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Thread: Annual OZ Trip

  1. #31
    Senior Member PapuaPilot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    What a great trip Ross, and fun to read about! I was going to ask you if you happened to see any MAF pilots in Arnhem Land, but you answered that in one of your posts.
    Phil Nelson
    A&P-IA, Maintenance Instructor
    KF 5 Outback, Cont. IO-240
    Flying since 2016

  2. #32
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Last few days coming up!

    Jim - yes, I find that a bit frustrating too. Perhaps I am posting using the wrong format?

    Phil - yes, they have a pretty large op up in that parts of OZ.

    cheers

    r
    Ross
    Mt Beauty, Vic
    OZ
    Sold to Richard and Scott Taubman in OZ, 2019. Kitfox SS7,Rotax 912is Sport, Airmaster CSP 75" blades.
    Landcruiser and Cub off road camper (doesn't get any kudos on this forum!)

  3. #33
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    BIRDSVILLE TO WHITE CLIFFS

    Birdsville is In Western Queensland. 2 or three days home from here depending on weather. So it was time to start studying the charts and plan how to get home (Mt Beauty, Vic). The stable weather patterns over the central and Nth parts of OZ make it all pretty predictable day to day. But down Sth, a series of fronts sweep across the nation from west to east bringing cold, wet and sometimes wild weather.

    The forecast was for fog in Birdsville, and true to forecast we woke to a pretty thick one! There are about 12 charter planes bringing people to see water of the channel country and Lake Eyre that only fills with water every few years. They were mostly Caravans and 206's. While we waited, the Kitfox become the 'plane of interest' with the charter pilots all coming to look it over and ask us about the trip - they loved the idea of being able to do trips like we are at such a low cost and also to go the places we can go. We didnt mind as it helped to pass he time and before long the IFR mob were starting to depart and 45 mins later we took to the air.

    A great flight down over the Strezleki Desert to Tibboburra with a 20kt tailwind. The Strezleki had a lot of water after recent rains so that was interesting and rare sight. We made good time, so after a short stop we decided press on to White Cliffs - an opal mining community. We had a few challenging bits of weather to negotiate. Sometimes having to stay low and at other times going up on top

    The local pub owner came out to give us fuel and take us into town.

    A good day despite the slow start and we enjoyed a few beers chatting to the locals.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Ross
    Mt Beauty, Vic
    OZ
    Sold to Richard and Scott Taubman in OZ, 2019. Kitfox SS7,Rotax 912is Sport, Airmaster CSP 75" blades.
    Landcruiser and Cub off road camper (doesn't get any kudos on this forum!)

  4. #34
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    WHITE CLIFFS TO HAY

    We are within striking distance of home! BUT..... The weather looked good to within 150nm of home and then the forecast was pretty dismal - in fact, we couldn't have got into our Valley as it was wall to wall low cloud and rain. Good news is that tomorrow looks really good. So we decided to go sth to Hay in western NSW and wait until tomorrow to make the final flight of our trip. The weather was good as we left
    white Cliffs with a 20kt tail wind. We could see the cloud and rain ahead so had to deviate around it to the west. Originally we planned to go to Griffith but we deviated to Hay and got in just before a band of rain and low cloud.

    Gayle managed to get a good shot of panel of the plane today that shows everything as we use it - we were at 3500ft and had a ground speed of about 118kts. But as Jim pointed out, it doesn't seem possible to blow the photos up so you will probably miss the detail. However, for those of you interested, our panel consists of ( from L - R ) MGL mini flight and engine instruments, Garmin 695, Top to bottom - MGL radio, Trigg Mode S transponder, Airmaster CSP control, and Ipad mini. ON top of the glare shield is a Dynon Traffic in system that links to the ipad. Only other thing of interest is the AOA indicator above the engine display.

    Anyway, home tomorrow when I'll provide a few stats and thoughts about his type of trip.

    cheers

    r
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Ross
    Mt Beauty, Vic
    OZ
    Sold to Richard and Scott Taubman in OZ, 2019. Kitfox SS7,Rotax 912is Sport, Airmaster CSP 75" blades.
    Landcruiser and Cub off road camper (doesn't get any kudos on this forum!)

  5. #35
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    HOME!!! HAY TO MT BEAUTY.

    Final day of our annual OZ Venture trip...and what a trip it has been.

    We woke to a forecast of a sunny day with favourable winds...but only after the fog had lifted. Well we had a light fog at Hay so headed for the airport to prep the plane. The forecast was for scattered patches of fog right through to the mountains where we live. Our friend Craig was keen to meet us on the way back for the final stretch in his Kitfox 4. Well all was good in Mt Beauty and the TAF and Web cam showed the fog was lifting and cleared along the route so off we headed from Hay to meet up with Craig in Yarrawonga. Half and hour into the flight I asked Gayle to check the fog in Yarrawonga and would you believe it? The fog had come in and the visibility was down to bugger all!! Abeam Jerilderie looked clear so we diverted there and advised Craig to meet us there! (We did think of ringing you Dave to see if you were in Moama but had Craig to think of). Anyway, we got out the gas cooker and boiled water for coffee while we waited for Craig. When he arrived we enjoyed stories, coffee and vanilla slices from the Hay Bakery!!

    Great reunion with Craig and then we decide to go direct to Mt Beauty - only about and hour or so and we knew Mt Beauty was clear. It was a perfect day for flying and a fitting entry into the mountains - how green was our valley after all the red desert country! We enjoyed entering familiar country and picked a path through the valleys to Mt Beauty.

    On arrival we had a welcoming committee of family and friends - and my 97yo mother! wonderful! Another friend took off to join us also but got confused with the fog and where we were - but they arrived a little later too.

    So here we are, home again. Another wonderful trip in the Kitfox - 48 hrs flying and about 9000km. What a capable and fun plane to tour in! For all of you who ever contemplate doing fair sized trips, my advice is to dream and plan big, prepare well and trust your Kitfox - it will take you anyway in comfort and safely!! We fly as myself, Gayle, full fuel and 65 kg of gear. The split turtle deck is a great addition (thanks John!) I think the addition of the T3 tailwheel is great, but Ben's beefed up attachment is essential in my view. Good tie downs are a must - I use dual peg and dod spike for each of the three tie down points. We have a cover that keeps the plane from any prying eyes and also protects it from the hash weather. Allow time so that you don't have to push the limits of weather and your own energy levels. Apart from that it is really not that hard to unleash the Kitfox and let it do its stuff taking you to amazing places where ever you are in the world.

    Until the next one,

    cheers

    ross
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Ross
    Mt Beauty, Vic
    OZ
    Sold to Richard and Scott Taubman in OZ, 2019. Kitfox SS7,Rotax 912is Sport, Airmaster CSP 75" blades.
    Landcruiser and Cub off road camper (doesn't get any kudos on this forum!)

  6. #36
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    How nice to be able to follow along on your adventure! Thank you again for taking the time to share it with all of us! Great job, Ross and Gayle!!
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  7. #37
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Ross, Thank You for posting. People ask me all the time, "how far can you travel"? I always tell them about you and Gayle. I have been thinking about the trust you must have in your plane to travel out there like that. I will need more than 50 hours on mine before I could think of a trip like that. Totally inspiring though. Awesome post.
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  8. #38
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Cheers Guys. You are right Eddie, I have grown to trust the plane very much and all the systems. The more I fly with the 912is engine the more I think it is pretty full proof, as long as it keeps to get a fuel supply! I think you too will grow quickly to trust the aircraft and ready to do some great trips around the US!

    Here in OZ I'm looking forward to Ben and Dave finishing their projects and perhaps doing a trip together!

    cheers
    r
    Ross
    Mt Beauty, Vic
    OZ
    Sold to Richard and Scott Taubman in OZ, 2019. Kitfox SS7,Rotax 912is Sport, Airmaster CSP 75" blades.
    Landcruiser and Cub off road camper (doesn't get any kudos on this forum!)

  9. #39
    Senior Member
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    Melbourne, Australia
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Awesome trip Ross. The photos you guys posted of this great country of ours just spurs me on to finish my plane and then do exactly what you and Gayle have been, and still are doing. [I was in Moama all this week working on my plane 7 days straight and sorted a lot of those niggling issues, but understand why you couldn't call in]. These trips are what this aircraft is all about, and I personally think that we in Aus, and the guys in the USA, are very fortunate in having such vast and spectacular countryside in which to go flying. I'm really looking forward to catching up and hearing all about this last great adventure. Great job R and G.
    David
    SS7 Builder

  10. #40
    Rooster's Avatar
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    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    WoW!!
    Ross, that's a fantastic thread! Thanks for showing us. It's really special for you, too, in that you and Gayle can do it together......

    You inspire us to post more of what we do.

    Thanks.
    Reid

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