What's the best location for flying?

[stickshaker]

Ambiguous, yes! Taking into account overall: beauty, good smooth weather, nearby places to fly to and so forth what do you think is the best spot in Australia to have as a home base?

 

 

[stickshaker]

My experience is limited. From what I know:

 

- Hervey Bay: nice water, good weather most of the time, a number of islands so quite scenic, a quick flight to Brisbane, a number of active airports in the region.

 

- Airlie Beach. Amazing scenery, weather not as ultralight friendly, quite a distance to any large/major centre (Brisbane/Townsville/Cairns).

 

I'd imagine Tassie is magnificent from the air (it was from the road) however weather could be quite bumpy, definitely not as sunny & calm as other places.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Apparently the sky is pretty good.

 

 

[docjell]

Bundaberg without any doubt - I lived there for two years and the climate for flying was absolutely perfect. It was within easy reach of Brisbane (if big cities are your thing) by road or plane, and via the Bundy Aero club a number of really good flying venues were on the menu! Picking up mates from Brisbane's main airport in a C172 was easy and a blast! Being asked to "line up behind the departing A380 having due regard to wake turbulence" was so much fun ! Bundy enjoys superb weather patterns, is a cheap place to live (by our extraordinarily inflated Aussie standards) and the airport was very pro-pilots and pro-avaiation in general. It was run (well) by the Bundy council and local casual aviators used the facilities without landing fees.

 

The city was very pro-flying - Bert Hinkler and Jabiru Aircraft both boast Bundy as their homes.

 

But- there is always a but eh!- Bundaberg is not the hub of the universe by any means! The city is parochial, narrow minded, not on the beach, has high unemployment, not much social infrastructure , and had a couple of utterly disastrous flooding episodes in the last 24 months which I can only imagine will have dealt a mortal blow to property sales in the area.

 

But - I have flown in the UK and Far North Queensland, and would 'regroup' to Bundy in a heartbeat- but ONLY for the awesome flying!

 

 

[stickshaker]

Apparently the sky is pretty good.

Such a conformist ;)

 

Bundy seems to be pretty good, town itself yeah ordinary but council seems very active trying to improve. They used to have an airshow which was cancelled the other year from memory, got an airpark in the planning. I'm thankful though a bit surprised Hervey Bay has flights direct to Sydney while Bundaberg missed out.

 

 

[docjell]

Er - yes - not quite sure what the cancelled airshow and Hervey Bay have to do with the original post stickshaker but thats what democracy is all about! The right to pen irrelivancies and post nonsense!

 

 

[stickshaker]

Bundy has had a lot of aviation activity. Despite all councils effort they didn't manage to get any airlines interested in flying there though, lost out to HB.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Sunshine coast of Brissy. The weather is great in winter and summer. Sure we get some ordinary days, but ... Add to that there is a LOT of G class airspace around there. Plenty of airfields to visit or keep your plane at. And scenery by the shipload, including whale watching in the season.

 

Preferred place to hangar the plane? Watts Bridge for sure. Easy access, not much traffic or wildlife to trouble you, great social calendar and it seems to be the main meeting place in the area when people go flying, they often drop into BVSAC for a cuppa and a chat. VERY friendly residents on the field. Reasonable hangar rents and membership fees. No students (much to speak of) or meat bombs. No obstructions on the approaches and plenty of options if you have an EFATO.

 

What's not to like?

 

 

[stickshaker]

I don't have enough greys for a daily ramble at the RSL with a beer, so my soapbox is a computer and the Internet.

 

 

[Yenn]

Best spot has to be within a few minutes of home. In my case North of Bundy at Rods Bay. Weather is good most of the year, scenery excellent.

 

 

[facthunter]

I'd put Goolwa on the list for good access to all of Australia. Nev

 

 

[stickshaker]

Victor Harbour area is lovely, have played golf there and driven around.

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

LOXTON

 

But I am biased.

 

Renmark,Mildura, Goolwa, Murray Bridge, Strathalbyn, Clare, Pinnaroo, Lameroo, Kingston SE, Gawler, Jamestown, Aldinga, to name a few that are less than an hour away.

 

Good weather, strips and club house.

 

Nearest bowser fuel at Renmark 12 mins.

 

Ctaf on door lock for coffee etc.

 

PHIL.

 

 

[Roundsounds]

Temora!

 

 

[Aldo]

Tara is pretty good, 330 days a year fine weather, 1 hr 10 min to Brisbane (AF), 1 hr 20 min gold coast, 1 hr 15 min Caloundra (Sunny coast), 1 hr 30 min Bundaberg, 1 hr 40 min Fraser Island, 3 hr 40 min Airlie Beach, 4 hrs 20 min Sydney (not sure why you would want to go there though)

 

Private airstrip, no fees, with hangers, 1 km of the black stuff and 1 km black soil.

 

Wouldn't be anywhere else

 

Aldo

 

 

[DrZoos]

Best bit ive seen is Murwilumbah/Byron Bay to Hervey Bay

 

 

[Kununurra]

Kununurra is a great spot.

 

Access to anywhere in the Kimberley with lots of options.

 

Weather is fine for 8 months of the year and let's face it the plane needs a little time in the shed while you admire how nice it is.

 

Given that I aim for 100hrs a year but currently don't reach that target because work gets in my way I think that you could pick anywhere in Australia and be happy ✈️

 

 

[waraton]

Admission of bias but BROKEN HILL is outstanding. It is centrally located, affordable, friendly and home! It takes exactly the same time to get to every place in Australia only dependent on how fast you are going. What is weather ?

 

 

[flying dog]

Maybe like the flying doc in Snake, but.....

 

May I submit the suggestion:

 

The sky

 

??

 

 

[flyerme]

LOXTONBut I am biased.

Renmark,Mildura, Goolwa, Murray Bridge, Strathalbyn, Clare, Pinnaroo, Lameroo, Kingston SE, Gawler, Jamestown, Aldinga, to name a few that are less than an hour away.

 

Good weather, strips and club house.

 

Nearest bowser fuel at Renmark 12 mins.

 

Ctaf on door lock for coffee etc.

 

PHIL.

You forgetting one ? Now has 450 useable,BBQ/bar/coffee lounge ,museum

And a very friendly enthusiast :) lol ......Sherlock International. Had a C172 land and took off , rv7 etc.... WX normally great however this past 5 months have been extreme :( 16 nm from murray and lakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hargraves]

Bundy aviation pioneer's chose the area for flying for two reasons number one, it is flat, with few rocks in its clouds, number two hervey bay its self is sheltered from the south and east which makes a loverly non surf washed gradual slopped beach coastline, two of the main ingredients for safety in those early days and could be argued, remain so in recreational flying today. Ps spot on assesment of my home town docjell. My wife puts an (anti) in front of any progress associations in our area but I would,nt permanently live and fly anywhere else. Cheers Hargraves

 

 

[fred cenko]

It would have to be around the Bundaberg region and i say that with experience after living in Melbourne for a while.Got some of the most steadiest calm weather anywhere i have seen.