Yeh, Get out there!

[JG3]

Yeh, good trip report Kevin, (Lake Eyre Trip), and a really good recommendation -

 

"...Get out there!....."

 

I'm always puzzled by the vast number of x-country capable aircraft that never go anywhere except to neighbouring airfields for the pilot to have a session of b/s and coffee, maybe to Narromine at the most, then back to the hangar and locked away most of the time......... That's a dead boring life for an aircraft, let alone the pilot.....

 

Life is slipping by, go while you can!

 

I started touring that fascinating outback country in '95 in a 50 kt single-seat Beaver with a single-ignition 447 Rotax. Many would say that's not a x-country capable aircraft, but it carried me to Birdsville twice, Mt Hopeless and Lake Eyre, Alice Springs, Barkley Tableland NT, Gulf of Carpentaria, and many other jaunts - lifetime memorable adventures that I absolutely wouldn't have missed for anything! Now I go on even longer runs in a Savannah, and it's almost too easy to be a real challenge, but it's still a heck of a lot of fun. To head out over the horizon on the start of another outback adventure still brings a tingle of excitement to my gut! In May when I got back from 4000 nm and pulled up to the hangar doors, I just wanted to keep on going, and so did my aircraft......

 

And you can fly most of those outback places without taking the risks of going over remote uninhabited tiger country. Just follow the roads - they mostly go from one fuel stop to the next anyhow. Even if they wander a bit from the direct track, the extra distance is small, and it's just more scenery, which is what I came for anyhow. Flying a direct GPS track from point to point at 5000ft (or even higher) is dead boring..... It's so good to not follow that GPS arrow, but rather just keep the road mostly in sight, and keep track of the features on the map, and wander a bit to have a better look at whatever. Following the road at 2000 ft or less gives a totally different view point than driving it. It's a grand, fresh, perspective rather than just corrugations and dust. Don't have to be right over the road, just close enough to glide down if need be - it's like having an emergency runway always in reach. It's the safest flying that I do, much safer than flying this coastal country that's all divided up by fences and criss-crossed by a spiderweb of powerlines.... And if you do have to go down on a road, or preferably beside it, you won't be alone for long these days. There are so many 4WD nomads touring around just about every road out there these days that it's hard to get away from them..... Of course you go in the winter when conditions are best, eh.

 

I hear lots of envy and excuses whenever I tell stories of outback flights, but I just think, Bah-humbug.... It's all a matter of priorities - you need to re-arrange priorities so that the trip becomes NUMBER-ONE. Some jobs and other persons just need to be made to wait until you get back, and then of course you need to go like heck to catch up, but it was worth it 'cause you've then already got the memories to keep you company while you're 'back in the rut'....... And of course you're soon planning the next trip away, and that's just as much fun as the memories! Once you start you'll have to go again and again.

 

The years keep slipping by, and it's so easy to keep putting it off 'til it's too late.......

 

So get out there, SOON!

 

See ya out there.

 

JohnG

 

 

[Tracktop]

:thumb_up: What else can I say - Great philosophy

 

 

[flying dog]

Only one thing if someone is thinking of it:

 

Make sure you plane doesn't need avgas, and *CAN* run on ULP or E10.

 

Expecting Premium ULP may be stretching it a bit in some places I believe.

 

Suffice to say check the plane can handle with worst petrol before you go.

 

Happy/safe flying.

 

 

[pudestcon]

This thread is too painful to read... but I read it anyway:big_grin: I love camping in the outback and flying of course, but right now I can't go camping although doing an hour of flying most weekends. Very envious of people that can combine the two. I agree it is a simple matter of priority although, whilst it might be simple, the doing can be anything but easy. Go for it if you can I say!!

 

Pud

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

This post reminds me that I have been meaning to write about this same subject. I guess that I didn't want to give people the impression that I was a millionaire or similar.

 

Anyway a brief tale about getting around and "out there"

 

I was tardy in obtaining my licence due to factors like building a 230 Jab. I had a mate in the states who built a Carlson Sparrow and was enjoying his retirement. I suggested he come for a visit and I would show him some of OZ. He accepted the invite. Now, I was 69 years (4 years ago) and had to finish my training and the min 25 hours before I could go anywhere.

 

I saw an advert in a flying mag about this company in Stawell that does "tag along" trips to various parts of OZ, about 10 days in total. Well a phone call and deposit, licence, pas. endorsement and the mandatory 25 hours and away went. The route was the "Kimberly" trip, 44 hours 29 strips. Loxton to Burketown, Broome via Kakadu, Mataranka, Kununurra, Alice, Kimberly coast etc.etc.

 

I realised soon after take off that I may have been a bit hasty in taking on something like this, however the pilots of the other 4 planes 2 had commercial licences were fantastic in all ways and took me under their wing so to speak.

 

It was such a great experience that I went again last year and took my brother who had just retired from the merchant navy. He had been around the world numerous times but not seen much of OZ ,certainly not where we went.

 

They supplied weather each morning and we did our own flight plans. They organised accommodation, breakfast, evening dinner, transport to and from airstrips and day tours where time allowed.

 

The experience gained from these pilots and trips has been a great leaning curve and has allowed me to get around the country with confidence in my flying ability.

 

They also do a Pilbara and Cape York trip. I will book for the Pilbara when finances allow.

 

So, it is possible to get out there and enjoy longer trips without too much worry.

 

I hope that this is of help to members that are looking for further horizons.

 

Phil.