Schofields Flying Club Ltd - 1 Tower Road Bankstown Airport 2200
(PO Box 200, Georges Hall, NSW 2198 AUSTRALIA)
Phone: +61 2 9773 3611 Email: mail@schofields-flying-club.com.au
SCHOFIELDS FLYING CLUB NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2007
Harbour Bridge 75th Anniversary
Welcome to the April 2007 edition of Schofields News. There are the usual plus some new features - President's Notes by Mike Allsop, Ask the CFI by Pat Watson, X-File X073 (Kawasaki Ki.60) by Anthony Coleiro, Crosswind Operations (Part 3) by Pat Watson, Know Your Committee by Greg Leversha, My Aeroplane Flight Review by Peter Blackbourn, About Two-Seater Trainers by Mike Allsop, 2006 Tassie Flyaway (Day 1) by Richard Pincus, and The Last Word from Latrodectus. As well, there's some of the usual administrivia that you've come to expect. So, read on and enjoy!
NEW MEMBERS FOR MARCH: Welcome to Christopher Pearson, Kirk Stewart, Duncan Romoser, Paul Jefferson, Onno De Groot, Robert Anderson, Eddie Arya, David Samuel, Mehdi Debbabi, Tony Kiprevski, Noble Paul, Graciela Ferrari and Sean McBain.DUTY PILOT DRAW: The Volunteer Duty Pilot Monthly Draw for March ($50 free flying) goes to Greg Leversha and Jason Tuendemann. The Club is appreciates the efforts our tireless band of volunteers generously gives in helping their Club and this is one small way of saying thank you!
PIPER SEMINOLE ON LINE: VH-PBP, a PA-44-180, is now on line and is available endorsements and private hire. The Seminole is essentially a twin-engine version of the Piper Arrow and is equipped with two 180-hp Lycoming engines with contra-rotating propellers, making it an effective multi-engine trainer. TAS 150 knots at A060, MTOW 1723kg, fuel capacity 400L. More...
FROM THE TOWER: The April-May issue of From the Tower, Bankstown's Air Traffic Control news circular, is now available (92kB pdf). It's aim is to provide the Bankstown aviation community with a bi-monthly source of news and information from an ATC point of view. You can download previous issues from our Downloads page.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The Club will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Monday 16 April 2007 at the Clubhouse. Come along and have your say!
DIARY DATES: The Club has a number of social and flying activities planned for 2007. You can check full details on our Coming Events page. Below is a summary of the programme for April and May 2007:
| Fri | 06 | April | Good Friday (Public Holiday) | |
| Mon | 09 | April | Easter Monday (Public Holiday) | |
| Sun | 15 | April | Club Competition Details | Bankstown |
| Mon | 16 | April | Annual General Meeting | Clubhouse |
| Wed | 25 | April | Anzac Day (Public Holiday) | |
| Sun | 29 | April | Last Light Drinks | Clubhouse |
| Fri | 11 | May | Night Circuits | Bankstown |
| Sun | 13 | May | Club Competition | Warnervale |
| Mon | 21 | May | Committee Meeting | Bankstown |
| Sun | 27 | May | Last Light Drinks | Clubhouse |
Mike Allsop
What a great start to autumn! Apart from a few murky days March has been kind to us and the first week of April is shaping up for some absolutely glorious Sydney weather. This time of year is perfect for flying with generally light westerly winds making for crystal clear blue skies. If you are learning to fly right now this is a great time to be doing so. It's also great for CPL and IFR students to get in those longer and more challenging navs, although any diversions are unlikely to be due to real weather. We are looking forward to strong bookings throughout the month across the fleet, so get in early.
THEORY COURSES: As this item is written we are concluding the first of our PIFR ground courses for the year. More will follow, both in this subject area as well as in BAK, PPL, CIR, CPL etc. Earlier in the month we conducted a 1 day GPS course based on the Garmin 430 which was also well attended. Thanks go to Pat Watson for all the effort he has put in to these courses. As you can see, we are serious about giving you, our members, the opportunities for theory training to support your flying and help you progress at the rate you want. This aviation business is about continuous learning and practice, and we are here to help you achieve your goals.NIGHT CIRCUITS: We will be holding the first of our popular Night Circuits evenings for the year on Friday, 11 May.
Night approach at YSBK For those of you with NVFR ratings this is an opportunity to get in those 3 circuits in the dark now that daylight saving has ended, and allow you to do your 1 hour night XC as soon as you are able. For those without a night rating, this is a great opportunity to see Sydney from the air at night and to get some night experience yourself. You will be most welcome to join us, whether you want to do the night rating or not. If you do decide to get the NVFR rating, all of our aircraft are approved for night operations. This is a great skill to have. It not only gives you the basics of radio navigation and a general increase in your level of flying proficiency, but also helps reduce the pressure you might feel to "get back before dark" and perhaps make a wrong decision weather-wise to do so. Give it a go; you will really enjoy it. Dinner is provided at the Club.
BANKSTOWN COMP: Just to prove we are early risers as well, you will be pleased to hear we have scheduled a Club Comp at Bankstown on Sunday, 15 April. This has to be finished by 8:30am to keep the Tower comfortable, so a 6:00am start is the go. This is a fabulous opportunity to do some practice in a fun environment, with points awarded for various aspects of your circuit flying, glide approaches, spot landings, etc. You will get a lot of benefit from it as well as enjoying the company of others doing the same. We are all in it together! Breakfast is provided at the Club, so get your name in now! This is a competition in name only - the focus is on you flying a sequence with a friendly instructor who will give you tips and tricks as part of the exercise. See you there bright and early on the 15th!
CLUB RELOCATION: On a completely different subject but very important to us as a Club, I would like to extend thanks on your behalf to our sub-committee driving the relocation project.
Initial design for the new Clubhouse As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we have secured a site on the north-east side of the airfield, off Birch Street adjacent to the T-hangars for the relocation of our operations. This is about the same site area we presently have but will have a purpose built clubhouse giving us more member amenities. Importantly, it will also give us the ability to grow in future as our needs as a club and training facility grow. Our aircraft will be parked right outside just as we have today. As we go to press, a DA has been lodged with BAL with our overall concept. This is being costed prior to lodgement of the BA before Easter, incorporating amendments as may be required. If you have had to go through this process for a residential property you will understand the complexities. Now double them. We are pleased to be well down the track and have a good working relationship with BAL as part of the process. We are also pleased to have had the strong support of various members and instructors during the concept development phase, and look forward to getting designs finalised with the bulk of our requirements met. Please understand we are not building the Taj Mahal, but a sound, modern, serviceable facility you will be proud to call "your" Club. When we have a design signed off we will put that on display for you in the clubhouse. Our objective is to be operational in the new facility before the end of the year. More later.
AGM: Finally, our Annual General Meeting is to be held at the Clubhouse at 7:30pm on Monday April 16th. All members are entitled to attend. Please join us if you can.
Enjoy your flying in April. Shiny side up as they say, and keep safe.
Mike Allsop
President SFC
Patrick Watson
Not many people attempted to answer last month's question. Of those who did, no one suggested the answer I was after. The question asked "what date would it be if you observed the sun setting directly ahead and you were heading true south".
A couple of people answered that the observer must be on the North Pole (from which all directions are south) and the date had to be 21 September. The same reasoning should apply to 20 March, although no-one mentioned that date.
The Sun about to set in the South Not exactly the answer I was after. On those dates, to an observer at the North Pole, the sun appears to skim the horizon; it doesn't really rise or set. The answer I was after - date 22 December, the southern hemisphere Summer Solstice. (There may be other answers).
The observer had to be at latitude 66.5º S. To an observer on that date and at that latitude, the sun sets and rises at True South, moves completely around the observer during the day (at noon it is North) and sets at true south.
X is the Observer at Latitude 66.5º S, on Dec 22.
For clarity, the Sun's declination (the daily
path of the Sun) is shown as the Ecliptic. At any lower latitude the sun would set slightly west of south, and at any higher latitude, the sun would not set. At that latitude, on any date other than the summer solstice, the sun would set west of south.
A funny thing the sun - or people's perception of it. It causes many conundrums and boggles many minds. For example, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, correct? Perhaps.
Imagine a long flight - we'll assume unlimited fuel, we are flying around the world via the poles. As we are heading towards the South Pole, at sunset, the sun is setting to the west - on our right hand side.
Schoies' Flagpole We then pass over the South Pole - still flying in a straight line - we are now heading North, west is on our left hand side. What happens with sunset as we cross the Pole. Does the Sun suddenly stop in the sky and head in the opposite direction? Can you describe the motion of the Sun in that situation?
What is Sunset and Sunrise? They have been defined as (Sunset) "the moment the top of the Sun's disc sinks below the horizon" and Sunrise, "the moment the bottom of the Sun's disc appears above the horizon". Did you know that the sun has already set when we can see it still above the horizon? And at Sunrise, we can see the sun before it rises? True! This is because of refraction of the Earth's atmosphere. In fact the real Sun is about 6º below the horizon. And what is the difference between Sunset, End of Daylight, (EOD) and End of Evening Civil Twilight?
Try this month's question. Outside Schofields Flying Club there is a flagpole. The shadow of the tip of the flagpole describes an arc on the ground throughout the day. On one or more days of the year, that shadow cast by the tip of the flagpole traces a straight rather than curved line. On what day (or days) does this occur?
Until next month, Happy Flying
Patrick Watson CP/CFI
Anthony Coleiro The events of the opening months of World War II in Europe led Japan to consider the need for a heavy fighter with a liquid cooled engine. The Kawasaki Company had acquired the rights from Germany to build under licence the Daimler Benz DB 601A engine and this engine was used to power the newly proposed cannon-armed heavy fighter.
The new fighter was designated Ki.60 and it completely went against the then current contemporary Japanese fighter designs. The emphasis of the new fighter was speed and rate of climb rather than manoeuvrability. The aircraft possessed clean aerodynamic lines and had all metal stressed skin in its construction.
Kawasaki Ki.60 prototype For offensive firepower, the aircraft was to be armed with a pair of 20 mm Mauser MG 151 cannons and a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns. The first of three prototypes was ready for flight-testing in March 1941 and it was found to be laterally unstable, had dangerous spin qualities, lacked manoeuvrability (less than had been anticipated) and had a very high stall speed. In an attempt to try and rectify the problems, the other two prototypes were fitted with enlarged wings but this made little difference to its handling qualities. The design speed estimate for the aircraft was 603 km/h but this was never achieved, the best the aircraft could attain was 560 km/h.
All round, the Ki.60 proved disappointing and the project was abandoned in favour of the Ki.61 Hein, which had been under development in parallel at the Kawasaki factory.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- The Complete Book of Fighters - William Green Gordon Swanborough
- War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters Volume Two - William Green
Patrick Watson The Crosswind Landing CONTINUED FROM LAST MONTH'S NEWSLETTER...
THE PROBLEM: The big problem associated with landing a conventional undercarriage aeroplane in a crosswind is that - unless correctly executed, undercarriage damage could occur due to high side loadings, the wing tip could scrape the ground, the tyres could detach from the wheels and propellers could hit the ground. Other problems could be uncontrolled running off the runway, and loss of control, even to the extent of "flipping" the aircraft.
A crosswind landing as previously discussed, is a landing manoeuvre in which a significant component of the prevailing wind is perpendicular to the runway centreline. The crosswind landing is a complex manoeuvre to understand and execute. There are many changing forces to analyse, evaluate and cope with simultaneously. The high degree of control coordination and timing required is rarely matched by any other manoeuvre of a normal flight. The solution is practice and recency.
Many club members are not able to fly as often as they wish and choose not to fly in crosswind conditions.
A crabbing Microsoft Twin Comanche It's no wonder then that their crosswind proficiency is often one of the first pilot skills to get rusty, making it a major cause of flying accidents.
Methods
There are three generally recognised methods to approach and land in a crosswind: Crab, Sideslip and De-crab.
CRAB: The Crab approach is the same as the De-Crab, except the aeroplane is landed in the Crab condition. This not recommended for light aircraft. We do not teach this method at Schoies.
Airliners can do it because their undercarriage may be beefed up to allow it. Some aircraft have pivoting undercarriage. The reason they don't straighten? Look at the top picture and you'll see the wingtip and engine scraping the ground - very expensive!
SIDESLIP: On early to mid final, the aircraft, using rudder, is aligned with the runway centreline and the wing lowered into wind sufficiently to prevent drift. The controls are "crossed". This attitude is maintained right through the flare. A touchdown is accomplished with the right main (into wind) wheels touching down just before the left wheels. Over controlling the axis must be avoided because over-banking could cause the engine nacelle or outboard wing flap to contact the runway/ground. In strong crosswind conditions, it is sometime necessary to add some crab technique with the sideslip technique.DE-CRAB: (A Boeing term to indicate a crabbed approach changing to a slip during the flare) The definitive, most effective and most efficient way of successfully conducting and completing a crosswind landing is - maintain the extended runway centreline by "crabbing" or adjusting the heading sufficiently to maintain track, maintain a normal approach profile, and a slightly higher than normal speed.
Close to the runway, the aircraft should be straightened with rudder, so that the fore/aft axis is aligned with the runway centreline, lower the wing into wind with aileron, and simultaneously flare such that the aeroplane touches down on the into wind wheel first, then the other main wheel, followed by the nosewheel.
During the rollout, maintain the runway centreline steering with the rudder, and maintain the ailerons into wind, braking as required.
THE BEST METHOD: The most efficient method is the De-Crab method as described above.
Wingtip and engine scraping the ground... Having said that, some instructors - myself included - teach their students the SIDESLIP method in order to get them used to controlling the aircraft with controls "crossed". As the student proficiency improves, the point where they straighten the aircraft gets later until it is at the flare point.
WHY A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPEED: In strong crosswind conditions the wind is usually gusty. With a slow speed close to the ground, a sudden lull could cause the aeroplane to suddenly sink and strike the ground. Additionally, control effectiveness increases to the square of the speed, the pilot will be better able to control any sudden changes.
Airlines have a formula to calculate how much extra speed to add to normal landing speed (called VREF) usually something like half gust plus all head to a max of about 15 knots.
So how can a light aircraft land at a higher than normal speed? After all, when an aircraft is flared it will then float until it reaches its landing speed which is the same regardless of the approach speed. One way, would be to use less flap.
Using less than full flap has a number of advantages. It allows a higher landing speed, better control effectiveness, and less susceptibility to sudden changes in lift due to gusts. A recent advisory from Piper advised that full flap partially shades the rudder. This exacerbates the control problem.
... uncontrolled running off the runway, loss of
control, even to the extent of "flipping" the aircraft. How much extra speed in a light aircraft? I recommend an extra 5 knots in the Club's Warriors. Any more and the aircraft will float.
Summary
The side slip method is not as efficient because:
- When in cross-controlled (uncoordinated) flight the stall speed of the aircraft increases because you are decreasing lift efficiency. In effect, you are flying sideways and the wing is not getting a full flow of undisturbed air over it. The fuselage of the aircraft blocks out a portion of the "downwind wing" further depriving it of lift.
- The aircraft is out of balance - the whole of the aircraft side is exposed to the airflow thus increasing drag.
- The increased drag causes an increase in rate of descent.
- Stall speed increases. Know that your stall speed will increase when landing in cross winds and that gusty winds will further aggravate the situation.
- The airspeed indicator gives an unreliable reading due to position error. The airflow is not aligned with the pitot tube.
- Sideslip is usually used to descend rapidly. One more thing for the pilot to control.
Patrick Watson CP/CFI
Greg Leversha
My first experience in a light plane was back about 1974. At a friend's instigation 3 of us went to Camden for a joy flight in a Piper Navajo. Advance a couple of years and this same friend and I went up with his future brother-in-law in a Cherokee 140 out of Bankstown. That got me. At work over the following weeks I sought out what I could on learning to fly. The internet didn't exist in those days, so there were a few phone calls, newspapers, magazines etc. In the end, the $2,700 required up front by the Royal Aero Club of NSW to get a CPL in 6 months and begin an aviation career was beyond my means. My desire to fly was all but wiped out.
Fast forward 30 years. For some reason the flying bug bit me again. This time I was determined to get into the air - and before I turned 50. Just after Christmas in 2003 I started lessons with another establishment on Bankstown Airport. This company got me through my first solo, GFPT and on to my PPL. But what next? All they were interested in was getting more money out of me. There was no social side to them.Then I discovered Schofields Flying Club. I joined immediately (August 2005) and straight away volunteered to be a duty pilot. I did my CSU and retractable endorsements with Rodney Hyde - this also served as my check flight for the club. Next on the list is a PIFR.
But what of me? Who am I? I'm currently the IT Manager for a warehousing and logistics company based in Wetherill Park (right were you call up Bankstown when entering from PSP) and have been in the IT industry for almost 25 years. I live locally with my physiotherapist wife and our 2 uni student children. My son and I coach a junior baseball side in summer and during winter I also play the game.
Well, that's me in a nutshell. With our move to a new site and bigger and better premises, the forthcoming year will be an exciting time for our club. I look forward to playing my part in this."
Greg Leversha
Schofields Director 2007-8
Peter Blackbourn
My last article on this subject was entitled BFR Time. Like many things in today's changing world, this has also changed. It's now an "Aeroplane Flight Review" still with the usual activities we have come to know when we complete this.
I noted the date coming up in my log book so I decided to do a mid week flight and booked a couple of slots with Mat Ingram in JRY. As a Duty Pilot I was aware I needed the trifecta - time slot, aeroplane and instructor. As my last AFRs have been done down South I thought it was time to head North and flight planned to Warnervale (YWVA) and return to YSBK.Would I know what a steady green1 signal from the tower meant, or a flashing red2 for that matter? What are the four primary instruments3 for a VFR flight? For these and a myriad of others it's good practice to have them hard coded in your head for any flight. (Check your answers below.)
Preflighting VH-JRY was part of the AFR So for the next week I used my bus travel time to work to revisit what we all knew so well when we did our original training. It's amazing how quickly it comes back, especially the paperwork associated with the planning. Performance charts for weight and balance, take off and landing distances with of course the VTC and flight plan to show us the way.
After the preflight of JRY I lodged the flight plan via NAIPS and we soon take off from RWY29C for our Northern departure. Everything went to plan and the lane of entry land marks came and went and before long we were setting up to join crosswind for RWY 02 at YWVA. This was a touch and go and then on the downwind leg we set course for the return to YSBK. Surprise, surprise, I was given a diversion. This was to track from Somersby to Wiseman's Ferry. I drew the new track on my VTC estimating the distance as 10 NM and took up the revised Westerly heading at Somersby. Overflying the Somersby airstrip I expected Mat to announce an engine failure, however this was not the case and I was given the hood for some instrument flight.
We were soon on final approach to Wisemans Ferry This was closely followed by some steep turns and the like. We were soon on final approach to Wiseman's Ferry. Now I got my forced landing and it was setup a glide attitude, trim for 75 knots - you know the rest.
On our climb out we did some low level flight along the Hawkesbury. This was great and although I had visions of the Dam Busters the power lines that cross the river were foremost in my mind. The stanchions were well down the valley wall and we had a hundred feet or so between the power lines and JRY. Before too long we were not far from Brooklyn Bridge at which point we climbed to 2500 ft and joined the LOE southbound. By setting Camden NDB on the ADF we had a straight line we could follow in poor viz to Prospect Reservoir.
The last ops activity was a flapless landing on RWY 29L with a roll through. After nearly 2 hours flight time it was the end of the flight ops aspect of another review. Time for a coffee and more operational questions to complete the paperwork. I now have another stamp of approval in my log book to fly for a further two years. It's amazing how much more you enjoy the flight after the event.
Peter Blackbourn
Director of Clubhouse Events & Services
| 1 | On ground - authorised to TAKE-OFF if pilot is satisfied that no collision risk exists. In flight - authorised to LAND if pilot is satisfied that no collision risk exists. |
| 2 | On ground - TAXI CLEAR of landing area in use. In flight - DO NOT LAND - aerodrome unsafe. |
| 3 | Airspeed indicator, altimeter, compass and watch - but we all knew that, didn't we! |
Cessna 152 Aerobat
A number of our student pilots are choosing to do their basic training on our Warriors. This decision is perfectly fine and is a matter of choice of course. One of the impacts we are seeing at present is that demand for the Warriors for private hire and for cross country training coupled with demand for basic training is starting to make it harder for members to get bookings at suitable times. Here is an idea for you.
Our Cessnas (JGJ, SRY and JNB) and Jabiru (LSN) are all available for training and are often available when Warriors aren't. The Cessna 150/152 type has trained the great majority of all pilots with a licence today, and is an excellent aircraft to fly. It is very light on the controls, has great visibility out and down (ever used one for a cross country?) and is very forgiving. SRY has the added advantage of being aerobatic if you would like to experience more advanced manoeuvres or even get your aerobatics approval. The Jabiru is the new generation of flying training. All are very capable aircraft and expressly designed for the training role.Performance is not much different from a Warrior for all training purposes.
It is interesting to see the growing popularity
of the Jabiru J-160 as a training aircraft in GA All these aircraft are about $20 to $25 per hour cheaper than the Club Warriors, so if you can save some money this way as well. The only case where these aircraft may be less convenient for you is if you are over 1.8m tall or the combined weight of you and your instructor is a bit on the high side. Height is only a matter of legroom, not headroom. Also remember that it doesn't matter what aircraft you get your hours in, it is all a matter of reaching the various competency standards. It could be said that these basic trainers could even help you "get there" quicker.
SO .. if you would like to fly the 2 seaters and save money, as well as having more chance of getting an aircraft at a time to suit you, give us a call. If your instructor cannot accommodate your request for whatever reason, this isn't a problem - call us to make arrangements with someone else even if only to "give it a go". You can always swap between types of aircraft as you wish, and swap between instructors also.
As a closing comment, the choice is yours. We are always trying to provide convenience and alternatives to our members to see that their interests and needs are met conveniently and economically.
Mike Allsop
President SFC
26 Dec 06 - YSBK - YFLI
Helen and I dropped in at Schoie's clubhouse at Bankstown at 7:30 am before driving to Camden to load up our RV4, (VH-PTT aka Kermit aka The Green Machine) and begin our trip. We were still too late to farewell several early starters, who headed off even as we drove up.
VH-PTT aka Kermit aka The Green Machine We had some delays ourselves at Camden and didn't get away till 11. We were surprised to pass Allen and Mary-Ann in FTU before reaching Nowra . This was Helen's first long trip in our little RV4, and from earlier trips I knew I had to make it a smooth and comfortable flight, especially on this first, longest day. That meant climbing above the coastal turbulence. Nowra was not active; all Australia's enemies must have promised not to attack us between 20 December and 11 January! We went south, above the occasional Cu, then above broken Cu, which topped above us at times. We were still going around some tops as we reached Merimbula. We could see the coast line from time to time, enough to identify salient features. Not far beyond Merimbula it looked like it was becoming an unbroken bank of cloud.
The distance from Camden to Bairnsdale via Mallacuta was 322 NM, or just under 2 hours at my usual (150 knots) cruise with no headwind. With the headwinds we met, and with the small deviations around broken Cu, we had groundspeeds as low as 125 knots at times! Several of the feisty Warriors had planned to take on fuel at Merimbula and other folk joined them as it became more and more obvious there was some weather ahead.
In theory, we had the choice of going over the top of all the cloud and the Victorian Alps direct to Bairnsdale. I was tempted, as the earliest starters were reporting holes south of the Victorian Alps. Maybe I should have followed them, but I have NO IFR skills and NO IFR instruments and NO IFR rating and so reluctantly put Satan behind me and slid down a cleft in the cloud just south of Merimbula to track coastal.
I knew there was a SIGMET out for severe turbulence below 5000 in the lee of the Victorian Alps and hoped that meant the coastal run would be tolerable, as the winds had been mostly parallel to the coast. But the closer we got to Mallacoota the lower we had to go (due cloud); the more the wind swung to the south-west and the bumpier it got.
Cloud on the hills at Mallacoota At Malla four things happened - first a rainsquall with low cloud forced us down to 1200 feet. Next we hit some God-Almighty bumps. Third I saw an aeroplane on the field with several men and a woman near it. It looked a bit like AZN - Wayne Russel and company. Fourth was Helen's voice making the gentle suggestion we join them - on the ground!
I complied and we touched down about 45 seconds later into wind on a straight-in that was as near to a helicopter landing as I have ever done! I kept 65 knots on but the wind at circuit height was probably 30 knots - the glide angle would have been 1 in3!
The people on the ground were in fact Wayne, Nelson and Sheri, and Mathew Ingram. We joined them and watched what they had been watching for over an hour - a repeating series of rolls of ragged cloud with rain beneath, being blown from the last outpost of the Alps at some speed diagonally across our direct line south - a hill of 600 feet or less in height at times in the cloud! We decided to stop and Wayne rang the local motel owner who kindly picked us all up and took us into town. We decided to check in, but after we had lunch, things looked far clearer. Several of our mob ground slowly past on track at heights that looked reasonably safe. We checked out again and our angel of a motel owner took us back to continue our flight. The very first mile or two were rough but once we were past this last hillock and around the corner to head more westerly, the turbulence settled down as the wind was now cross-onshore. We refueled at Bairnsdale and there met several others who had not long beat us in.
On a high downwind at YFLI The forecast remained reasonable and the earliest planes were making good progress over Bass Strait, so we set off on what was for me by far the longest over-water leg I have flown. Jon Johanson has flown an RV4 over every major ocean and both poles, but to me being out of gliding distance from any land felt very uncomfortable. To be over the huge rolling sea with almost all the waves white-capping, in the teeth of a strong head-wind, and at a lowish height (starting at 1500) below cloud with intermittent rain was - well, more of an adventure than I had hoped! We wore our life jackets, but I would not have been very hopeful of surviving long in that cold sea where so many have lost their lives.
Dodging showers at first, I took the coastal route as far as Cape Otway so as to overfly the various rocks and islets that form the suggested route (see ERSA). One of our group had a far worse flight and went back to Bairnsdale and stayed there for the night. As we turned South East for the over-water leg, things started gradually to brighten and I saw the GPS showing 155 Knots. We had a trace of tail wind at last! The actual crossing was no problem and land was visible at all times, just as Wayne promised it would be. We landed at 1645 EDT on the strip at Flinders Island having taken over four flying hours, and over six hours in all, to fly a distance that is, if you fly direct, only 385 nautical miles!
We were bussed to and billeted at the Flinders Island Interstate Hotel, but I will leave that and our stay on the Island, for Kerrie Allsop in next month's Newsletter.
Richard Pincus
Schoies Member and owner of VH-PTT
FEEDBACK AND CONTRIBUTIONS: Well, that's your Newsletter for this month. With help (in the form of contributions) it might be possible to continue to produce a newsletter every month. Don't forget to check the latest news on the Club's website at www.schofields-flying-club.com.au. Contributions, comments, feedback, and suggestions to latrodectus@schofields-flying-club.com.au.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: Déjà moo is the feeling you've heard this bull before.
Latrodectus
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