Fill 'er up on the Nullarbor Plain

[Frankus1aust]

Anybody who had done the Esperance to the East (Ceduna) flight, any suggestions on where to fill up across the Nullarbor? A/C has 4.5+ hours endurance. The strips look rough and thirsty.

 

 

[KRviator]

A/C has 4.5+ hours endurance.

At what speed? Endurance doesn't equal range. Forrest is the only one I know of, and they list both AvGas and Jet fuel available.

[Downunder]

Forrest has large Bitumen X strips. Avgas and overnight accom/food and large hangar. Great place to stop. Check out museum. But depending on where you are going and what fuel you want, might be a bit far north..

 

I have stopped and overnighted at the Balladonia road house. Bit of a rough gravel strip. No access to bowsers but manager borrowed me his ute to fill my cans. They have 98. No avgas. Not many airborne visitors.

 

Lots of info in these posts.... Search results for query: nullabor

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

At what speed? Endurance doesn't equal range. Forrest is the only one I know of, and they list both AvGas and Jet fuel available.

Thanks, I suggest 110 Kn indicated would be a safe bet.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Forrest has large Bitumen X strips. Avgas and overnight accom/food and large hangar. Great place to stop. Check out museum...

Just looked it up. Google Earth shows Forrest as Loongana, with gravel strips. Can't find any buildings. Have I got the right place?

[Downunder]

Just looked it up. Google Earth shows Forrest as Loongana, with gravel strips. Can't find any buildings. Have I got the right place?

Further east, along the railway.Google Maps (see reviews)

 

Forrest Airport, Travelling Across Australia - Forrest Aiport

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

That's more like it! Thanks!

 

 

[poteroo]

Nullarbor RH has Avgas and the P-ULP is also accessible by taxying around to it.

 

Border Village RH has Avgas, but you can't get P-ULP except by carrying it around

 

Mundrabilla RH - opposite side of road, and only P-ULP

 

Madura RH - miles away

 

Cocklebiddy RH - no avgas but can taxi to bowser for P-ULP

 

Caiguna RH - Avgas, and P-ULP by taxying round to bowser

 

Balladonia - no Avgas, P-ULP by lugging jerries out the back.

 

Norseman - nothing!!

 

Expect to pay $3/L for avgas, $2/L for P-ULP. Check availability - they often run out!

 

Some of these strips can be very rough, with wind blowouts and gutters. Some can be a boggy mess, eg Caiguna if it's rained. Be very careful. Wildlife hopping everywhere. Bogans cutting up the strip isn't unusual. Call them in advance to check conditions.

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

[pjv123]

Just did the flight east from Esperance to Sydney and back , Avgas was $3.15 at Forrest and met a guy there that flew in from YNUB said avgas was $3.70.

 

 

[Frankus1aust]

Further east' date=' along the railway.Google Maps (see reviews)Forrest Airport, Travelling Across Australia - Forrest Aiport

I'm checking but I don't see any bowser. Might be time to buy the country strip guide

[Frankus1aust]

Just did the flight east from Esperance to Sydney and back , Avgas was $3.15 at Forrest and met a guy there that flew in from YNUB said avgas was $3.70.

Looks like Forrest is a good overnight stay

 

 

[Downunder]

I'm checking but I don't see any bowser. Might be time to buy the country strip guide

It is an aircraft refueling facility. That is basically what it is there for.Facilities - Forrest Aiport

 

Facilities

 

Forrest Airport has available AVGAS & JET A1 aviation fuel dispensed by bowser.

 

Aviation oil is also available. Fuel is available 24/7 including public holidays.

 

No landing fees apply. Payment can be made by EFTPOS (Bankcard, Visa, Mastercard and AMEX),cheque or cash.

 

Yes, great place to overnight. $140 (as of last November) accomodation/bfast and home cooked meal with the caretakers.

 

I would advise to put your aircraft in the hangar as it can really "blow"....Hangar built by the US services in WW2... by the way.... .

 

 

[Friarpuk]

In 2013 I flew Myrup (Esperance) to Caiguna to Nullarbor RH to Ceduna in a skyranger swift (100 hp Rotax) with plenty of reserve to spare. The strips were in no way rough either. Flying to Forrest is a long way round especially when you are not flying from Northam or Perth.

 

See my video in media folder

 

 

[rickshaw8]

My C172 went Eucla at western end of bight to Ceduna Ok. Had alternative as Nullabor on flight plan if it did not work out.

 

 

[Markdun]

We came East in a Tecnam in Jan 2017. It was a delivery and we didn't have experience of the plane's fuel burn/speed. 100 litres fuel, 20lph @ 100-110kts. Northam-Kalgoolie-Forrest-Border Village-Ceduna-Port Augusta-Mildura-Hay-Goulburn. Most nervous leg fuel wise was Kal to Forrest. Lots of strips to land on next to the railway line, but you would need to wait a long time for fuel (maybe weeks). We had a fall back option if fuel burn was more than expected to cut across to the coast. In the end we laneat Forrest with 30 litres in the tanks. Most expensive fuel was at Border Village (and the roughest strip). Best and friendliest service by a very long shot was at Forrest. Plane hangered for the night, lunch delivered, and a fantastic evening with the hosts and some fellow aviators, well lubricated by wine. Forrest really is a must stop-over.

 

 

[skippydiesel]

Seem to me the respondents to the original query are describing two different trans Nullarbor routes - The coastal route which has many options for ULP and the more northerly inland rout which has much much fewer options.

 

My (fantasy) trip planning from Sydney - Griffith - Mildura - Kadina - Ceduna - Caiguna - Kalgoorlie- Perth (or similar), to have many options for refueling (95-98 RON) my Rotax 912 motivated aircraft.

 

Returning via the inland route, Perth - Kalgoorlie Boulder - Forest - Kingoonya - Rawnsley - Broken Hill - Ivanhoe - Sydney , is much more of a challenge (if I want to avoid using Avgas) requiring the carriage of an additional 40 Litres of ULP in collapsible "jerry cans" on at least one leg .

 

It does appear to be a "doable" challange and a trip I have promised myself to complete sooner rather than later.