A pleasant few days in Norfolk Island

After our arrival on Monday 23 May 2016, we decided to stay in Norfolk Island on Tuesday and Wednesday as there was a front crossing the Tasman Sea that we'd have to fly through. That would potentially mean rain and low cloud but the biggest problem was the strong headwinds.  Some headwind is to be expected when travelling west but headwinds >35kts erode our fuel margin which is not acceptable.  On the Norfolk Island airfield there is a Met Office so we've befriended those guys and they've not only given us the official forecasts (that we can get off the web anyway), but have also added to that their own local knowledge. Such advice is invaluable.

The time on Norfolk Island has passed pleasantly and we've all enjoyed exploring the island which is home to about 1,600 people.  The locals enjoy a pleasant non-threatening pace of life where leaving the keys in your car is no problem and if you've not eaten in a restaurant or cafe by 8pm you'll miss out on dinner.

After landing on Monday Bill was unable to retract the flaps on his RV-7 so we spent Tuesday morning at the airfield resolving that.  With some ingenious hot wiring that would make most car burglars proud we got the flap motor spinning and the flaps retracted. However there's obviously a fuse blown somewhere but we weren't game to start pulling and straining wire looms to look for it. The flaps are an aid to landing but not essential and "flapless Bill" is more than capable of flying without them for the remainder of the trip.

After leaving the airfield we had a pleasant few hours driving around the island. Dave is reading a book about Francis Chichester's visit to the island in his Gypsy Moth and the trouble he had while here so we sought out the places where his aircraft (on floats) landed, was pulled from the water, repaired and then taxi'd in open water around to the other side of the island to take off in relatively calm water within a reef. Amazing stuff. When I think of what guys like Chichester achieved with no maps, a compass that fell to bits in flight, and a sextant it makes my flight with lots of electronics and three GPS' aboard look pretty insignificant.

Picturesque Emily Bay

Northern coast line

On Wednesday it was back to the airfield to fuel the aircraft and prepare as much as we could for an early departure to Lord Howe Island and onto Port Macquarie after a stop to stretch our legs, have a good drink of fuel and clear Australian customs.  International flight plans have been filed so we should be able to quickly pack the aircraft, perform our pre-flight, suit up and be underway. As we plan to leave at 7:30am, Norfolk Island Customs won't be open at that time to process our departure.  A quick visit to the office in town had the date changed on our departure papers so we're technically out of the country about 16hrs ahead of our departure time.

The rest of the day was spent touring the Kingston penal settlement and learning about the harsh way they treated criminals brought to the island first from Australia and then the United Kingdom.  It was pretty barbaric by today's standards.  The Kingtson World Heritage park is immaculately kept and the museums very interesting.

Some random thoughts for pilots who may visit in my footsteps:

• The airport staff, met officers and Customs officers are amazing. Nothing is too much trouble and they are a great help.
• In May 2016 there was no landing or parking fees for aircraft under 1 tonne.
• Internet access on the island is slow. Hourly or daily Norfolk Telecom Hotspot Internet access can be purchased per hour or per GB and works well.  However, WiFi is free at the airport even when it's closed and is available for sad people like me who sit outside the terminal in the car park to send blogs like this.
• The Aloha Hibiscus Motel is great. It's at one end of Bunt Pine township and everything is within walking distance. They are very sympathetic to weather bound pilots.
• Dinners at the Bowling Club and RSL are reasonably priced and you get a great feed. Recommended.
• Rental cars are cheap (AUD$50/day plus fuel used). However the road conditions are shocking. You won't be driving any faster than 40km/hr.

The first big over-water leg - Kerikeri to Norfolk Island

As I've come to expect in Kerikeri it was raining when we were getting ready for our first overwater leg.  This made packing the aircraft a pain as you can't place anything on the wet ground or wing as you open the canopy, rearrange stuff inside and close the canopy again. Aside from the obvious equipment damage, water is to be minimised in the aircraft because as soon as the canopy is closed and the engine started everything steams up and you can't see where you're going.

Clearing customs was easy and only took a few minutes as we'd pre-prepared the necessary paperwork. The Customs Officer took photos of the aircraft (I guess so he knows we bring back the same ones) and chatted to us about our trip.

We had a delay in departing as I had to sort our a radio problem resulting from my headphone jacks getting wet. However, with that sorted we departed at 10:35am.

Enroute Air Traffic Control (ATC) only wanted to talk to one aircraft who would pass on position reports for all three. They gave us complex instructions on what we were to do after departure and a radio freq to report on which turned out not to be monitored.  After getting the aircraft setup in the cruise I, as "flight leader" spent about 30mins getting ETAs from Dave and Bill for the ELNOS and MUGEN reporting points and Norfolk Island and then passing them onto ATC.  By the time that was done Cape Reinga was sliding under the left wing.



Flying past the top of New Zealand - Cape Reinga Lighthouse just about to pass under the port wing

 

For a long time I had wondered how it would feel to fly north from New Zealand. Would there be second thoughts, fear or a calmness associated with "what will be will be"?  In reality it was none of those. Dave and Bill were ahead of me and approaching the ELNOS reporting point and I had to note down their times for that, the other reporting points and ETA for Norfolk Island.  To be honest the concern I felt for what I was about to tackle was when I rang Sharon and Mum from the motel before heading out to Kerikeri airfield.

Flying with others is great fun.  We chatted on the radio comparing heights and ground speeds, fuel consumption rates, cylinder head temperatures and a host of other inane things that would bore a non-pilot to tears. However, it passes the time and is interesting.  Dave's RV-8 has a True Airspeed (TAS) of 150kts, Bill's (RV-7) was slightly higher than that and my RV-6 has a 145kt TAS so they were slowly pulling away from me. However, we all landed at Norfolk Island within 10 mins of each other.

For the first half of the over-water leg there was cloud with a 2000' - 2500' base and lots of rain showers all around.  However, I didn't have to vary my track to dodge the showers and just watched them moving quite quickly all around me.  I would have preferred to fly higher but the strong quartering westerly wind would have too much impact on my ground speed.  Winds of 45kts dominated the flight and didn't abate until about 50nm from Norfolk.

Inbound to Norfolk Island were two commercial airliners and the three of us.  Norfolk doesn't have ATC and only has a UNICOM service who aren't allowed to do much more than advise you of local weather and runway conditions, other traffic and terminate flight plans.  All aircraft were arriving within about 20mins of each other so it was up to us to sequence our arrival with the big guys.

Prior to leaving New Zealand we had got some Top Of Descent spray. This is an insecticide that is inserted into an airliner's air conditioning system as you approach into an international airport to kill all the creepy crawlies before they get a free ride to another country.  About 10nm from Norfolk I dutifully gave my aircraft a liberal spray of the stuff. Bill told us later he discharged the whole can and nearly died of asphyxiation.



Approaching Norfolk Island

 

Norfolk Island airport is beautiful. Big wide smooth runways and manicured grass and a lovely small terminal. As our aircraft pulled up we had to show that we'd done our own Top Of Descent spraying and we were then allowed to open the canopy.

Again clearing Customs was too easy. While all the passengers from the inbound commercial flights queued for Customs, we were taken out the back and quickly cleared. I think that's what they do for royalty.



Safely on the ground at Norfolk Island

 

 

Together in Kerikeri

Dave and Don in ZK-WLK, Bill in ZK-WLL and I assembled in Kerikeri today ready for our trip across the Tasman.  My 2.9hr flight from Paraparaumu was challenging in parts with strong westerlies all the way and rain interrupting my track.  We're obviously already a tight team as Dave and Don arrived from North Shore, Bill from Ardmore (Auckland) and I all arrived within 15mins of each other.

Bill's RV-7 ZK-WLL, Dave's RV-8 ZK-WLK and my RV-6 ZK-VRV on arrival in Kerikeri

We're grateful to John Nicholls of Bay of Islands Aero Club for arranging hangar spaces for our three aircraft. They're much happier indoors and sheltered from the showers that have been passing through all afternoon.

This afternoon we've been re-checking all our plans and equipment. Fortunately with a few minor exceptions our plans are all in sync and the only equipment we're missing is Bill's toothbrush and toothpaste which his wife Anne has confirmed are in their usual place at home!

We're all set for a departure to Norfolk Island tomorrow morning. We've agreed we'll probably stay at Norfolk until Thursday to let a cold front pass through the Tasman Sea. There's a nice big high pressure zone following the front which should provide calm and clear conditions for the trip into Lord Howe  Island for fuel and then onto Port Macquarie.

Spidertracks is awesome

What started as a simple phone call to ask the Spidertracks guys a few months ago about our in-flight tracking costs during an intensive period of flying has resulted in a great partnership.  Todd O'Hara and his team were enthusiastic about what we were doing as private aviators and has provided considerable assistance with our flight.

Spidertracks is a world leader in satellite tracking devices for aircraft.  Designed and built in New Zealand, Spiders continue to push the standard of real-time aircraft tracking. Spidertracks’ partnership with the Iridium network allows Spiders to track an aircraft over every inch of the globe from take-off to landing.  If MH370 had a Spider installed it would have been found by now!

With Spiders installed in Dave's, Bill's and my aircraft our friends and family can watch our progress on the Across The Ditch web page Spidertracks has provided for us.  They can also be assured that should we encounter any difficulty the Spidertracks system will quickly alert those who are performing flight-following for us and the appropriate rescue authorities.

Thanks Todd, Helen and the rest of the Spidertracks team - you rock!

Our route

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Departing from my home airfield in Paraparaumu, I'll fly north to Kerikeri where I'll meet up with friends Dave, Don and Bill.

Our aircraft do not have the range to fly across the Tasman Sea in one go so we island hop from New Zealand to Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands before reaching the Australian mainland.

Arrangements have been made to clear Customs & Immigration at Kerikeri and when that's taken care of we'll be off on the 485nm (898km) leg to Norfolk Island.  That's expected to take approx. 3.5hrs.  The distance from Norfolk Island to Lord Howe Island is coincidentally the same.  We'll make landfall on the Australian Continent at Port Macquarie and at that point I expect to be very relieved to leave all that water behind.

Dave, Don and Bill have never flown in Australia and have trusted me to put a 8 day tour through New South Wales and Queensland to give them a taste of the outback.  I'm looking forward to introducing them to some of my favourite places and exploring some locations I've not visited.  We'll be joined in Port Macquarie by another pilot, Gary who will ride with Bill during the outback phase of our trip.

After leaving Port Macquarie we'll head straight into the outback with a brief stop at Narromine for fuel before our first overnight stop at Bindara Station.  Bindara is on the banks of the Darling River and is full of history and wildlife.  It's a great setting and it will be great to sit outside around the fire and swap stories with Barbara and her staff or other guests.

It's a short hop then to Broken Hill to fly over the scar that is an opencast mine just on the town boundary before landing for fuel.  While here we'll visit the Royal Flying Doctor Services museum and hopefully talk ourselves into one of the Doctor's aircraft for a look.

Enroute to Arkaroola we'll fly over Lake Frome with its calm waters and mesmerising colours.

Arkaroola is a geological sanctuary and boasts some of the oldest rocks in the world.  It's a dry dusty place but the tours they offer up onto the high northern Flinders Range peaks in 4WD vehicles and the stories they tell about the geological history are fascinating.

After having two nights in Arkaroola to explore the place it's off to the iconic town of Birdsville - home of the famous Birdsville Races.  Enroute we'll cross the featureless Stryzelecki Desert and call into the remote Nappa Merrie Station strip and walk to the famous Dig Tree.  The Dig Tree was where instructions and provisions were buried by one of the depot teams for outback explorers Burke & Wills in 1861. 

Birdsville is one of the most remote towns in the outback and people travel for days by road to get there.  It has a great atmosphere and you meet all sorts on interesting people in the Birsdville Pub.  Hopefully we'll get to go out to "Big Red" - a huge sand hill to watch the sunset across the desert.

Longreach is our next stop.  Husdon Fish started QANTAS in Longreach and there is a fascinating museum centred on the original QANTAS hangar that you can lose yourself in for an hour or two.  Just down the road is the Stockmans Hall of Fame which is equally interesting and which tells of the hardships of pioneer farming in the outback.  We'll have two nights in Longreach to give us plenty of time to explore the area.

We're off to Charleville next and hope to take in the Cosmos Centre & Observatory.  Away in the outback and far from city lights this open air observatory promises to offer a never to be forgotten journey of the night sky.

Our final stop before returning to Port Macquarie is Lightning Ridge.  The Lightning Ridge area is a world-renowned centre for the mining of black opals and other opal gemstones.  I've not been to Lightning Ridge before but if it's like the opal fields I've visited elsewhere in Australia it will look like Mars with holes and craters everywhere and plenty of characters scratching away for their next big mining break.

All good things must come to an end and it will then be back to Port Macquarie to prepare for the long flight home.

I've completed five trips in the outback of Australia and can't wait to get back there and introduce Dave, Don and Bill to flying experiences and distances we cannot comprehend in New Zealand.  Flying in the outback is like flying over an oil painting - full of texture and colour.  Bring it on!

Trans-Tasman Flying Adventure - Take Two

Don't ask me to explain it but I'm obsessed by long flights to faraway places.  There's not many books and blogs that I haven't read about epic flights around the world in classic "man & machine" conquests over vast distances and political/bureaucratic challenges.  To pursue a dream you have to start somewhere and for a long time the challenge of flying to Australia has beckoned me.

In 2014 I tried a crossing of the Tasman Sea to meet up with friends for an outback flying adventure but was foiled by the weather.  Four days in a Kerikeri motel watching torrential rain and then finding my plane full of water after months of planning for the crossing was a bit tough.  But the challenge of a Tasman crossing didn't go away.

Late in 2015 I was contacted by Dave Wilkinson and Bill Luther and asked to help them with their planning for a Trans-Tasman crossing.  The answer was easy.  "Of course - but only if I can come too"!  We've had many conversations and lots of fun planning this trip.

I love the outback of Australia.  The colours, textures and ... nothingness are amazing.  The more isolated and remote it is the better I like it.  The down-to-earth (take no bullshit) characters you meet in outback pubs are priceless.  Introducing Dave, his Dad Don and Bill to the outback is something I'm really looking forward to.  I hope you'll follow us ...

It's over before it began

This morning the weather was good and it was finally "all systems go" for my departure from Kerikeri to Norfolk Island.  An international flight plan was lodged and I'd arranged for a Customs Officer to perform the necessary rituals at 10.30am for I and Thunderbird 6 to leave the country.

After removing the cover from the aircraft my worst fears were realised.  After the torrential rain of the last few days the carpet in the pilot and passenger foot wells was saturated. On its way to the floor in this area the water must pass through the back of the instrument panel and so it was immediately clear I would have instrument damage.  When I powered the instruments up the Dynon EFIS reported an error and the transponder digits started rotating on their own.  At the point I knew my plans were coming to a shuddering end. The aircraft and its systems must be 100% serviceable before I will consider a flight across the Tasman.

With help from Stan the Kerikeri Airport Manager and Bay of Islands Skydiving I've now got Thunderbird 6 tucked under the tail of a PAC 750 and have removed the carpet for drying. Fortunately the skydiving firm has a dehumidifier so that's now doing its thing in the aircraft.  If necessary I can fly home without a transponder and am confident I can get the Dynon EFIS working again.

Even if the Thunderbird 6 was fully serviceable tomorrow I now would be struggling to catch-up with the rest of my friends in "the squadron". Just to eliminate any chance of trying to catch up another Low is developing on the route between Lord Howe Island and the Australian mainland.  There is a higher authority that is sending me a firm message about this trip.

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With my plans in tatters and nothing further to report this blog is now over.  If I plan a trip that might be of interest I'll resurrect it. Thanks for your interest.