Page 50 - Twin & Turbine May 2017

48 • TWIN & TURBINE May 2017
On Final
After hearing all that, I decided that hiring an experienced co-pilot was a wise Plan B. Recently retired 747 captain Roger Hendry fit the bill. For the next eight days, Roger, Patty and I flew over, under, and around some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere.
The Trip
Our group decided to avoid many typical tourist spots in favor of experiencing the geography of the country. We travelled clockwise along the coast from Sydney, stopping in such places as Mallacoota, Mount Gambier, Kangaroo Island (koalas and several kinds of kangaroos), an underground hotel in an opal mine at White Cliffs, and late night telescope stargazing at a true Outback post in Arkaroola Village.
Much of our flight time was spent just off the coast at low level wearing life jackets just in case. Each day, we received an early morning briefing from Marilyn covering weather, airport procedures, and possible challenges. I had to learn how to read VFR charts all over again. One morning, Roger pointed to a spot on the chart called Deception Creek. We decided not to go there for fear it was a trap. Passing south of Adelaide, we noticed that the local time there was thirty minutes different. Odd but true. As in any multiple airplane adventure, things happen. In our case, Kirk’s 182 refused to start one morning. Within 12 hours, Clare had located a replacement and off we flew. Expect to pay reasonable landing fees at even the most remote airports and a little extra if the field has a tower.
The People
Expect friendly,
unbridled hospitality
everywhere. At the airport
on Kingscote Island, the
Hertz rental attendant also
ran the coffee bar. His wife
baked the cookies for sale.
The guy at the Avis counter
seemed very lonely. On a
bus tour of the island, our
guide realized that the
normal picnic stop location was unavailable. He simply drove us to the tour owner’s home where we dined on her gorgeous patio unannounced.
Kangaroos, koalas, emus, seals, lizards, and delightful people. Most memorable for Patty and me, were the 12 Apostles, which are limestone rock stacks jutting out of the water at Port Campbell National Park on Victoria’s dramatic coast line.
This was truly an Australian adventure of a lifetime. Fly Safe.
With 6,000-plus hours in his logbook, David Miller has been flying for business and pleasure for more than 40 years. Having owned and flown a variety of aircraft types, from turboprops to midsize jets, Patty and David currently fly a Citation M2. You can contact David at davidmiller1@sbcglobal.net.
The Weather
We were limited to strictly VFR and 500 feet over non- populated areas. One afternoon, in deteriorating weather, Patty said, “Look at the cute little cows and sheep running along with us.” Based on our altitude, I was pretty sure they were running away from us. Indeed, it had been a long time since I had to climb from cruising altitude to enter the pattern.