Katamarino's Round the World flight

The first picture is a magnet with metal pieces on it that you do not want to find in your engine.

Technically you do want all of that metal in your engine.

But you want it to remain attached to its respective components in the engines. When those metal parts end up in your oil filter, that's bad.

@Katamarino do you have some better pictures you could share of the camshaft? The starter adapter is a common source of metal on those engines and 575 hours is about right for one to go out if it was overhauled when new. It's a weakness on Continentals, nothing really unexpected there. I had one go out on the 310 at about 450 hours SMOH. Ironically, it was exactly when I dropped the 310 off at the shop to get a prebuy done for the people who bought it. They were going to fly me back to get my commercial flight to my next stop, and it up and quit.

From the angle it's hard for me to tell the condition of the cam. If the engine is apart, I would NOT put a cam with chunks missing back in.
 
Getting rid of the circulating metal debris also seems of utmost importance. Changing your oil cooler definitely, but how do you get rid of all the rest in all the channels?
 
Getting rid of the circulating metal debris also seems of utmost importance. Changing your oil cooler definitely, but how do you get rid of all the rest in all the channels?

I agree100%. If it were me, I’d move forward with the overhaul/replacement, especially if I plan on keeping the plane.
 
That's exactly what I'm doing. They're taking it apart and doing a very thorough inspection, will address any issues that are found.
 
Well, the report came back. So far, as expected. Hopefully the crankshaft passes the ultrasonic inspection ok! The parts have been ordered, just need to put it all back together now...

 
Well, the report came back. So far, as expected. Hopefully the crankshaft passes the ultrasonic inspection ok! The parts have been ordered, just need to put it all back together now...
Assembly is the reverse of disassembly. Easy peasy. Looking forward to seeing your pictures from the exploration/flight testing after it’s out back together. That’s the part of the world I’ve wanted to see for the most years.
 
I had metal turn up in my IO-360 and am having a factory overhauled engine installed. The prop governor is being flushed and inspected AND the prop is being "flushed" by a prop shop. Perhaps you should have your prop flushed also in addition to the governor work you already are having done. With the new oil cooler and prop governor work plus prop flush the engine should not have any metal contamination left.
 
Concerning the picture of your cam. I believe they were just trying to show you the pitting on the lobe. What looks like a big missing chunk is just a reflection of the lifter bore housing in the case. A photographic anomaly.
 
The engine is back on. 6 new cylinders, new pistons, new bearings, new oil cooler, new camshaft, various other new bits and pieces. Overhauled mags, and various ADs complied with, including NDT on the crankshaft.



Next tasks will be engine run-in, and HF radio install for the Pacific.

Coming soon will be the write-up of the flying around Australia in a rented Cessna 206 while the 182 was down.
 
Did you have to pay extra for them to repair this so quickly?
 
About time I started this up again...

I touched down at Sydney airport, and after a short wait was on a tiny Rex airplane out to the city of Albury, New South Wales, where the rental 206 was based. I walked straight around to the aviation business of the owner, Stephen, and we jumped in the aircraft to do a quick flight checkout as I’d not flown a 206 before. It was not at all difficult to get the hang of, being very similar indeed to the 182. After a bit of airwork and a few landings, all done in low visibility due to the smoke from the active bushfires nearby, Stephen gave me a lift to my hotel where I met up with my brother and his friend Jen. They had been on a road trip for the past couple of weeks through southeastern Australia, ending up here to join me for the flying.

Downtown Albury


That evening we wandered out of the hotel and found a well reviewed Indian restaurant, which was exceptional. It’s always a treat to find Indian food done in the style that we’re used to in the UK, even if it’s not authentically Indian! We settled in for early nights, as the next day would bring the first of many early starts to come.

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I met Rowan and Jen at breakfast in the hotel, followed by Jen driving us out to the airport. Our Australian pilot Ollie had had his flight to Albury delayed, and was now arriving this morning rather than the previous night. Rowan, Jen and I went to the supermarket to some water and snacks to stock the 206 while Ollie stayed behind and completed a quick check flight with Stephen.

At Albury, ready to go


We then prepared the aircraft for departure. We’d had one of the rear seats removed to provide more luggage space, and everybody was traveling light (Rowan had significantly reduced his luggage volume after an initial check the previous night), so loading didn’t present a problem. After grabbing a couple of extra headsets, the four of us jumped on board and taxied out for departure.

Dry land outside Albury. No surprise that the place was burning.


Our first flight took us from Albury, north across New South Wales to Maitland. After takeoff we were held at low level because of incoming traffic, which was a hot and bumpy experience; there was a heat wave across Australia at the time, and temperatures had exceeded 40 degrees C at times. Visibility was still poor thanks to the widespread bush fires across the state; we’d had to check carefully to ensure our route did not interfere at all with any restricted areas for firefighting operations.

All aboard the 206


Fires were visible all over


Visibility over the Blue Mountains was poor


Still technically VFR though!


Eventually, we were given clearance to climb up to 9,000ft where it was much cooler and smoother. The visibility improved a little as we went, as well. The countryside below us was dry and parched, and it was plain to see why the bush fires were hitting the region so hard. Every now and then a fire could be seen, sending up huge plumes of white smoke; at times, visibility was almost down to the minimum for VFR flight. Maitland itself had fairly good weather, and approach and landing was straightforward, after two and a half hours in the air. We refueled, and then met up with my Aunt Janet who had very kindly collected some essential supplies from the C182, and brought them to us; things like my flying headset!

Parked up at Albury


We had a quick lunch at McDonald’s, and returned to the aircraft. On the way we ran into David, the owner of the maintenance facility that was looking after the 182, and received an update on progress.

Day one route


The second leg of the day would take us north along the coast to the city of Brisbane. The initial routing out of Maitland saw us following a railway line at 1,500ft, an established VFR corridor that keeps aircraft out of the airspace of Newcastle airport. After what felt like forever, being bumped around at low level, we were clear of the airspace and were able to begin a climb through the haze to smoother air.

Low level out of Albury


The cockpit setup of the 206, "KFI"


Visibility was still poor at times


Now that we were in the clear, we set course for the city of Gold Coast. The flight continued over parched countryside and tinder-dry forests, until it was time to begin a descent to remain clear of Gold Coast airspace, and to join the low level corridor along the beach. We flew along the coast at 500 feet, past the skyscrapers and fun fair, enjoying fantastic views. North of the city we turned back inland, as it was just a short hop over to Archerfield, the general aviation airport serving Brisbane.

Approaching Gold Coast


Gold Coast




For a change, we chose the grass runway, 4R. The airport has a slightly strange set-up with two parallel tarmac runways, and two parallel grass runways. We parked at the end of a row of aircraft, next to a Beech Skipper that Ollie had previously ferried up to Archerfield for the new owner.

We ordered an “UberXL”, given that there were 4 of us plus bags, and were a little surprised when a standard Prius turned up. We managed to squeeze in anyway, and headed to the Adina Apartment Hotel where we met up with our fifth team-member, Hiyo, who’d arrived by bus earlier. Dinner that evening was at a pub a ten minute walk away, across the river; my brother’s attempt to have a light dinner by just ordering a starter and a salad was proven futile after the chicken wings he ordered unexpectedly turned out to be a 1kg platter. We retired to Rowan’s room for a quick drink, and then made our way to our respective beds.

Evening in Brisbane


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We met at 10, and walked to the Brisbane museum, located in part of the Brisbane City Hall. There was a small display of local artwork, and a little about the history of the city. It was quickly exhausted, but one could also take a self guided tour of the City Hall itself, including the very impressive central auditorium.

Sculpture in Brisbane


Inside City Hall


From here we walked towards the maritime museum, but were distracted along the way by a stall by the water offering a 90 minute river tour, leaving now. We jumped aboard and were treated to a run up and down the river, learning a lot more about the history of the city and enjoying the beautiful buildings along both banks.

Downtown Brisbane


After this we spent an hour or so in the Queensland museum, most of which is free to visit. The three main exhibits covered tribal music, fauna of Queensland and the world (including dinosaurs), and a historical exhibition about the ANZAC forces, particularly around Gallipoli.

An aviation connection in the Brisbane Museum


From here we returned to City Hall, for a tour of the bell tower which for many years was the tallest structure in Brisbane. After it was first built, demand from the citizens was so great that within a year regular tours were being taken up it.

We returned to the hotel for a rest, before a simple dinner at the nearby “Pancake Manor”. Drinks and snacks in one of our rooms finished off the evening, as we watched the light show projected on the bell tower.

Lots more pictures on the website at https://katamarino.co.uk/index.php/2020/01/22/round-the-world-australia-days-1-to-3/

Total flight hours so far: 176.4
Total distance so far: 20,320nm (37,633km)
 
We woke just after 7, and all met in the lobby at 7:40. Our Uber gave us an inadvertent city tour on the way to the airport due to some navigational difficulties, but by 9am we were fueled and ready for departure. Our first flight of the day would be a 3 hour run; first to the coast at Bundaberg, followed by tracking the coastline up to Rockaway.

Loading up at Archerfield


Departure


Brisbane


Things were still pretty hazy, but much better than they’d been 2 days before, and we could start to enjoy a bit of the view. It was mostly arid, forested country, looking like a prime target for any forest fire that might come through.

Approaching Rockhampton


Queensland coast


Descending into Rockhampton


Final approach


We stopped at Rockhampton to refuel and stretch our legs. Departure was on runway 33, pointed directly at the day’s final destination of Shute Harbour.

Refueling in Rockhampton


Departure from Rockhampton


North of Rockhampton conditions were good, albeit desolate. There was no sign of human impact for miles and miles, but every now and then you’d come across a massive mineral operation or similar. We cruised in the calm, cool air at 8,500.

The day's route


Cruising along the coast


Approaching the Whitsundays


The Whitsundays


Airlie Beach


As we approached Shute Harbour, we made a long fast descent to a tight right downwind, flying a teardrop to turn around and fly an offset final approach to runway 14 – this is to avoid a house which is basically right on the threshold, and sensitive to overflying aircraft. They chose a strange place to live, if they don’t like aviation!

Landing at Shute Harbour


Shute Harbour airport


We were met by airport staff who kindly took our luggage away for us on a cart, and had a light lunch in the airport cafe before heading into town to our respective accommodation. After settling in we met for a swim at the pool complex near the beachfront, before a light Indian dinner and bed.

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It was an early start, with the bus collecting us just after 7am to take us to the “Derwent Hunter”, the sailing ship we’d spend the day on. This 90ft oak-built ship was constructed in Tasmania in 1946, over 18 months, by just 4 men. There were only 13 passengers against her maximum capacity of 39, so there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out. After a safety briefing we motored out of the harbour and headed west for a couple of hours, enjoying the views of the multitude of little islands that make up the Whitsunday area.

The Derwent Hunter


We arrived at our first snorkeling area, and suited up. Rowan and I were very conscious about a news story we’d read, where 2 British men were mauled by sharks in this very area. “What are the chances of that happening again?” said Rowan. “That’s probably exactly what the second British man said”, I replied.

Rowan raises the sails


Sting suits were mandatory to protect against jelly fish and none of us were stung. The water was a bit cloudy, and we didn’t see too much. A few solitary fish and plenty of coral was about it, and after an hour the dinghy was ferrying us back to the yacht.

Cruising the Whitsundays


We snacked on fruit as the yacht repositioned to a second location, and were soon back in the water. The poor kid who’d been stung right at the start of the first session was promptly stung again. There was a bit more to see here, including a giant clam and a relaxed sea turtle, cruising around the area. I set out to swim to the beach, a surprisingly long way but just about made it back as the last of the snorkelers were being picked up. We were welcomed back on board and greeted with a delicious cold buffet of meats, cheeses, bread and fruits.

Heading back to harbour


We munched away at this as we started motoring back towards Airlie Beach, soon hoisting the sails as the breeze had picked up. A couple of hours of relaxed sailing had us back at the dock. The next morning we’d be leaving our accommodations at 0500, so we all did our own things for a light dinner (mostly snacks from the supermarket), and were in bed by 8.
 
The taxi pulled up right as we walked out the door of the inn, with 2 smiling faces already inside. We set off to collect Ollie and were soon back at the airport, which was unfortunately closed. Luckily, the fence was not high, and the gate opened from the inside.

Morning in Airlie Beach


Pre-flight was quick now that we’d all fallen into our assigned roles. Ollie checked the aircraft, I removed the tie-downs and checked the fuel, and Rowan loaded the luggage. Jen took down the sunshades and was in charge of snacks! We took off as quietly as possible, given that it still wasn’t 6am, and turned on course for our first destination of Charters Towers.

Airlie Beach


Heading into the outback


Charters Towers


Fuel stop 1, Charters Towers


The flight was just over an hour, across early morning scattered cloud and mist. The departure gave a great view of Airlie Beach, before taking us up and over the coastal hills. At this time of morning the air was beautifully smooth. When we arrived at Charters Towers the field was deserted, but the self serve fuel was available, and the bathrooms unlocked! We fueled up and headed out.

Not a problem in other countries


Australia loves Cessnas


Lovely weather in the outback


Our next flight leg was almost 400 nautical miles, to Mount Isa. We climbed up to 8,500 to be above the thermals that would be developing through the morning. The terrain was turning into real Australian outback, with hardly any sign of human activity. A slight headwind slowed us down, but we were on the ground at Mount Isa not long after 10, and fueling up. This airport was significantly bigger, with security staff and all!

The day's flying


Approaching Mount Isa


Stop number 2


Arid outback


We departed from Mount Isa for what we expected to be the final flight of the day, just over 30 minutes to Barkly Roadhouse. The airstrip wasn’t in the GPS so Ollie directed me in using his aviation app. As we came overhead, my skepticism deepened. Things didn’t look quite as I’d pictured them from the website; for one thing, the buildings were laid out differently, and there was no highway or fuel pumps, strange for a roadhouse. I questioned Ollie again. “Nah mate, it’s all good, this is Barkly” said Ollie (possibly in a less stereotypically Australian way, but that’s how it is in my memory). So, we landed. I did a horrible job of it as we were trying the full 40 degrees of flaps for the first time.

Not actually Barkly Roadhouse


Rocky parking


We secured the aircraft and headed off to investigate. The whole place seemed deserted, with lawn sprinklers going and more dead birds lying around than we were used to seeing. We found an unlocked building that seemed like a recreation room, that happily had a mobile phone picocell, so Ollie called reception to investigate. They were very confused that we couldn’t find them, but the reason for this soon became clear as I checked Google Maps. We were indeed at Barkly, but the wrong one; this was effectively just somebody’s house. We decided to get out of there quick and make our way to the other Barkly, nearly 200 miles to the west, in a different state.

Let's explore....


A lovely oasis in the outback, but also apparently just some blokes' farm


Shaming our navigator


Before we managed to slip away, the only resident found us. Luckily he was friendly and quite amused by the situation. He told us he’d heard the airplane land but hadn’t really though anything of it – a bit odd if you’re the only person on a remote homestead! We packed everything up, took off, and headed west.

The actual Barkly Roadhouse


The flight was just over an hour, and the terrain soon started looking much more like we’d expected. Desert, with a long highway stretching ahead of us. We flew a left downwind past a facility that looked a lot more like the one from the website, and touched down on the dirt runway, taxiing down a dirt track to the parking area near the main facility. This time, the route to reception was very obvious.

Cabin at Barkly


After checking into our cabins, we relaxed in the restaurant for a bit, the only place with wifi albeit slow. We looked ahead at the plan for the next few days, including the long, long run out to Perth and beyond. The unanimous feeling was that this was going to be just too much flying, with no real opportunity to enjoy Perth after such a long slog, so we revised the plan. After Ayers Rock, we’d head southeast to Coober Pedy, instead of west to Perth. Much more manageable.

Road train!


We had dinner at 5:30pm, as soon as the kitchen opened, and turned in early as usual after pausing to admire some of the giant road trains that had rolled in.
 
At least you were within an hour´s flighttime to your real destination. A couple of years ago some Italians booked a flight to Sydney but ended up in Canada instead of in the southern hemisphere.
 
I cherish reading your account of the adventure!
 
We departed just after 6:30am, in the relative cool of the early morning. Our first flight would be to Alice Springs for a breakfast stop, and was about a two and a half hour leg over yet more barren outback. As we approached Alice Springs, the terrain became a little more interesting with long ridges; it was very familiar too, as I’d flown directly over here without landing on my way down from Broome.

Take-off from Barkly


Climbing out from Barkly


Cruising over the Northern Territory


Our passengers were fascinated by the outback scenery


Nearing Alice Springs


Approach to Alice Springs


Alice Springs is a pretty big airport with proper security, so we had to follow strict procedures. We couldn’t even leave the airside area without a security officer coming and letting us through the gate. It wasn’t too much of a hassle though, and soon we’d walked the 350m to the main terminal and were enjoying breakfast in the cafe. The cafe was actually on the secure side of the security checkpoint, but no boarding pass was needed to get through.

On the ground at Alice Springs


The day's route


As we ate, we realised that we’d not spotted the “24 hours prior notice required” note on the Ayers Rock airport info. As we planned to be arriving there in about 2 hours, this was an issue. Ollie called up and worked some verbal magic, and we were given the permission after a gentle chiding.

Fueling up


We walked around to the GA area and had to wait for a while for the airport security to come and let us back in. Refueling was quick and we climbed out following the VFR route to Ayers Rock. Things were a little bumpy at first as the day was warming up and we’d been restricted to 4’500 by air traffic control due to arriving traffic. We bumped our way out 30 miles or so, and were then cleared to climb up to the much cooler and smoother altitude of 8,500.

Low level out of Alice Springs


Dry lakes


Rock in sight!


50 miles out, a bump could be seen on the horizon. As we drew closer, it turned out not to be Ayers Rock itself, but the nearby taller formation of Kata Tjuṯa, also known as the Olgas. The most famous rock itself was soon in sight as well. It was now afternoon, and getting very bumpy, so we decided to land straight away and save the scenic flight for the morning. We touched down just ahead of a sightseeing 172, with a Qantas airliner waiting for us before it departed. We tied down, picked up the rental car, and headed to grab some water and icecream before entering the park.

Making full use of the shade


We didn’t need a map to tell us which way to turn out of the resort area gates. The rock makes a compelling landmark. It was about a four kilometer drive to the park entrance, and then another fifteen to the cultural center, which showcased all kinds of information about aboriginal life there, as well as giving us some good advice about the best activities for an afternoon where the temperature was in the mid 40s Celsius.

Just weeks before our visit, climbing the rock had been permanently banned; this didn’t worry us too much as it was far too hot to even think about doing that. Anyway, as someone had said to me, if you climb the rock then you’re now standing on top of the only interesting thing that there is to look at.

4 out of 5 at the rock


No more climbing allowed


The old climbing route


We first drove out towards the rock, and parked the car up near its base to hike along the Mala walk. This walk took us along a section of the rock and into the Kantju gorge, where a water hole fills up when the rains come, and is a vital source of water for animals in the area, as well as an ancient site for the Aboriginal people. Along the walk there were a number of caves, set into the rocks base, and signs explained the uses that each had been put to by the Aboriginals; cooking, schooling and so on.

Uluru




It was blisteringly hot and we were soon relieved to be back in the car, having filled up our water bottles at one of the drinking water stations provided by the park. We drove along around the perimeter of the rock, parking this time at the head of the Kuniya walk, to take us to the Mutitjulu water hole. This walk, to our great relief, was shaded. The gorge had a surprising amount of vegetation at its base, supported by the water that is funneled in here; one particular species of tree apparently had roots that go down 60 – 70 meters, seeking water from the dry desert.

The rock at dusk


We contemplated a drive out to see Kata Tjuta, but it was clear that it would be too long a round trip, and instead we returned to the resort complex and our small 6-person cabin at the campsite. The small air conditioner unit was not keeping up with the 44 degree heat. We relaxed for a while before heading for dinner, and then back out to the sunset viewing area to watch as the evening light drew in across the rock. After that, an early night; we’d be off again before 7 for our flight south.

Desert sunset
 
"...Making full use of the shade..."

Probably explains why Australia loves Cessnas. :D
 
Alice Springs is a pretty big airport with proper security, so we had to follow strict procedures. We couldn’t even leave the airside area without a security officer coming and letting us through the gate.

Did ya see the spook kid’s toys behind the little ridge near town?

I’m assuming it’s restricted airspace or whatever the equivalent is there. :)
 
Did ya see the spook kid’s toys behind the little ridge near town?
You mean this one:
upload_2020-2-1_16-17-41.png
I’m assuming it’s restricted airspace or whatever the equivalent is there. :)
Alice Springs has commercial air traffic, so their version of TSA is probably just as annoying as ours.
 

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It's been over a month since the last update. Where are you on the flight now?
 
The original plan had been to head to Perth for two nights from here, but it had become very apparent that this would be far too long a distance to try for such a short stay. Instead, we flew a few hours south to the opal mining town of Coober Pedy.

Fueling at Ayers Rock Airport


We departed from Ayers Rock airport and flew the official scenic flight route out towards and along one side of the rock, before doubling back around Kata Tjuta and then turning south on course. The rock was just as magnificent from the air as from the ground!

The Rock


Kata Tjuta


We had something of a headwind as we flew south; it seemed we’d had a headwind nearly all the way around the route, which was a little frustrating. It was a much shorter flight than trying to make it all the way to Perth and back, and we were very happy with the rerouting decision that we’d made.

Our flight route


Tied down in Coober Pedy, soon to become my brother's favourite place in the world


Coober Pedy airport


We landed in Coober Pedy and tied down, before figuring out how to get into town. The manager of the “Mud Hut Motel”, one of our chosen accommodation options, showed up at the airport shortly after we’d called her; she ran the local Avis and Budget franchise and gave us a rental car to drive to the motel, telling us to just leave it parked outside check-in! As it turned out, nothing was very far in Coober Pedy and the motel was just a few minutes drive. On the way we dropped Ollie at his initial choice of budget accommodation which he soon reported to us was 100% deserted and giving him strong "Hotel California" vibes.

The Mud Hut motel


Coober Pedy, with fewer than 1,800 residents these days, is famous for its underground “dugout” homes – the soft rock is ideal for burrowing into to make a residence, which will then stay at a steady temperature. The practice seems to have started by making use of exhausted mine workings, and much of the town is now underground, indeed it’s one of the features that brings tourists in.

Our lunchtime cafe


We didn’t do too much that afternoon, as the heat was draining. We found a cafe for lunch after a failed attempt at visiting the well reviewed bakery (which was now shut down), and then rested in the rooms through the main heat of the afternoon. Late that day we took the short walk across the road to the Outback Bar and Grill, part restaurant and part petrol station. The food was excellent!

The local bar


The gas station and restaurant


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We could sleep in a little later than normal, and all met up at a little before 10 at the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. After an introductory video about the history of the town, and the opal mining process, we were taken on a tour of the underground areas. The first places we visited were a pair of residences; the older showing how an the underground home was back in the 70s, and the newer still being in use by the night time caretaker of the museum. From here we ventured down to see the old mine workings. Our guide for all this was none other than the old miner himself, now in his 80s, who had worked this claim! We couldn’t have asked for a more authentic experience.

Underground accommodation in Coober Pedy


The only two things you need


How very Australian


A few doors down from the museum was a combined art gallery/kangaroo orphanage. We went along in time for the noon feeding. The heat was so strong that, we were told, the kangaroos were on strike and hiding in the shade. We did still get to see and pet a 6-month old orphan who was being rehabilitated after her mother was killed on the highway.

Kangaroo time


Feeding over, the owner suggested a route to us, and we wandered off in the midday sun past the underground Comfort Inn (where we stopped to have a look around and a cold drink), and up to the “Big Winch” lookout point. There was no shortage of unusual things to see, as the photos bear witness to!

Strange sights around Coober Pedy






We lunched at the same cafe as the day before, and then visited the town bookshop (also the town AVGAS supplier, it turned out). After this, another afternoon rest, and dinner at John’s Pizza Bar; apparently rated the 5th best in Australia. It wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure I’d rate it quite that highly.

Old mining equipment


God only knows...the heat gets to people in Coober Pedy


 
Coober Pedy was a lot of fun, but we had to leave before Rowan went native and ended up living in a hole in the ground. It was another early start, leaving the motel just after six in another of the manager’s rental cars. We stopped briefly at the Coober Pedy town sign for some photos, before heading out to the airport, loading, and refueling. We backtracked down the runway, and departed, with great views of the town off to our left as we climbed out.

Morning in Coober Pedy


A happy loadmaster


Coober Pedy


We set course south across the outback for the 280nm flight to Whyalla, a coastal town in South Australia, and a convenient place to break the trip to Kangaroo Island. The flight at 4,500ft was smooth, although a little warm at that altitude, and we finally picked up a slight tailwind component to speed us along.

The flight to the coast


Dry lakes south of Coober Pedy


Whyalla drag strip


We landed at around 10am, and took a taxi to our beachfront motel. Despite the early hour, our rooms were ready and we were pleased to be able to dump the luggage before heading for brunch at the nearby Beach Cafe. After this, we retired for a short nap, and then a walk along to the seafront to the marina and back but the heatwave that was still blasting much of Australia forced us back to the rooms to rest.

Whyalla


The marina


We spent the afternoon reading and swimming in the motel pool, before meeting up again at a picnic table on the grass overlooking the beach and enjoying a dinner of cheese, crackers, and fruits.

Picnic time


Evening in Whyalla


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The day’s flight would be short, so we didn’t leave the motel until mid-morning, enjoying a lie-in. Despite ordering a van taxi for the 5 of us and our luggage, a small car turned up to carry us all, so we had a bit of a wait while the correct vehicle was sourced. The airport was quiet with no commercial flights scheduled, and it didn’t take long to fuel up and get underway for our final tourist stop of the trip, Kangaroo Island.

Morning refueling


We wanted to ensure that we were never out of gliding distance of land, as we were not carrying life jackets. We therefore flew south along the coast to gain altitude, before turning east to cross the water at the narrowest point, still climbing. As soon as we were in gliding distance of the far shore as well as the near one, we turned back on route to the south east, creeping closer to land on a direct heading to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island.

Climbing out from Whyalla


The flight to Kangaroo Island


More dry lakes


The final water crossing, to Kangaroo Island, was short and we were soon touching down and taxiing to the grass parking area. I left the others securing and unloading the aircraft while I headed off to collect the rental car. It seems I arrived just in time; despite having turned up exactly when I said we would, the Hertz rental car staff told me they’d assumed I was meant to be on the earlier (and last) flight that day and they were about to leave on the flight back to the mainland. Not sure what we’d have done if they’d all left! As we drove out, we had a very Australian experience; a koala bear was hanging out in the trees at the entrance to the airport!

Koala!


We decided first to drive into Kingscote for lunch, having been recommended the fish and chip restaurant attached to the Caltex petrol station. Quality food served at petrol stations seemed to be common around these parts. The recommendation was solid, and we greatly enjoyed our fish before jumping back in the car and driving the length of the island to our accommodation. We checked in; 3 of us at one place, 2 at the other; and then set off to visit the Flinders Chase National Park. We’d heard that the following day was likely to be declared an “extreme fire day”, which would mean most places were closed, so we wanted to ensure we had the chance to see the national park if that turned out to be true.

The park was just around the corner from where we were staying. We elected to drive out and see the three main viewpoints, given our limited time. The first stop was “Admiral’s Arch”, a natural sea-arch out right at the end of the island. Despite the 40+ degree weather that had us sweltering, this little part of the island was affected by a fierce, cold southerly breeze that has us shivering as we made our way down the paths to the arch, and the many fur seals lazing on the rocks all around it.

Admiral's arch


From here we checked out the old lighthouse, before continuing to view the old cable car that used to bring the stores up the cliffs from the sea below. The cable itself was long gone but the foundations and the route were still clearly visible. As we enjoyed the views of the ocean, we saw thrashing and flashes of red in the sea down below, which we were all fairly sure must have been a shark attacking a seal! That was our explanation, anyway. The last stop out by the coast was the “Remarkable Rocks’. Unsurprisingly, this is a rock formation, that is indeed quite unusual and interesting. The photos speak for themselves!

The remarkable rocks




Before leaving the park, we decided to walk along the nature trail. We’d hardly gone 100 meters before spotting a koala asleep in a tree! This was real Australia… We pointed it out to a French couple who were walking the other way, and it was the first one they’d seen. We continued and saw absolutely nothing for about the next 40 minutes, so turned around to start the walk back by another route.

Wildlife walk


At this point all the nature clearly came out to play. We first saw kangaroos and wallabies, before entering a more wooded area where it seemed every single tree had a koala or two. We happened upon a couple of large kangaroos, asleep in long grass by the path; I’m not sure which of us and the kangaroos were more startled.

More Koalas!


Having completed the most impressive nature walk I’ve ever taken, we headed back to our respective accommodation, enjoying an easy dinner of food and wine that we’d picked up earlier that day at the supermarket. As we sat and ate on the veranda of one of the cabins, 15 or so wallabies came down and grazed on the lawn in front of us, in the slowly setting sunlight.
 
This is so awesome... and brings back some memories.
Thank you for sharing!
 
It turned out that the day did, in fact, turn out to be a “catastrophic fire danger” day. As a result, pretty much all of the visitor attractions on the island were closed. It wasn’t a big surprise; it was dry, and blisteringly hot. We had waited until mid-morning, to phone around and check the status of various attractions, so decided to head out for a drive along the island’s north coast which was supposed to be stunning. The Hertz representative had told us very clearly that the car was not insured on gravel roads, so we elected to just drive very carefully on those bits.

Kangaroo Island's north coast


At the beach


We headed north, along little winding country roads, towards Snelling Beach. I don’t think we saw another car the entire time until we got there, although we did stop several times and get out to admire the beautiful views. The other tourists were clearly missing out! We spent a little time admiring Snelling Beach, where a number of others were braving the scorching sun, before retreating to the car and driving eastwards along the coast to Stokes Bay.

The path to Stokes Bay beach


The beach at Stokes Bay is deceptive; by the parking area is a thin, grey, rocky stretch that does not look at all welcoming. However, if you follow the signposts a winding path takes you through a long tunnel through and among the rocks, and you pop out of a narrow crack onto a long stretch of beautiful sand, with plenty of families enjoying the sun. By this stage we were hungry, and the cafe was closed, so we headed into Kingscote to find a light lunch at a local bakery and general store.

After a bit of souvenir shopping, we set out to drive the length of the island back to our accommodation. We decided to take the southern road this time for a change of scenery. As we drove, ominous weather was apparent; dark skies, towering clouds, heavy rain showers, and lightning. It was this kind of weather that started fires, and indeed the fires that would go on to devastate the island started on this day. Not long after settling back at the farm, the hostess came out to find us; numerous dangerous fires had been reported nearby, and the owner had banned anyone from leaving the property.

The bathroom at the Flinders Chase Farm Stay


Ollie and I got together to work out a plan, and after checking the fire maps and calling the airport to check out conditions, determined it was safer to leave the aircraft where it was. We also gained permission to leave the farm for a nice dinner at the nearby eco-resort, by virtue of having an Ozzie with us who was experienced in dealing with bush-fires! Little did we know that these fires were the genesis of those that would almost completely devastate the island, including causing several deaths, over the coming weeks.

================================================================

Ready to go on the final day


Fire fighting aircraft ready for action


It was a very early start to the last day of this section. We’d have to fly to Albury to return the aircraft, with a fuel stop along the way, and then go our separate ways. Ollie would fly off with some friends, while the rest of us would have a long drive up to Sydney. We took the southern road back towards the airport, as the northern was closed due to the fires, which were still burning fiercely. Luckily, the airport was unaffected, and we refueled and headed out to the east without any trouble.

Departing from Kangaroo Island


Crossing Victoria


Arriving at Bendigo


4 of the team at Bendigo, thanks to Ollie for taking the picture!


Departing from Bendigo


Mining facilities near Bendigo


Getting smoky again as we enter NSW


The flight was uneventful, across a landscape so parched that it was not difficult to see why the fires were such a problem. We made a brief stop at Bendigo to refuel and stretch out legs but otherwise simply made best speed for Albury, where we returned the aircraft and said our goodbyes after a great couple of weeks. Ollie stayed behind, and the rest of us piled into Jen’s car and set off in the direction of Sydney.

The final day's route


Approaching Albury


Goodbye, KFI


Stephen Death's recently arrived water bomber, being readied for service


Normally, the drive would take a little over 5 hours. Today, the fires had closed much of the main highway meaning that we were diverted along heavily trafficked alternate routes. The journey took more than 8 hours, with some uncertainty at times whether there’d even be a route clear at all; we eventually rolled into Sydney well into the night time, and all fell into bed. Rowan and I would be spending another 10 days visiting my aunt in Newcastle, but those stories don’t belong on a flying site, so this brought section 4 of the trip to a close.

Australia's coolest "ute"


Smoky highway


NSW fires


Flight hours so far: 203
Distance so far: 23,373 nm
 
The commercial flight to Sydney was 17 hours long, but I was lucky enough to get a complete row to myself and arrived having slept comfortably most of the way. All the staff in the airport were wearing face masks, concerned about the coronovirus, and I was asked to confirm that I’d not been in China in the last 2 weeks. It didn’t take long before I was on the train north to Newcastle, and my aunt’s apartment. I collected my rental car and settled in for a quiet afternoon at hers.

=======================

Jet lag had me awake early, and I made the 45 minute drive to Maitland airport to arrive a little after 7am. Some time later, Gerard arrived and we went to get the aircraft out of its hangar. N9953H was looking all ready to go!

Planey peeks out the back of the hangar, ready to fly again at last!


The first few days of flying would just be to break the engine in. I found a few small issues on my preflight check, but nothing critical, and I was soon climbing out from runway 05 at full power. A new engine needs to be run at high power for the first hours of its life, so for the first 2.5 hour flight I just flew around the local area making sure everything was ok.

Day 1 test flying


Great to be in the air again


I came back in to land at Maitland, and spent the next couple of hours with the mechanics from Hunter Aerospace correcting the small issues I’d found, and fine tuning the engine controls. This done, and a quick McDonald’s eaten (I had attempted to order UberEats for delivery to the airport while I was flying, but without success) I took off for another afternoon break-in flight. This time I headed south in an attempt to fly the Sydney Harbour Scenic route; unfortunately, the Harbour Scenic One was not available from ATC so I settled for the slightly more distant Harbour Scenic Two. Still a great view of the city!

Buzzing around NSW


Testing successfully completed for the day, I stowed the airplane back in the hangar and made my way back to Newcastle for a quiet evening.

=====================

I arrived at the airport at about 11am, after running some morning errands. The first flight was just over an hour, around the local area again, before landing at the nearby airport of Cessnock. As I landed, another pilot asked if this was the round- the-world Cessna he’d been reading about!

Cessnock


My aunt was a director based at the hotel next to the airport, so we met there for lunch and had a look around before heading back to the airport. That afternoon I was a little bored of local flights, so headed a few hundred kilometers west to the airport of Narromine, mainly chosen because it had a self serve fuel pump. I filled up and headed back east, to Maitland.

Outbound to Narromine


Day 2 test flying


Mist and haze on the way back to Maitland


The previous night, my aunt and I had been looking for things to do at the weekend in Newcastle, and had discovered that the well known comedian Jack Whitehall would be playing Newcastle this evening. We’d watched, and loved, his travel show while I’d been at hers a couple of months earlier, so we managed to grab last minute tickets – a great show!

Theatre time!


===================

My aunt had taken the day off to fly with me. We were away by 5:30am, aiming to get to Maitland airport and depart just after dawn. The weather was poor, and we had a 300 nautical mile flight to the town of Albury where we were meeting a friend to have a long range, HF radio installed in the aircraft. This is mandatory for some of the upcoming Pacific legs.

Flying with Aunty


For the first hundred and fifty miles, across the coastal mountains of the Great Dividing Range, we were surrounded by thick cloud and rain showers. We did have a strong tailwind, but knew that would turn into a slow ride on the way back! After about an hour, the clouds started to disappear, only to be replaced with smoke and haze that kept visibility at just a few miles. Albury’s visibility was reported at 6km, so it wasn’t until final approach that we saw the runway, set down, and taxied to the Hazair hangar.

Still very smoky


The flight to Albury and back.


We were given the use of the little runaround cart to go and find the owner, Stephen Death. He was on duty at the water bomber, just across the field, and had just finished the morning briefing. He accompanied us back across to his hangar to get out the equipment, and advise on the installation – he does a lot of work ferrying similar aircraft across the Pacific, so knows exactly how it’s all done!

Ready to install the HF


The install took a few hours, chasing an elusive tuning problem. We took a break in the middle for brunch at the airport cafe. Prominently displayed there was the story of a KLM Uiver aircraft that had become lost at night with radio failure near Albury while taking part in a London to Melbourne air race in the 1930s. The townsfolk heard it fly over, and the telegraph operator and town engineer cooperated to flash all the towns lights on and off simultaneously, spelling out the morse code for Albury. They then gathered all the car owners and used the headlights to illuminate a makeshift runway at the sports ground. The Uiver landed safely.

You can go anywhere you like, as long as it's Sydney


Fitting the antenna


Work in progress


We completed the installation in the early afternoon, and after a successful test we headed back to Maitland – this time at a much slower ground speed, and conditions were roughly the same as they’d been on the outbound leg. We flew the GPS approach into Maitland, touched down smoothly, and taxied to the hangar where Gerard was waiting. It was good to finally see him again and thank him for looking after the aircraft, even if the engine had been found to be sick on his watch!


That evening we dropped into a local hotel to attend a “Pilots at the Pub” social session that we’d spotted on Facebook. It was great to meet a number of local flyers, and gratifying that most of them already knew about the flight through the online updates!
 
Good to see your Skylane back in the air again. Those Holden Utes are quite popular in Aussie land, unfortunately they don't make them anymore. They may have had a niche market in the US had they ever brought them over, but all we ever got out of it was the '04-'06 Pontiac GTO and the '08+ Pontiac G8.
 
I woke late, after the previous day’s long hours, looking forward to a relaxing Saturday. It was not to be, however. Checks of the latest weather updates revealed that from Sunday through Thursday, conditions were going to seriously deteriorate to the point that the planned Sunday departure was clearly not going to be possible. The choices were either depart that day, and fly as far as Lord Howe Island, or be stuck for nearly a week. I made my decision; it was time to go.

Saying goodbye to Aunty


A rapid succession of flight planning, packing, and logistics followed. We found a room available on Lord Howe Island, and with that in hand, set off to the airport stopping only to grab a quick cheeseburger from the McDonald’s drive-through. I dropped in first to the Newcastle Flying Club and took advice from their instructors on the best routing to my coastal fuel stop, Taree. The consensus was that an IFR flight was the only way to go, confirmed by a phone call to Newcastle ATC whose zone I’d be heading through. I filed the plan and headed off to load up the aircraft. After final goodbyes to my aunt, I fired up the fresh engine and took off from runway 05, headed northeast.

Ready to go


Goodbye Maitland


I climbed overhead the field, contacting Brisbane center and picking up my clearance. They quickly handed me over to “Willy Approach” (short for Williamstown) who cleared me through their airspace, direct to destination. The first flight was not a long one, just 75 miles up the coast to Taree who had fuel available with credit card payment, and were not far off the shortest over-water crossing to Lord Howe.

Passing over Newcastle


Conditions were not great, but OK for IFR. It was windy, with low cloud all around, and rain showers. Taree was in something of a bubble of awful weather; 800ft ceilings with strong crosswinds and rain. As I got closer, I heard a Bonanza heading out IFR, destination to the north. He got away before I got too close, and I descended in on the GPS approach. Minimums for the approach were 600ft, so I had a small buffer, but not much; luckily the runway became visible through the mist and rain and I was able to make a safe, but not stylish, landing in the strong crosswind.

On the ground at Taree, in the pouring rain


I taxied to the fuel pumps and shut down. It was raining hard, and I didn’t want to try and refuel in that, so I made a run in to the flying club building. I was greeted by a flying club member who was the “Duty Pilot” for the day. He told me it had been a slow day indeed! We waited and chatted for a while, before the rain eased and we decided to go and refuel while we had the chance; he held the umbrella, while I pumped the fuel! I filled her to the brim; can’t have too much fuel when heading out across the Tasman.

New friends at Taree


I went back inside to put on my dry-suit and make a final weather check. Another club member turned up, with a visitor from England, and we chatted for a bit about the flight before it was time to go. I wanted to be at Lord Howe well before sunset. The wind was still blowing hard across the runway as I took off – coming straight from the direction I needed to fly. Great.

Departing Taree


Takeoff into some more IMC weather


I leveled off at 4,000 feet, and initially headed up the coast on an IFR flight plan towards Port Macquarie. The first few miles were spent in thick cloud but as I neared my first waypoint, this dissipated and I was back into clear air. Port Macquarie is one of the closest mainland points to Lord Howe, giving the shortest sea crossing, and it was here that I turned right and headed out over the open ocean once again.

Better conditions over Port Macquarie


Coasting out


The headwind was about 20 knots, not as bad as I had feared, giving me a ground speed of about 115 knots. I settled in on autopilot for the crossing. A little way out, ATC requested that I climb to 8,000ft for continued radio contact. I cruised on over the ocean, in and out of clouds and the occasional rain shower, checking in with ATC every now and then for a position report. They were quite proactive at passing updated weather reports from Lord Howe for me, too.

In the dry suit again


Moist weather over the sea


My route


A very Australian waypoint


Over the Tasman


The InReach came in very handy for checking the destination weather during those times that ATC didn’t pass an update. The forecast, updated during my flight, was for decent visibility and broken cloud ceilings at about 1,400ft, with periods of worse conditions. The minimums for the instrument approach were 990ft; a reasonable enough buffer. As I drew close to the island, cloud was being reported at 800ft overcast, with ~3km visibility. Not great!

Approaching Lord Howe


Lord Howe Island


The wind was strong from the east, about 25 – 30 knots. It was at least coming from a direction that the airport documentation stated should not cause problematic levels of turbulence. I flew the GPS approach to runway 10, and as I descended to the minimum altitude I was able to make out the sea below and, finally, the land ahead. Conditions were just good enough for me to make out the runway and come in for a challenging, but pretty good, landing. I taxied carefully to the main apron and shut down.

Windy conditions on the ground


Things now became a little difficult. It turned out there was no mobile phone service on the island. The InReach came into its own and allowed me to exchange messages with my aunt back in Australia; she in turn could make phone calls for me. The vacant room we’d identified earlier had somehow been taken; not sure how, as the island doesn’t exactly lend itself to walk-in traffic! Indeed, tourists are not meant to travel to the island on the commercial flights without a confirmed reservation. My aunt called every hotel and guest house on the island, with no luck.

Lord Howe airport


While she was working on this, I wandered around to figure out where to tie down. Before taxiing onto the grass I wanted to be sure it wasn’t soft and muddy from the rain! Luckily, it was sandy and still perfectly firm. The rain was coming down more sideways than vertically; I kept my drysuit on as otherwise I’d have been drenched through in moments. At least it was fairly warm. I got the aircraft tied down and even managed to wrestle the cover into place.

Tied down for the night


My aunt had worked a miracle, and a small inn by the airport had offered me their spare bedroom! They were even on their way to pick me up. Sharon and Peter, of Waimarie, arrived a couple of minutes later and soon had me back at their house and settled into a very comfortable downstairs room. They even invited me up to share dinner and drinks with them! What could have been a windy and uncomfortable night trying to sleep in the airplane turned into a great evening swapping stories and enjoying delicious food and drink.
 
My aunt had worked a miracle, and a small inn by the airport had offered me their spare bedroom! They were even on their way to pick me up. Sharon and Peter, of Waimarie, arrived a couple of minutes later and soon had me back at their house and settled into a very comfortable downstairs room. They even invited me up to share dinner and drinks with them! What could have been a windy and uncomfortable night trying to sleep in the airplane turned into a great evening swapping stories and enjoying delicious food and drink.

I love it! :)

Honestly, some of the best experiences I've had in aviation were the result of things not going to plan. That's why I always tell my pax, "Aviation is always an adventure, just not always the adventure you had planned on."

For example, my most recent unplanned diversion was a result of my wife showing movies to my son on her phone in moderate turbulence. He threw up (luckily, all contained in his car seat) so I diverted to the next airport along the way, and met an astronaut there at the FBO - Super nice, interesting guy, he was about to hop into his Maule and fly off to a speaking engagement.
 
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