Cooma..Navigation advice.

[brilin_air]

Hey all.

 

Just want to ask a couple of nav questions for those of you who have flown in and out of Cooma.

 

What is the best way to approach this airport? We are coming from the West and are wondering due to the HUGE amount of Tiger country around here, the easiest and safest way in and out.

 

Is going around Canberra a better way and approach it from the North any easier? Or is there a little pocket of somewhere to go through?

 

Thanks heaps.

 

-Linda

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Hi Linda.

 

I like to track from Talbingo to Adaminaby, then Cooma. That's about the least tiger country. The ground comes to meet you though, and I like to climb to 9500 feet to give the most options. Just keep the 8500 Class C step on your left. Check it on the map - you can follow the waterways or the highway. From your way, it's also not too bad if you short-cut via Tumbarumba and Cabramurra. We can't stick to 5000' around here - they haven't built that fly-through toll tunnel yet.

 

Cooma itself is surrounded by open high plain country. No dramas there.

 

When are you coming?

 

Ross

 

 

[Guest Biggles1]

Cooma Nav

 

I agree with Startibartfast, regarding a route from the west.

 

I presume you mean Cooma-Snowy Mountains. I would suggest you also look at Cooma-Polo Flat as a destination depending on your movements and fuel requirements.

 

ASIC is required at Cooma-Snowy Mountains and swipe card avgas is available.

 

If you need further info contact me.:thumb_up:

 

 

[brilin_air]

Thanks for that guys.

 

Ross, unsure yet. It will be Brian and a friend who wants to go to Cooma.

 

-Linda

 

 

[brilin_air]

Thanks Biggles and slarti we will be going to poloflat sometime in August, thanks for your help.

 

Brian

 

 

[PaulN]

Hi Linda and Brian,

 

Cooma-Snowy is my home base ... in fact the only plane hangared there (see the little shed next to the highway).

 

Yes, YCOM is ASIC rated but I've never known the card to be required here.

 

Yes, there is a Mobil Avgas bowser with an Aero Refuellers swipe card facility. If you don't have an Aero Refuellers card you're best to contact the manager, Paul Clarke 0415 582 069, before coming in to make arrangements. You'll find him helpful and friendly.

 

When you arrive, to get out of airside you need to swipe a card (any card with a magnetic strip will do, even credit card) to access the gate next to the run down shack in front of my shed. To get back in swipe the same card to unlock the gate.

 

There is no RPT service here so the terminal building will be closed. However, from landside of the fence the front doors to the terminal are unlocked giving visitors access to the toots.

 

Slarti is right about plenty of open paddocks around the Monaro but be warned, a close look reveals that much of it is rocky ground.

 

A route from Bacchus Marsh to Cooma? I trust you're transponder equipped? Coming from the west you could consider my usual track which is the most direct and involves only about 20 minutes over tiger stuff and if you take enough air this can be just around 10 minutes outside of gliding distance to safer ground. From the Melb area track up the Hume H'way to Albury, take a right and track to Corryong then direct to YCOM. Be at around 6500 at Corryong then climb to 8500 over Khancoban and continue up to 9500 for the pass over the alps. This way you'll just skip under the edge of the 'E' class corridor.

 

If active, you'll need to chat with Albury for clearance through their southern airspace of course and they're always helpful. I understand Albury is not radar equipped so a transponder is not all that essential on this route. Still, it's always a good idea to lodge a flight plan with Airservices before heading off, this way Albury knows you're coming and clearance is a breeze. I usually track north to Chiltern (CHN) at 3500, call for clearance 10nm before CHN, track direct from CHN to Talangatta Causeway (TLY) and then direct to YCRG.

 

Depending when you plan to make the trip you'll need to be careful of winds and cloud over the alps. Great scenery during winter :thumb_up:.

 

However, if you want the least tiger stuff and would like a longer more scenic trip you could always do a coastal south of Melb across Mornington and up the coast to Bega where a track direct from Bega to Cooma over the ranges offers the least amount of rough country ... but it is a tad longer.

 

If I can be of more help please feel free to email me at pgnossiter at bigpond dot com. Let's know when you're coming and if I'm around around it would be good to catch up.

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

 

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

G'day Paul,

 

nice to ehar from you again. How are you?

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[PaulN]

Hi Mike,

 

Great thanks. Been very busy overseeing plans come to fruition with our new house at Bonny Hills (10nm sth of Port Macquarie). We look like making our move from Cooma late July. And hey, Bob Furness at Camden Haven (the old Dick Smith airstrip) is holding a hangar for me ... a real hangar with lock-up doors, concrete floor, power, water, work bench and the best grass (lawn) strip in Oz. Way better than my present three sided shed which allows all of the local farm dust, frosts and snow to blow in and settle on the poor little CT and grass floor that I share with the local roos and snakes and open beam roof that I share with the swallows. Can't wait.

 

Good to hear from you.

 

Paul

 

 

 

 

[brilin_air]

Thanks Paul,

 

we will be going in August so it depends on the weather, I suppose the snow might be starting to fall about then so we will have to make a decision when it comes closer. The pics of the new house look good, fantastic scenery as well,

 

All the best

 

Brian