Kitfox Aircraft Stick and Rudder Stein Air Grove Aircraft TCW Technologies Dynon Avionics AeroLED MGL Avionics Leading Edge Airfoils Desser EarthX Batteries Garmin G3X Touch
Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 40

Thread: Annual OZ Trip

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Annual OZ Trip

    I thought I'd share a little of the trip we are on at the moment. Each year since launching we have headed off for a little fly to some of the interesting remote places in Australia.
    We have undertaken trips straight across the country to the remote Kimberley region, into the red centre and up to Queensland and Sth Australian deserts. This year we have headed Nth through NSW, up the Queensland coast to Ayr, then across to the Gulf country where we are tonight in Bourktown. We have flow over 20 hours so far on this trip and will double that by the time we get home in a few weeks time.

    I will make a few posts covering a few days at a a time.

    Here is the route so far.

    I hope this is interesting enough as I realise it isn't about building and technical stuff.

    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!)

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Day 1 and 2 - up through NSW and over to the Qld coast.

    We left home on a cold morning with heaps of fog. But that cleared off after an hour or so, stopped at Cootamundra for a short break, then Warialda, WArick in Qld and then on to our friends cattle porperty near Boonah. Col and Anna have a Super Cub and have adventured with us before so it good to catch up with them at their new property. Col had put a rough runway in with a 10' slope up to his Hanger - fun!

    1. leaving home.jpg2. up central NSW.jpg
    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. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    After leaving Cols place we headed over to coast between the Gold Coast and Brisbane control areas and picked up the coastal VFR route north along Sth Stradboke island and Morton Island then up the coast getting a clearance to track coastal through the Sunshine Coast Control area, along Fraser island then over to Hervey Bay for the night.
    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. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Kept going up the coast. We had to divert inland around the Shoalwater Bay Military Training area to Mackay. It was blowing hard. We got a clearance into Mackay and performed an imitation of a helicopter landing into a 25KT wind blowing straight down the runnaway!!
    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. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Leaving Mackay took us up through the Airle Beach/Shute Harbour area of the Whitsunday islands. Cloud was low and raining around the islands but soon we out the other side and stopped at Bowen in the middle of a busy parachuting operation. Great chat with the team there and a look at the Catalina flying boat memorial -interesting. Then off to Ayre where we were met by our neighbours from home who are in a fishing trip at the mouth of the Burdekin River.


    We spent 2 days with them catching mud crabs and prawns - I didn't thing I could get sick of eating fresh crab and prawn sandwiches!!
    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. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    After two days of indulgence on seafood it was time to leave and head across to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Now this was the start of the remote area so fuel management becomes super important! We flew from Ayre to Charters Towers and topped up the fuel. Then straight to Einasleigh - just a strip with an old pub and a wonderful gorge for swimming and exploring. It was getting hot and although we had a 20kt tail wind, it was uncomfortable so we landed and spend he night having fun at the gorge and the pub!
    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!)

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    642

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Noice Ross .... very noice.... As well as you and Gayle, do you have any other aircraft travelling with you or is this a solo nav. ?. This is quite a trip you're on. Pea green. Great photos and I reckon the trip across the Gulf will be spectacular. Is this full coastal or are you back home down the centre ?
    David
    SS7 Builder

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Mt Beauty, Australia
    Posts
    1,073

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Today we left Einasleigh at 0700 and after ducking under around some low level cloud over some ranges, we set sail for the Gulf at Normanton and then around the coast to Bourketown. Amazing country and a very good tailwind! Landing at Bourketown was challenging with an 17 kt crosswind and no alternative. The Kitfox handled it well, even it was a wild ride to to ground! The local Charter company have wonderful accommodation cabins in town so we treated ourselves to some luxury after being in the tent for a while - and they have lent us a car to look around! great place!

    chers

    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!)

  9. #9
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Yorba Linda, CA
    Posts
    2,817

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Thanks for the post Ross. I, for one, love to see this kind of post. People ask me how far I can go in the Kitfox. I tell them of your trips as well as the factory trip to the Bahamas. Keep em coming.
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  10. #10
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    2,959

    Default Re: Annual OZ Trip

    Great story Ross, you are using your fox to the fullest.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •