Sydney Airport Message Board - Flight Report YSBK-YORG-YSBK 08-08-2012

Trip Report YSBK-YORG-YSBK 08-08-2012

Wednesday was looking like a perfect day weather wise, and the last one before we headed into a wet and very windy weekend. The plan was to fly out to Orange, maybe catch up with my niece, who has a farm nearby, and fit in a circuit or two if possible.

I had booked Archer III VH-SFR, however when I arrived at Schofields at 0730, the parking area gates and clubhouse were locked, no one to be seen anywhere. It was almost 0830 before anyone arrived, so the origin plan would need to change.

After checking the maintenance release for SFR to confirm that everything was in order, I logged onto NAIPS to get the latest weather. Ahead of a front that should arrive around 1800, the wind was 300/25kts at 2000ft, and 280/30kts at 5000ft. On the ground at Bathurst and Orange the wind was light and variable.

Next up was the Flight Plan, where I used the iPad App I developed to apply the wind calculations to the 10 legs, and the estimated elapsed flight time was 112min for the 202nm return flight. Adding on a 45min reserve and departing with tanks filled to the tabs, I would have a margin of 58min. With a fuel burn of around 67ltrs, plus 27ltrs for reserve, there would be a margin of 34ltrs. Now back onto the computer to lodge the Flight Plan with Air Services Australia, nominating a SAR Time of 0230Z.

With all the paperwork complete, it was out to the aircraft for the Pre-Flight check, and SFR was parked on the grass out towards the DC-3 VH-CWS. Checking the fuel first, one tank was full and the other was just over the tab, so no need for a tanker, and I would have a little more fuel on board than the Flight Plan required. Starting the Pre-Flight check, I lowered and checked the flaps, then walked around the aircraft checking the ailerons, undercarriage, drained and tested the fuel in both tanks and engine, checked the oil, propeller, untied the under wing tie downs, removed the pitot cover from the port wing, and then checked the tail surfaces. Next up it was Master Switch on, then Strobe, Nav and Landing Lights on, followed by a walk around to check they were all operating. As I walked around to the Port Nav Lights, I tripped the stall sensor on the leading edge, listen out for the “Buzz” from the cockpit. With all the Pre-Flight checks complete, it was time to get underway.

It was a cold morning, but with only a 3 second prime, the engine fired up first go, I set the radio to COM1 and dialed up 120.9Mhz on the Garmin 430 to check the ATIS (Information Delta, Runway 29R closed, Runway 29C for departures, Frequency 132.8MHz, Wind 5kts and variable, Temperature 10, QNH 2021). I changed the radio over to Ground on 119.9MHz for the taxi to the Run-Up bay, taxiing via Alpha 3 and Uniform 1. Approaching Uniform 1 I requested a taxi clearance, which was via Kilo to the Alpha 5 Holding Point. After a short taxi to the Kilo 5 Run-Up bay, I ran through the Run-Up checks, then taxied to and held at Alpha 5.

The Tower gave me a clearance to cross Runway 29R and hold short of 29C. One of the NSW Ambulance Service Agusta 139s was departing ahead of me on 29C, and as they lifted off, I was cleared to line up and hold on 29C. After a short wait for the 139 to clear, I received a takeoff clearance which included a “Wake Turbulence” warning for the departing helicopter. Full power , rotate at 60kts followed by a climb out at 76kts, leveling off at 1000ft to avoid any overflying inbound traffic from 2RN at 1500ft. Clear of the Bankstown CTR, I climbed to 2500ft and set the Transponder to 1200, from the 3000 required for the Class D airspace at Bankstown.

Conditions were perfect, although I was going to have a good headwind all the way to Bathurst (Ground Speed on the Garmin 430 already showing only 92kts instead of something like 115kts). Tracking parallel and south of the Prospect pipeline out to Mulgoa, I climbed to 4500ft, which is the upper limit east of the Nepean River in order to remain below the Class C airspace. Arriving overhead Mulgoa right on time at 49, I hit Direct To on the GPS and entered YKAT for the next leg. The pink line appeared on the 430 screen, which provides a perfect cross check against my progress on the charts. Once over the Nepean River I climbed to 6500ft and enjoyed the mountain scenery, with Linden and Woodford just off to the right of track. The wind was a little stronger than predicted in the forecast, with the GPS showing a Ground Speed of 82kts instead of the calculated 86kts.

Overhead Katoomba Airport I tried a little iPad video, which gives a clear indication of the instrument panel and the beautiful view ahead and left out to Katoomba.

Watch The Short Video Clip Overhead Katoomba

After entering Direct To YBTH on the GPS, and a frequency change to Melbourne Centre on 135.25MHz, it was a comfortable ride with the Hampton Wind Farm on the port side, and Lithgow and the power station out to starboard. As I crossed the higher ground just east of Bathurst, there was some light turbulence that passed quite quickly. Next was a 10nm radio call on the Bathurst CTAF 127.35MHz, and Traffic Bathurst was a lone aircraft doing circuits. Time overhead Bathurst was only 1 minute behind the Planned Estimate, so a final Direct To YORG on the GPS for the short 18min leg would complete the outbound journey to Orange.

A 10nm radio call on the Orange CTAF 119.0MHz, and there was only a helicopter doing some training circuits and landing on the grass south of Runway 29. Then the radio started to come alive, with an NSW Ambulance helicopter tracking across my track from Cowra for Orange Base Hospital, and the REX service to Sydney announcing their departure. Because the taxiway enters Runway 29 midway along, the REX Saab 340 needs to backtrack along the runway before takeoff. With the slow trip out, my SAR Time looking a little tighter and the aircraft needing to be back by before 1230, I decided to stay north of the field and track overhead my niece’s property, before heading back towards Bathurst.

With a direct tail wind all the way back to Bankstown , Ground Speed was going to be up around 140kts, which would give me about a 20min margin on my SAR Time. Back over Bathurst at 5500ft there was a Traffic Bathurst call, with a twin on descend into Bathurst from the east. I made sure I could identify the aircraft, which was on my starboard side, and had already descended below my altitude. The run back from Bathurst to Katooma would only take 15min instead of the 26min on the way out. A radio call approaching Katoomba, and I had a chopper operating in the Blackheath area, which I identified flying low along the escarpment. From Katoomba I did a slow descent back down to the 4500ft requirement at the Nepean River, and there was some quite strong turbulence at times for the rest of this leg to Mulgoa.

From Mulgoa it was a quick run back into Prospect, I dialed up the Bankstown ATIS on 120.9MHz (Information Echo, Runway 29C, Frequency 132.8, Wind 5kts and variable, Temperature 15 and QNH 1020). From Prospect I was cleared to maintain 1500ft for Runway 29C, and as I joined downwind the Tower gave me a Clear Visual Approach and Number 1 for Runway 29C. As I turned onto final, the Tower called "SFR Clear To Land Runway 29C", and with a 5kts and variable wind, the approach was smooth, as was the touchdown. The landing used only 400m of runway, and I vacated right onto Tango 2. Even though Runway 29R way not operational, I still held short and waited for the Tower to give me a clearance to cross 29R. Once cleared I crossed 29R onto Tango 1 and Kilo, flaps up, Transponder to Standby, and called Ground for a taxi clearance back to Schofields.

After parking on the grass, it was Park Brake On, Radio Master off, idle set at 1000RPM, checked the Magneto Switchs operation, then Mixture fully lean for engine stop. All Landing, Strobe and Nav lights off, followed by Master Switch and Brakes off.

The paperwork requires the VDO and Air Switch readings for the credit card and Maintenance Release respectively. I packed up the Camera, Paperwork, Headset and placed them on the wing while I put the throttle lock in placed, looped my harness over the yoke, and re-checked everything was shutdown. Outside the aircraft, I connected the tie down ropes to the under wing fixtures, and fitted the Pitot cover.

A short stroll back to the clubhouse to finish off a beautiful morning out flying.

VH-SFR at Wings Over Illawarra 2011 - The aircraft has been recently refurbished inside, now has the main gear spats back in place,
and has been fitted with an S-TEC30 Autopilot.
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