Class C to Class C

I know i have done it before, but it would have been when i was still training. That is flying from a radar controlled aerodrome to another radar controlled aerodrome. No CTAF calls, no changing squawk code etc. I have done Sydney to Canberra, Albury and Essendon. Possibly Tamworth? However its been years. So last Saturday i had to fly from Darwin to Tindal (Katherine) which is a military controlled aerodrome. Although not always active, it happened to be on Saturday. Nothing really overly exciting about it, but was kinda cool for a change. Katherine is about 350km south east of Darwin for those of you playing at home.

The town of Katherine. Fairly small, only 10,000 odd people. Have driven through there many times in my travels!

Most interesting thing i have seen in ages. A DC-10 tanker operated by Omni air. Not sure what it was doing in Tindal, but one would assume refuelling operations, of the mid-air variety.



Passengers on todays flight. Back home from school.

A rainbow. Turned out a lot better than i expected it would.

Finally - Tindal aerodrome. You can see all the military hardstands. The RPT/Charter apron is the far right side off the end of the rwy.

Anyway.. thanks for reading.

A few dodgy photos from my phone

I have been meaning to upload and edit some of the photos i took of my flight to Elcho Island and the shorelines of the very northern areas of the Australian continent, and thus have forgotten to take my camera with me recently. However, i had my phone with me to snap these shots! Not the best quality but still, you get the idea!

I'll spare all the details of what happened, the company etc etc. Not really fair to write about it, when the details of how it happened are cloudy at best. We all know the supposed story, but i dare say the real story is being held very close. There were 2 C206's involved at a remote airstrip. The other one is in a hanger across the way, but this one is probably here until they figure out what to do with it. So i snapped some pics while i still have the chance to see it!

I'll get some more blog happening soon so you can keep up to date with my flying adventures. Its very busy at work, but will remember to pack my camera soon!

All the best!

Sitting in Lake Evella

Im on a wait (again) in Lake Evella (again!). Its good though we get internet in the top end communities so the waits with my laptop, movies, food and ipod is pretty cruisey. Its hit March and it seems the wet season is virtually over. Not too many tempo periods on the forecast, no more insane scud running, no more instrument approaches (well.. on the ATIS anyway). So i thought i would post a few photos from the wet which i have taken.

Other than that i have not a whole lot to report, except moving apartments and starting a second job to help pay some bills. We have a big day ahead of us on Sunday as its a AFL grand final on the Tiwi Islands, and we are moving something like 300 people. This involves to my knowledge doing "hot" turn arounds in the metroliners, which involves leaving one engine running while deplaning and boarding the aircraft. I will hopefully capture some of this next weekend and post it here.

Big storm over Howard Springs which is the initial approach fix of the Darwin rwy 29 ILS. I was going to Bathurst Island and had to wait a little bit before i got back in.

Both were on the way to Borroloola. Not bad storms at all, but they are still cool to fly around.

This was taken on the ground in Palumpa. That was one of the worst days i have had to fly in terms of dodging weather.

Enjoy