Flight Log: Coober Pedy YBCP -- Sydney YSBK 17.04.2007

Coober Pedy YCBP -- Broken Hill YBHI 17.04.07
Distance: 398 NM
scheduled Flying time: 03h16min
Filed Route: CBP BILIN AMK LEC LAROO BHI
ATIS Coober Pedy: Not available. Airport information: RWY 04
Clearance: cleared to Broken Hill, FL110
Take Off Time: 23:45 (UTC)
ATIS Broken Hill: Not available. Airport information: 0100 RWY 23 310/07kts Q1016 temperature 25
Landing Time: 02:26 (UTC)
17.04.2007 Coober Pedy/Broken Hill: Today we refuelled quickly. After we'd got the plane ready, we took off without radio contact to the tower via runway 04 towards Sydney. When we reached Flightlevel (FL) 110, just as on the two previous days' flying, the endless ochre, brown and red-coloured expanse opened up beneath us, occasionally punctuated by the mat shimmer of a few salt lakes. Now and again, we discovered an isolated house with a dirt strip (landing runway for planes) in this flat, red-coloured wilderness.

Contrary to the weather forecast and the wind maps, we had eight to twelve knots tailwind till Broken Hill, so that we made good progress and were able to reach the stop-over to refuel on time. As usual, Uwe Thomas didn't take any risks with the amount of fuel, because of course he couldn't exclude the possibility that the wind on the second stage to Sydney might still change to our disadvantage.

After landing, the refuelling vehicle approached as soon as we'd switched off the motor. It turned out that the driver was our handling agent. He phoned the handling company Universal Aviation located in Sydney, who asked whether our flight was going to plan. From Sydney, Alexander Curtis organised the entire handling procedure for us in Australia, we also have him to thank for the smooth arrival via Broome. During the short stop to refuel, we starting talking to a plane mechanic, who was working on a Rans RV-6. He was very interested in our project and wished us all the best.

Broken Hill YBHI - Bankstown/Sydney YSBK 17.04.07
Distance: 495 NM
scheduled Flying time: 04h04min
Filed Route: BHI MANNA WILLY PKS W595 LOWDI KAT BLUEY BK
ATIS Broken Hill: Not available. Airport information: RWY 23
Clearance: cleared to KAT, FL110
Take Off Time: 03:16 (UTC)
ATIS Bankstown/Sydney: I RWY 11 L,R,C 120/10kts visibility 10km clouds SCT 3500ft temperature 24 Q1015
Landing Time: 07:36 (UTC)
17.04.2007 Broken Hill – Bankstown/Sydney: After filling the plane up, we took off on runway 23 and reported back to flight traffic control at Melbourne Center. The scenery was still rather monotonous. About 100 NM before Sydney, this changed drastically: We flew over the border to New South Wales – Australia's most south easterly state – which the capital Canberra, as well as Sydney, is located in. Now agricultural areas dominate the landscape. The more we approached the coast, the hillier the landscape became. Looking at the woody ranges and steeply towering rock reminded us of European landscapes.

On the last section of the flight, it become more and more misty and cloudy. The layer of cloud wasn't thick but blocked visibility. Shortly before Sydney, we saw two steep walls of rock that charted a line beneath us like a canyon. Then we plunged into the mist, but could still see the ground. Contrary to what the approach plates state, we are now to make an approach according to what we can see. A small lake (water reservoir) was mentioned to us as a point of reference, which we were to descend to 1,500 feet to. When we reached this point, we could call the air traffic controller in Bankstown who let as approach runway 11 directly on the left. The whole manoeuvre was easy and went smoothly.

Still taxying, we asked for permission to roll to AIRAG without any diversions, where Marie would have the next inspection. The AIRAG manager Toni Pitt, handling agent Alex Curtis and a mechanic were waiting in front of the hangar. They made sure that our Marie found a place underneath the roof with many other planes. We arranged to have a meeting the next day, because we had the inspection and a few little repairs and conversions to plan for the second leg.

18.04.2007 Sydney:

The first section of our round the world flight ends in Sydney

Toni Pitt, head of the workshop in Bankstown and his staff have started maintenance, carried out after 100 hours flying. And they discovered a tear in the exhaust. This could be welded, but would not have got rid of the cause. It is clearly a material fault. So Uwe Thomas decided to have a new exhaust fitted. It could take a week to deliver. So for this reason we decided not to carry on the flight to New Zealand. The time we had left would not have been enough. Apart from anything else, the weather has got a lot worse in the meantime.

So the first stage will end in Sydney.