Kingston SE. Lightning country!!!

[skydog]

On the Melb cup weekeend I flew with a friend to Kingston SE to look at a RV I am interested in buying.

 

Kingston is about 2.40 hrs flight time in a 172 (didnt want to fly the JAB that distance) and we left point cook at 1 pm local time to arrive 25 minutes before planned time due to a very kind tailwind. Our track being Pt Cook, Avalon, Lismore (Vic), Hamilton, Naracoorte and Kingston SE.

 

Kingston has a real nice field with the north south strip sealed plus a big XW grass runway, right near the beach and walking distance to the town amenities.

 

Got to say how friendly the guys are at kingston, thats the local builders and pilots on the field as well as the "lightning aircraft" operation of Dennis Borchardt and his pals.Gee those Lightning aircraft are beautiful, sexy and fast. 130Knots plus at 75% cruise on a Jab 3300 engine its got to be the best plastic fantastic out there by far. Take a look at his website for the full details but they are very impressive. Dennis is a thorough gentleman and even went to the trouble to get some weather info for us by driving home as there is no computer at the field.

 

WE stayed the night after test flying the plane we went to see and the cost to stay at the local Royal Mail pub was only 35 bucks a night including continental breakie! great deal.

 

Renown for it crayfish and seafood you wont be disappointed spending the night in Kingston.

 

The weather turned to rubbish next morning we were due to fly back, total overcast and drizzle with cloud scudding between 500 and at 1000`.

 

Robin who is re skinning a Corby starlet was very generous taking me back into town to have a squiz at the BOM weather site radar to try and pick a gap in the rain and shower activity. What afriendly helpfull buch they are.

 

After about an half hour sitting in the plane discussing the best safe exit strategy the rain dropped to a drizzzle then to a shower then to not much at all as the gap came across the field. We took off for Naracoorte where it was not raining according to the radar.

 

Climbing to 1500` the vis was not bad thru the raindrops on the screen about 9-10 kms on the ground. Further toward Naracoorte the cloud base forced us down to 500` above ground level and although we could see up track a long way were making sure we had a clear path back to Kingston behind us in case of a turn back. Definitely the old sphincter muscles were working a treat.

 

But just as the radar had shown the showers slowly dissapated, the cloud base lifted to 3500` and we were able to track directly to Horsham and the better weather for our return to Pt Cook rather than go south of the ranges.

 

Its a strong feeling to resist taking a chance but you have to trust the weather forcasters and go up and have a look at the real weather situation as long as you dont break the VFR rules. Good that we did otherwise we would have been grounded overnight although that may not have been such a bad sentence to bear.Mmmnn fresh fish and chips.

 

With a nice tail wind on the 172 we maintained a magnificent 135knots GS for about 45 minutes which helped us get back to YMPC in record time.

 

You always learn a lot flying to other airfields meeting nice people and chatting about different aircraft and regions and Kingston SE was no exception with the bonus of seeing the Lighting assembly factory and a lovely RV at the same time.

 

Where to next?

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Nice report Skydog. Thing is, are you going to buy the RV, or save your pennies and get a Lightning? Last time I was there, Dennis said he'd be selling his promo plane. Could be a cheaper way in.

 

 

[skydog]

HI Deskpilot,

 

Well I did ask the question and when I cheekily suggested 95 grand he guffawed and said something like "oh yeah".

 

I think that means no!

 

That plane is so 'loaded' the instruments must cost about 3$30,000 on their own.

 

My guess is more like 120,000.

 

BLOODY NICE AIRCRAFT THOUGH, CANT AFFORD ONE.

 

Thanks for the trip report comment.