Criag's new Kitfox across OZ

[rosslr]

HI all. I am over in Perth about to pick up a friends new Kitfox 4 that he has just bought. I will fly it home to Mt Beauty this week and post a few pics if I get internet - a trip of about 1600nm across Australia. I plan to follow the coast across the Great Australian Bight and use roadhouses for fuel stops.

Craig will eventually appear here but is busy at the moment.

Cheers

Ross

[Mcgaero]

Nice looking kitfox Ross!
Look forward to following your trip home!

[SSFoxBuilder]

She's a beaut, Ross!

[Jono]

Nice!
Where will this be kept?

[PaulSS]

I need to have words with your mate Craig :) I'm away at work overseas at the moment and don't get back home until later in the month, when I'd planned to go to Jandakot to check out his new toy and, almost certainly, exchange some $$s and fly it a much shorter distance to its new home in Bunbury (I had written to the owner, not just imagined that was what I was going to do). At least I know who got the jump on me and where I can find him :D

.......I know, snoozing and losing (but working really sucks) :(

She certainly does look like a great example and I hope you and Craig have fun and a successful time flying her.

[rosslr]

Hi Jono - I was wondering how long it would take you to pick up on this! Same as yours I suspect - I am a roadhouse on the Nullabour - pics later. Craig has the hanger the other side of me. I wish I took a flew lessons from you before emarking - it is rather different to the 7!! Very twitchy on landing and brakes - nearly ground looped it on my first landing expecting to be equally docile to mine - learning - I guess you will be over on the 26th if not before?

HI PaullSS - Bugger! Bet you are not pleased! it flys well - I am at Caiguna now after going via Esperance - last hour was over the coast as its a bit bubpy in land - smooth as over the water and beautiful. Hope to catch up if you come over our way some time.

heers

ross

[PaulSS]

Hope the rest of your journey goes well and that the Nullarbor doesn't throw you any nasty surprises. The IV would have been nice but there's a lovely yellow 7 across the other side of country that interests me more. The owner's away at the moment as well so I hope he's got a decent padlock on her :D

[rosslr]

Starting across the Nullabor.

[efwd]

Wow. it looks like your very alone out there! Beautiful but spooky.
Eddie

[rosslr]

Across the Great Australian Bight today. A few pics to give you idea of the isolation. All going well.

ross

[Planesmaker]

Hi Ross, you have all the fun! Have a safe trip
Regards
Tom

[Esser]

Ross, do you just land on roads and pull up to the pumps?

[Jono]

Excellent!

Another Fox to drop in and see in our part of Victoria.

Regarding the twitchy-ness... I learnt in the IV so never knew how different it was to other taildraggers until I started adding more aircraft to my logbook.


I wish I took a flew lessons from you before emarking - it is rather different to the 7!! Very twitchy on landing and brakes - nearly ground looped it on my first landing expecting to be equally docile to mine - learning - I guess you will be over on the 26th if not before?

ross

[PaulSS]

Ross, do you just land on roads and pull up to the pumps?

There are various bits of the east-west road that are available as runways but these are there more for the Royal Flying Doctors Service and any fuel etc might be stored in one of the local communities.

For 'normal' flights, the fuel is available close to the co-located airstrip and a short taxy to the pumps :)

[rosslr]

Today's trip was from Ceduna on the east end of the bigh to Swan Hill on the Murray. Whyalla and Renmark on the way. Landings at WOnly 195nm tomorrow to home!

Josh, as Paul described. In outback OZ most pubs and roadhouse have a strip of some sort out the back and they are happy for you taxi around to the bowsers. The road is useful if the winds are strong.

Anyway, a few pics - not that interesting but gives you an idea of the change in landscapes along the way - a lot of wheat and barley being harvested- tomorrow as I fly up our valley it will be very green!

getting a bit tired now - about 6 hours flying a day in pretty remote areas! But nothing a nice cold beer will not cure!

cheers for now.

ross

[chrisag]

Another great adventure for you Ross. Will have to catch up with Gayle and yourself soon. Cheers. JC.

[David47]

Happy travels and enjoy the coastline views.

[PaulSS]

Looks like you've had a great trip, Ross, even if you are now feeling the affects of it. Some lovely photos of a great country and I'm envious of your journey.

On to my second love.......did you see any tuna around Ceduna (there's a demersal ban in my neck of the woods, so I might have to go hunting something else now the Dhuies and Snapper are off limits until mid December) :)

[rosslr]

Craig's new Kitfox is safely back at its new home in Mt Beauty, Vic!

This morning was a leisurely 196nm from Swan Hill in the early morning. It was great to turn the corner into the home valley and had a nice welcoming party on arrival! 1660nm in 3.5 days across Australia. That makes three crossings of the Australian continent in a Kitfox this year and I am am claiming the record for the number of crossings of Australia in a Kitfox this year! (Unless one of you guys have been secretly criss crossing our nation without us knowing!?)

to Jim: Get that hay baled so you can come over on the 26th!

To Tom: Good to hear you are back from Russia - coming down on the 26th?

to Jono: Bring yours over for comparison!

To Dave: Hope it inspired you for your build!

To Chris: No tuna - just Whales a sharks and a heap of guys in the middle of nowhere fishing the beaches!

Now it is over to Craig to start sharing his adventures - but he is still in the US and Canada so I guess I will have to start it every few days just to maintain it.

A few pics of the last leg this mornng - my favourite is turning into our home valley!

cheers

[Esser]

Nice trip Ross,

Mt. Beauty is looking like it is becoming the mecca of Kitfoxing in Oz. Can I throw a hammock in your hangar and hangout there for a week? lol

[PapuaPilot]

Ross,

I enjoyed following your trip and seeing the pictures.

[rosslr]

I locked them up together in the hope they will breed! ( no room in the hanger for you now Josh!)

r

[David47]

Great stuff Ross !. Pictures and commentary excellent, but then we do live in a great country. I'm thinking Mt Beauty really is fast becoming Oz Kitfox Central with two in the same hangar !. As for breeding, well there'll be at least one "bun in the oven" in 2017 in Echuca-Moama ....

[rosslr]

Yep, gave you a thought yesterday as I flew past Echuca Dave - I remember the wait - and then tracking the ships progress from the US - painfully slow getting to Melbourne! But its worth it! Hope to see yo up here later in the month.

cheers

[Planesmaker]

Well done what a great trip! Thanks for sharing. Yes I'll bring the family down in the turbo Jab weather permitting.
Tom