Depart 23/3/2010 - Arrive 23/3/2010
Interesting morning.
We had been asked to be at the airport to clear Immigration at 4:00 am. I was up at 2:20 am and knocked on the other doors at 3:30, but the owner of the resort had also organised early morning wake up calls. We didn't arrive at the airport until about 4:20 am, much to the displeasure of the officials. Immigration took until about 5:00 am and we were then escorted to our arircraft. Our Gendarme and the lady official from the Commerce Department also accompanied us. As we checked the aircraft and prepared to climb aboard, we were told we couldn't depart as the Military Airbus A340 was about to land. After it landed, we were allowed to get aboard the aircraft and start up. The A340 remained on the taxiway waiting for us to vacate the parking area and depart for Magenta. We left behind some unhappy officials with them blaming us and us blaming them.
Cleared for take off at dawn. The Saratoga first followed by the Mooney and the Bonanza. Only 15 minutes along the coast to Magenta. The sun was just coming up.
Magenta is a small field which appears to be a very active GA airport. Lots of interest shown by the pilots in us and the three aircraft. We refueled and prepared for the last shorter flight across the water to Gold Coast.
Earlier, Lyn had mentioned that the Magenta runway was relatively short and that there was a hill at one end with houses on it. I didn't fully absorb the message she had given me.
On take off the unimaginable happened. The Saratoga took off to the left again, and I had the Hilo take off all over again. Quickly getting back to the centreline of the runway, I concentrated on the take off, but soon after we left the ground, Lyn told me to turn because the hill was coming up. She then took the control and put the Saratoga into a steep climbing turn. "Another thirty seconds and we would have worried some of people in the houses" she said as she handed back the control. On arrival in Bankstown, Jose told me how he had been surprised at the angle of bank that Ray put the Bonanza into. I don't suppose it was all that steep, but with the fuel load, Jose and I were in unnknown territory and taking a very conservative approach.
Clouds built as we approached the Gold Coast and we did a bit of ducking and weaving. Due to an incorrect lat and long input into the GPS for Gold Coast airport we weaved a bit more than we ducked, and went from being the lead aircraft to being last. I take no responsibility for this one.
At Gold Coast, the aircraft were refueled. AQIS did us over - I think taking more time than those at Noumea. The Mooney was stripped of tanks, radios etc and after clearing Customs and Immigration, Dan took off for Dalby to deliver the aircraft.
The Saratoga and the Bonanza took off for Bankstown initially at 6500' but later to 10000' when advised that Williamtown was active to that height. We skirted some reasonably large threatening clouds just before Barrington Tops, where we were able to test the stormscope which showed a line of lightning exactly where the clouds were darkest and where we would have expected lightning to be.
We had a welcome on arrival into Bankstown like Sir Charles Kingsford Smith would have had. One major difference was that we had about 6 people - he probably had more. The owner of the Bonanza was like a proud new father and took Jose to his home for the few days before his flight home.
We had been asked to be at the airport to clear Immigration at 4:00 am. I was up at 2:20 am and knocked on the other doors at 3:30, but the owner of the resort had also organised early morning wake up calls. We didn't arrive at the airport until about 4:20 am, much to the displeasure of the officials. Immigration took until about 5:00 am and we were then escorted to our arircraft. Our Gendarme and the lady official from the Commerce Department also accompanied us. As we checked the aircraft and prepared to climb aboard, we were told we couldn't depart as the Military Airbus A340 was about to land. After it landed, we were allowed to get aboard the aircraft and start up. The A340 remained on the taxiway waiting for us to vacate the parking area and depart for Magenta. We left behind some unhappy officials with them blaming us and us blaming them.
Magenta is a small field which appears to be a very active GA airport. Lots of interest shown by the pilots in us and the three aircraft. We refueled and prepared for the last shorter flight across the water to Gold Coast.
Earlier, Lyn had mentioned that the Magenta runway was relatively short and that there was a hill at one end with houses on it. I didn't fully absorb the message she had given me.
At Gold Coast, the aircraft were refueled. AQIS did us over - I think taking more time than those at Noumea. The Mooney was stripped of tanks, radios etc and after clearing Customs and Immigration, Dan took off for Dalby to deliver the aircraft.
We had a welcome on arrival into Bankstown like Sir Charles Kingsford Smith would have had. One major difference was that we had about 6 people - he probably had more. The owner of the Bonanza was like a proud new father and took Jose to his home for the few days before his flight home.
24/3/2010
The next day, Lyn and I flew to Moorabbin. As on our check flight and on our flight from Torrance to Santa Maria, the Saratoga carried less that 1/2 tanks of fuel and very little luggage. I didn't notice a great difference in take off other than we left the ground at 80 knots in lieu of 90 knots, but when 30% overweight we were still able to climb at 105 knots and 500'/minute plus. On the trip to Moorabbin, I experienced a few moments where my local knowledge gave me the edge over Lyn, as we flew down the Kilmore Gap and into Moorabbin, pointing out the Academy GAAP entry point on the way. It was my first use of the radio on the whole trip (other than on the chat channel) and I immediately started "Moorabbin Tower Arrow ...... er, sorry ...... Saratoga Echo X-Ray Sierra ..........."Click on images to enlarge
No comments:
Post a Comment