Kangaroo Island

[Orienteer]

Has anybody flown down to Kangaroo Island? I'm thinking of a trip maybe a day trip or an overnight trip down to there. Thought it could be fun. Don't have a clue yet of what (or if it) could be done, but i liked the idea of it.

 

Any advice or ideas?

 

 

[Thx1137]

My last solo nav was to KI. I have always wanted to go there but didn't want to go by boat!

 

According to my AOPA national airfield directory for kingscote airfield you will need an ASIC card if you want to get back to your plane, there is no fuel there so you may need to get that at goolwa or aldinga and there is accomodation and taxis available.

 

There area couple of other airfields there but don't know anything about them.

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

I haven't flown down to KI but I spent a week there over Easter.

 

Kingscote is the main airfield and as it has RPT it's a security controlled airstrip. It struck me when I visited it and from reading the ERSA and the Council website that the Council isn't much interested in light aircraft - in their mind it's there for the RPT and medical flights. It's not very friendly appearing.

 

The airstrip is about 15 minutes from Kingscote town. There's not much of interest in Kingscote but you can get a feed at the pub looking over the bay. You can also buy very fresh fish at the Caltex servo on the road into KIngscote - just at the beginning of the "CBD".

 

For my money the south coast is the best part of the island - Vivonne Bay, Cape de Coudec, Flinders Chase, etc. For that you'd either have to take one of the bus trips or hire a car. The roads on the south coast are better than on the north!!

 

There used to be another strip near Penneshaw but that is now listed as closed.

 

There is another strip north of the South Coast Road but I think it's private.

 

Nice place to visit but you need a car.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[quentas]

I heard there is a new strip near Penneshaw, anybody know anything about that? Muston Heights is a good place to visit with accomodation and car (and fuel) just zoom in on `Muston`(on google maps) next to American River and you can see the strip clearly. Dean and Judy are your hosts. ph. 08 8553 7367

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

K i

 

Visited in Janurary with two other. Loxton, waypoints Goolwa, Cape Jervois, Penneshaw, Kingscote. We kept inside the 4500 step on the way there but kept East on the way home. Made the water xing easier.

 

I found the Airport manager very helpful. People great. Hire car over 500 km in the two days we were there, stayed at the Pub on the bay. I heard that any extended stays that rented houses are very cheap. even for a few days. Marron farm, Sheep cheese factory, seal bay remarkable rock etc. Great trip. Hire cars at airport.

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

So am I right to assume that there is no issues with rec pilots flying across the water to the island?

 

ie I'm a student and did a solo nav down to rapid bay and back but would love to fly over and do some touch and goes at KI, is that possible? or not til I get a PPL?

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

Yep I've done KI its a great weekend getaway. Kingscote is the easiest to fly into just hire a car and find a B&B. South coast has some amazing places nice beachs great foood and even some nice wine!

 

Jodie. Yes you can legaly fly across there I don't have the regs with me but you can fly over a certain distance of water (as long as you have life jackets) I'm sure someone will jump in here and tell you what that distance is!

 

Adam

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

K i

 

Rec flying licence OK. I too do not remember the max distance over water. I do not have my books to hand.

 

I think about 18 miles with enough height to glide to land and life jackets. PPL is different rules. KI trip was well inside of the above from the mainland. We tracked to Penneshaw and then Kingscote.

 

Airport has great North South bitumen plus cross strip. No charges and plenty of tie down area. ASIC required.

 

Phil

 

 

[Thx1137]

My school gave me a life jacket and a PLB for the trip. I didn't have much luck in finding info about water crossings from the RA Aus site thought it looks like we are supposed to be becoming inline with GA. From there I read that we need to wear a life jacket during flight over water if we are not going to be within gliding distance of land.

 

The rules are a different for multi-engine and charter operations but that isn't much to do with us RA flyers. :-) The GA rules for survival equipment are in CAO 20.11 if ya want them.

 

 

[GraemeK]

The rules for over water flights are in the CAO's. For instance, CAO95.55 states:

 

"© the aeroplane must not be flown above the sea at a horizontal distance from land of more than:

 

(i) if all persons on the aeroplane are wearing life jackets and the aeroplane is fitted with flotation equipment that is capable of ensuring that the aeroplane will remain afloat if it is forced to land on water — 20 kilometres; or

 

(ii) in any other case — the lesser of the distance that the aeroplane can glide in the event of an engine failure and 20 kilometres;"

 

CAO95.10 (single seater privately built) and CAO95.32 (weight shift & powered chutes) use the same wording.

 

 

[Orienteer]

Thanks for all the tips. Looking around on Google, and froma tipoff from a friend, there appears to be a strip just north of Vivonne Bay. Has anyone got any experience with this strip?

 

 

[Ryanm]

G'Day all

 

 

I recently did a charter down to a strip at Antechamber Bay. It’s on the north eastern coast of KI. Small family owned farm with a Cafe.. Very nice place.

 

 

Don’t know about accommodation, but it’s a great place for a coffee.

 

 

Dean's strip near American river is also pretty good. You will need to ask for permission before you go though.

 

 

Kingscote doesn’t have a great deal to offer other than a security controlled airfield and the RPT flights.