Going to Ballina/Tyagarah from Cowra - local knowledge please.

[RFguy]

Interested in suggestions for a route to see my mother at Byron, from YCWR Cowra.

And exactly where one crosses the GDR to get over to the coast ?

I have looked at crossing the GDR between Tenterfield and Casino .  or do you go a bit further north ?

Time of year- high summer.  

and at the far end - two options- Ballina AD or Tyagarah ?

Considering need for overnight tie down, convenience, security etc.

Planned TAS 120. start early.

-glen

 

[FlyBoy1960]

For the absolute best safety I would transit via Warwick, over the great divide to Boonah and then down into the Lismore Valley.

 

Anywhere north near Armidale all the way through to just south of Warwick is very high country and you need to cross over a lot of tiger country with very few landing opportunities to get to the coast.

 

This would be my recommendation for an inland route, for a more scenic flight coastal go Cowra to Mudgee, Mudgee through to the north of Newcastle, probably through the valley at Gloucester and then up the coast to Byron.

 

You will have controlled airspace at Coffs Harbour but they always let recreational aircraft through provided you have a working radio and transponder. Tyagarah is a great airfield but it is a little bit rough at the moment, Ballina is completely security controlled. Perhaps go there one direction and back the other.

[ClintonB]

I find Armidale to Coffs in a general straight line at 7500 not bad in 182, I do tend to wander from open patch to open patch of high country. I get 120kts and I find 1hr 10m from Tamworth to Coffs around the average, Less than 1/2 of that is tiger country, there are a few strips on properties (oz runways shows them) as a back up. then you can run up the coast at 500 to 1000 enjoying the view.

[FlyBoy1960]

1 minute ago, ClintonB said:

I find Armidale to Coffs in a general straight line at 7500 not bad in 182, I do tend to wander from open patch to open patch of high country. I get 120kts and I find 1hr 10m from Tamworth to Coffs around the average, Less than 1/2 of that is tiger country, there are a few strips on properties (oz runways shows them) as a back up. then you can run up the coast at 500 to 1000 enjoying the view.

 

Only works on a good day otherwise you need to be on an IFR flight plan.  Any cloud will ruin your plans, it is usually clear at Armidale and the cloud bank is not visible until you are about 50 miles from the coast and you just keep going lower and lower and lower to get underneath it until you are tree bashing.   On a perfect day with clear blue sky it is a good option but 9 days out of 10 it is not the safest way of crossing the range. Ideally you want to be in lower locations like the Newcastle where you can come down very quickly from Mudgee and across all going up to Warwick where you can sneak across a range and get into the coastal area

[skippydiesel]

Great thing about Armidale is the availability of ULP, just outside the security gate (dont forget the number). I always fly away trips with 2 x 20L collapsible jerry cans/bladders.  20 litres on each shoulder is easier & more efficient  (W&B) to carry, than one 20 L and 2 trips.

 

Oh! and you can taxi up to just a few metres from the security gate - all very convenient.

Edited December 18, 2020 by skippydiesel

[kgwilson]

If the weather is clear or high cloudbase over 7000, Armidale to South Grafton direct is good. There are some pretty big hills (5000 feet) but stay high, or head north towards Glen Innes, follow the Mann River to Newton Boyd then the Boyd River and the Old Glen Innes Road through the range. There are camping areas and grassy spots where they used to rest cattle on the trek down to Grafton. Mogas 2 minutes walk from South Grafton aerodrome. Then fly down the Clarence to the Coast & head north. Call Brisbane centre to make sure the Evans Head Bombing range is not active (You'd have checked this when you did your flight plan but a check call will ensure they haven't changed anything) & then Ballina has a MBZ and CA/GRS (glorified Unicom). If there is an easterly breeze the trip from Yamba to Tyagarah will be virtually hands off so you can enjoy the coastal views.

[RFguy]

thanks everyone for their input , so far.

aircraft is AVGAS.

.Armidale, Ebor , Dorrigo- Coffs that has quite a few patches of light green. worst glide over there is 3nm. looks OK really. that's a pretty good shot in clear weather

 

or Armidale , Ebor, Hernani, Nymboida, Grafton... looks OK if glide distance-height is min 6 nm above the 2000' land height,  maybe min 7500' flying height.

 

originally I was thinking Tenterfield, Sandy Hills, Tabulam, Casino, Lismore. but from memory Lismore to Bandalow is pretty lumpy, not many friendly spots yeah OK I can see why that is not universally loved. more like Casino -  Coraki- Ballina.

 

yeah if the weather was trouble I'd need to go to Warwick and then down that valley to Kyogle, Casino... plenty of fuel on board.

 

otherwise  - Mudgee, Scone, around a bit, gloucester, coast..... That seems simple !

Edited December 18, 2020 by RFguy

[skippydiesel]

Never flown into Ballina. Grafton a few times.

 

Nearly all my trips north, from the Sydney Basin, have involved flying out to Lithgow - Scone  - Ellerston -  Walcha - Armidale (landing "comfort stop"  & fuel top up) - then either continue straight north & up into Qld or hang a right for Grafton. Even a trip to Moree involved Armidale on the way back (great dynamic prop balancing service).

 

Most of my exits from the Sydney Basin involve high "Tiger Country" - my personal tactic is to fly as high as permissible, in the hope that, should the noise stop, I have sufficient gliding range to open country.  So I am fairly comfortable with lots of dark green rugged stuff (a long way below) and keep a good eye open for clearings within gliding range.

 

You could fly west of the divide to Moree (have a soak in the hot springs) - hang a right and come out over the coast, having flown over minimal Tiger Country.