance to Sydney quite some years ago, running with a high pressure cell all the way and the residual cross swell from the preceeding low made the Bass Strait leg of that trip really uncomfortable, there would have been no preferred ditching direction, just some patches less worse than others.. Other days, it can be nice and smooth.

 

 

[facthunter]

It gets waves from many different directions and coupled with the fact it is only about 200 feet deep there are freak waves at times. The water temp is very cold as many currents are from south of the bight. Not down the east coast. Nev

 

 

[Russ]

guys............if the noise goes quiet, then it's going to be vne +, into that abiss, be damned if i'm bobbin about...........slowly freezing to death, and having limbs ripped off by them white pointers every where, get it over and done with. ( same mindset if doc says......bad news russ )

 

flame me......don't give a rats. ( all discussed, and an understanding entered into )

 

Now, sort of off topic......

 

We put our much loved pets down, when their life is the pitts, we do that with genuine love, hurts like hell, it's openly acceptable. You/me......have to ( by law ) endure the journey of wasting, to be released from this world.........crazy. Yes, i'm a firm believer in my right for voluntary uthanasia, when the doc says........bad news.

 

 

[Oscar]

Russ: no way, mate!.

 

In half reasonable weather, there are more boats out there than you think.. I can't vouch for the situation right now, but there used to be quite sizeable fishing fleets operating from Lakes Entrance and Welshpool, all over Bass Strait - and they have GPS that would bisect a fly on Mortein.

 

Horst at Lakes used to operate several cats, and they operated about 360 days a year; even the smallest - Nightjar, the 60 or so footer, - could do about 25 knots in anything less than a severe storm. This is no joke: I was working on my boat at Paynesville, when one of Horsts's bigger cats arrived quietly, lined itself up to the slipway and knocked back the engines to idle - all on autopilot:- +/- 1 metre of the centreline. Tell them where you are and they'll get there..

 

Carry a waterproof Marine VHF handheld, a PLB and a set of pen flares in your jacket pocket. Wear an inflatable life-jacket - so you can get clear of the thing if it flips - and strap a water-toy inflatable Li-lo and pump in a bag to the RHS with a grab handle, so you can get yourself out of the damn water. Add to the bag, a couple of decent cheese-and-salami sandwiches in a ziplock bag and a hip-flask of rum/brandy. And a pack of cards, to play Patience while you're waiting. Stick your mobile phone in a waterproof bag as well, so you can check your Facebook if you get bored.

 

The 160 won't break-up even in a rough ditching, and the wings will be positive buoyancy, even with almost full tanks.

 

Your biggest risk, if you don't do something incredibly silly, will be embarrassment that all that stuff has to be carted back.

 

Bass Strait has been crossed in 13 hours in a Laser dinghy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Laser_Standard_160588_01.jpg.

 

Just don't head out on a wing and a prayer..

 

 

[peterg]

Geday

 

It is a fairly simple trip - I've done it many times both VFR & IFR - used to work for Flinders Island Airlines in the 1960's and have done lots of ocean racing.

 

Oscar has given you some good advice so I will not reiterate what he has said (e.g. marine VHF VIP) - Pick your weather - do some research - survival suits are worth a look these days - worth noting that if you inflate a life jacket you might be on the surface but the spray whipped up by the wind off the waves may drown you - water forced into your mouth - devices (funny looking hats) are available to protect you from this.

 

Make sure your PAX has a PLB attached to them as well.

 

Make sure you lifejackets are double bladder and in service.

 

I flew a vintage A/C from the UK to Australia app 25 years ago and as part of my research I spoke to ferry pilots - key point was "if it is not attached to you you haven't got it" - that bloke ditched between Calif & HiLo, got out, inflated the raft & woof - off it went

 

Happy to provide more

 

 

[K-man]

I'm not sure why everyone is so concerned about flying over water. Just do the normal things and .. oh yes .. don't tell your aircraft it's over water. What it doesn't know won't hurt you.

 

 

[Russ]

it's what's in the water i don't like......survive the ditching, but end up fodder for some critter.

 

 

[Guest asmol]

I thought Queenslanders were meant to be tougher than that Russ

 

 

[Russ]

Maate....saw the movie "jaws" 25 yrs ago........i'm still getting over it.

 

 

[Oscar]

Russ - those big bities are everywhere there's water...

 

Rod Stiff lent my brother a very early Jab - 1600-engined - after a set of test flying, for a bit of a holiday. He and his wife toddled up to the Whitsundays for a look around. They were pootling along, when they saw what was obviously a Great White cruising down a passage - and it rather freaked them when they saw that the shadow of the Jab. on the water was not much larger than the size of the GW when they passed overhead.

 

I used to sail dinghies and cats in Middle Harbour, Sydney, as a kid. Just off Balmoral Beach, there is a deep hole- and it's chocko with bloody large sharks - Bulls, Hammerheads. I've been pickled there on a VJ, with something - I couldn't identify it - larger than the VJ, 10 feet beneath us. Yet, the only shark attack in Middle Harbour was on Marcia Hathaway - in knee-deep water, in a bay where we used to swim as kids all the time. I had last swum there just over a week before that attack.

 

Becoming breakfast for a tooth-enhanced pelargic monster is about priority 20 on the list of dangers, ranking after swallowing the whistle you're blowing on to attract attention. I'd be more worried about being run over by an over-enthusiastic rescue-boat skipper.

 

 

[Litespeed]

I agree the chance of becoming dinner for a toothy is very very very...........low. More likely to be eaten by the rescue boat prop.

 

You can always hire a electronic shark repellent- now is use by scuba divers.

 

Carry a knife- ala Croc Dundee and you can feast on sushimi while you wait.

 

 

[terryc]

I agree the chance of becoming dinner for a toothy is very very very...........lowI know your logic but having fallen overboard from a yacht and watching the yacht sail with a full set of sails away from me I wasn't thinking of drowning or of being cold and wet, I was thinking of a big set of pearly whites coming for me. thaaaaaat was a tough day.

[Russ]

moons ago, up in the territory, camped at some river spot, overseas traveller asked......how far do you run before a croc stops chasing you.......i replied....run straight at it, tourist pondered for a minute, then said....run at it, why,........ maaate i says, do you want to be ripped limb by limb, or get it over real quick....run at it, and dive into it's open jaws.

 

 

[Pearo]

Russ - those big bities are everywhere there's water...Rod Stiff lent my brother a very early Jab - 1600-engined - after a set of test flying, for a bit of a holiday. He and his wife toddled up to the Whitsundays for a look around. They were pootling along, when they saw what was obviously a Great White cruising down a passage - and it rather freaked them when they saw that the shadow of the Jab. on the water was not much larger than the size of the GW when they passed overhead.

 

I used to sail dinghies and cats in Middle Harbour, Sydney, as a kid. Just off Balmoral Beach, there is a deep hole- and it's chocko with bloody large sharks - Bulls, Hammerheads. I've been pickled there on a VJ, with something - I couldn't identify it - larger than the VJ, 10 feet beneath us. Yet, the only shark attack in Middle Harbour was on Marcia Hathaway - in knee-deep water, in a bay where we used to swim as kids all the time. I had last swum there just over a week before that attack.

 

Becoming breakfast for a tooth-enhanced pelargic monster is about priority 20 on the list of dangers, ranking after swallowing the whistle you're blowing on to attract attention. I'd be more worried about being run over by an over-enthusiastic rescue-boat skipper.

Another sailor here. Spent plenty of time in the briney, never been eaten. Just like most of my mates.

 

One day I was sailing as youngen (maybe 15) when I broke a tiller in a race. Sailed the boat almost back in but capsized in the mouth of the river. I was tired and we could not get the boat back up. When we finally got it upright a fishermen upped anchor and offered to tow us in. When we got to shore he showed us his prize catch, a 5ft shark caught about 30m from where we capsized!! Most sharks are not interested in people.

 

 

[K-man]

Now these are interesting guys.

 

 

The species was described by Jacques Cousteau, the renowned oceanographer, as "the most dangerous of all sharks".

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/8183748/Oceanic-whitetip-shark-ten-facts.html

 

I had the pleasure of swimming close to two of them on the continental shelf about 20 years back. I didn't find out what they were until I got back on the boat about 45 minutes later. Thankfully they didn't appear hungry.

 

Then again, it does say they like aircraft crashes ...