Tell you about an upcoming flight

[alf jessup]

Late July we are heading to Uluru in my plane a Tecnam Sierra P2002

 

Plan on leaving West Sale at first light on Sunday 22nd tracking via Mansfield for Swan Hill for a rest & fuel stop, then on to Broken Hill for the night.

 

Next day heading to Coober Pedy via William Creek if a fuel stop is required for a 2night stay in the underground motel and a few local tours

 

Day 4 it is off to Uluru for 2 nights of who knows what

 

Then start making our way back towards home via William Creek and BH again.

 

travelling with an experienced couple who will be in their 172.

 

So looking forward to it, will report back with photos and stuff of trip once completed 

 

 

[alf jessup]

Trip completed safely.

 

Left home on Sunday 22nd as the weather for Monday was forecast average south of the Dividing Range.

 

Departed West Sale and tracked via Lilydale-Sugarloaf Reservoir- Kilmore Gap- Bendigo and on to Swan Hill for the night, headwinds all the way. (20kts)

 

Day 2, Swan Hill to Broken Hill punching in to a smooth 45kt headwind at above 2000 agl most of the way taking 3.5 hrs for a normally 2.2 hr flight.

 

Day 3, Broken Hill - Leigh Creek (fuel) and on to Coober Pedy for a couple of nights in an underground motel and also to do some exploring. (20 kt headwind most of the way)

 

Day 4 touring opal mines, resting up and doing other interesting stuff around the place, was well worth visiting. If you ever visit look up Aaron Noble tours $65 bucks for a 5 hr tour including nibbles, also a fantastic young bloke.

 

Day 5, Coober Pedy to Ayers Rock, yep just another headwind of about 15kts, did the field of lights tour that night.

 

Flight time on the airswitch was 14.5 hrs for the 1150+ nm trip & consumed 276 lts of mostly Avgas.

 

Day 6, bus trip too the Rock for a look see around it and a 100m climb up it, yep wasn’t climbing it all the way. Worst and most expensive accommodation of the whole trip.

 

Day 7, Ayers Rock via Mt Connor- overflew Oodnadatta and on to William Creek for the night, yep about a 15 kt headwind to Mt Connor before climbing to 7500 and catching a 15 kt tailwind. William Creek is an awesome place to stay, great accomodation and meals and reasonably priced.

 

Day 8, William Creek - Lake Ayre North - Flinders Ranges - Lake Frome then on to Broken Hill for the night, (finally a consistent 15-17 kt tailwind for these legs), we hired a mini van and stayed this time at Silverton Hotel 27kms West of Broken Hill.

 

Best accomodation and meals out of the whole trip and very affordable, not to mention how wonderful Patsy & Peter the owners were to all of us, will never stay in Broken Hill again.

 

Day 9, Broken Hill - Swan Hill (fuel & lunch stop) then on to West Sale via Bendigo (few showers dodged at Bendigo through to Kilmore Gap) then down the VFR Route to Sugarloaf, over Coldstream and tracked north of Warragul then Home to WSL had a 25 kt tailwind from BH to SH and a ripper 37kt tail wind from Kilmore Gap through to WSL at 3500 agl.

 

11.2 hrs and 227 lts of Avgas for the return trip from AR including an additional 100-150nm extra on the return.

 

What a difference a tailwind makes on both time and fuel.

 

What I found amazing was Avgas prices in some outback remote areas was cheaper than what it is at West Sale.

 

WSL $2:40 cpl.

 

Swan Hill $2:36.

 

Broken Hill $2:37.

 

Leigh Creek $2:36

 

Coober Pedy $2:38

 

Ayers Rock $2:50

 

William Creek $3:00

 

Overall we had a blast, landed in some pretty strong winds at Broken Hill on the way up but wasn’t an issue, the 35 kt xwind made it damn hard to taxi down the main bitumen runway after landing on the dirt strip most in to the wind.

 

Plane ran real well on Avgas from Swan Hill onwards.

 

Averaged 17.7 lph overall for the trip running nothing under 5200 rpm, I also did a lot of climbing to find the best winds for the Cessna 172 that was with us as their burn was double mine in cruise.

 

Spent the best part of $4K to do the trip but accomodation alone for 2 nights at CP and AR was $1100, another $500 for the remaining 4 days, fuel was $1215, tours totalled $500 ish food and bevy’s a touch more.

 

But I must say it was worth every cent as the wife loved it including the flying part as she is not normally a regular flyer with me.

 

Few pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stewy]

Had of known you were in swan hill Alf ya could of slapped her in my hangar for the night sounds like a great trip

 

 

[alf jessup]

Cheers for that Stewy,

 

Next time mate if the offers still on

 

We have a friend of my wife’s up there we don’t visit anywhere near enough.

 

 

[Lucky01]

Awesome trip mate

 

 

[planedriver]

Great trip report Alf

 

 

[Stewy]

Cheers for that Stewy,Next time mate if the offers still on

We have a friend of my wife’s up there we don’t visit anywhere near enough.

No worries anytime no guarantees on room but there usually is and that goes for anyone happy to help if I can hate seeing planes in the weather if there is a better option

 

 

[alf jessup]

No worries anytime no guarantees on room but there usually is and that goes for anyone happy to help if I can hate seeing planes in the weather if there is a better option

Had the poor thing tied down in 40 kt winds at both Broken Hill and Ayers Rock

Worst part about Ayers Rock is they made me tie it down with the tail in to the wind after I asked if I could tie it down in to the wind as all the other planes there were tail to wind, but mine was the lightest out of the lot of them, at least I got to tie the control stick so the ailerons and stabilator didn’t smash to bits.

 

Sat on the tail skid a number of times too which pee’d me off

 

 

[Guy s]

Looks like a awesome trip and you gotta love those headwinds (not) thanks for sharing your outback adventure and your insight to it all.

 

 

[matt walsh]

Hi Alf,

 

Thanks for the trip details and excellent photo collection. I am planning to a trip to Alice to visit friends and inquire details of your landing and holding arrangements whilst your toured around Alice. Thanks Matt

 

 

[alf jessup]

Hi Alf,Thanks for the trip details and excellent photo collection. I am planning to a trip to Alice to visit friends and inquire details of your landing and holding arrangements whilst your toured around Alice. Thanks Matt

Matt,

I didn’t go to Alice I went to Ayers Rock

 

Alice is controlled airspace which I cannot go too.

 

Landing fees at Ayers Rock Wass $55 for the first 24hrs then $38:50 each day after

 

Plenty of tie down places.

 

Cheers Alf

 

 

[ClintonB]

Trip looked great. I wish I had better than 55lph. I would have a crack at something like this for myself.

 

 

[alf jessup]

Trip looked great. I wish I had better than 55lph. I would have a crack at something like this for myself.

ClintonB,

Yep that would clinch the sphincter a wee bit at 55 per hour, guess if your doing 200kts it might be worthwhile,

 

My little baby was TASing 107 to 112 most of the time averaging 17.7 so I cannot complain.

 

I see your driving a 182, nice ride.

 

But your fuel cost alone would have almost been the cost of my entire trip

 

 

[ClintonB]

Hi Alf, unfortunately I only get about 120 to 130kias most of the time. Tailwinds help. Big wheels, no spats, but can take 4 when needed.

 

I have only done 1 to 1.5hr trips to the coast, which is a good time saver on driving.

 

Cheers

 

Clinton