A Day In The Life

Flight UN361 now becomes UN432 through to Brisbane, via Williamtown, Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Coolangatta. We’ll refuel at Coffs Harbour and will have a new Captain for the flight from Williamtown. . . Ken Perry. Allan meanwhile takes me out to the aircraft and runs through the emergency procedures and safety exits. He then commences the walkarounds, spending extra time checking that passengers’ luggage has been properly loaded and the cargo bay doors secured correctly. We select ATIS on 132. 7 on return to the flight deck. The VOR ATIS was always patchy and hard to read so the new frequency is a welcome one. Wind is light and variable, QNH 1013. Temperature 13, CAVOK. Runway 16 is being used for departures, with RW 16 or 07 for arrivals. Simultaneous runway usage is in effect.

It’s now 7. 45am and Allan tunes 127. 5 and gets a “one six Williamtown 2 departure, cruise 5000” airways clearance. That SID Standard Instrument Departure) involves maintaining run-way heading and at 500 feet turn left heading 120 degrees. At 1500 feet, it’s a left turn heading 360 degrees and an intercept of the 015 degree Sydney VOR. After that, it’s track to WLM as flight planned.

The pre-start checks begin soon after our two passengers are boarded and given a brief safety rundown. The Captain advises that the ‘no smoking’ and ‘seatbelt on’ sign will be left on during the duration of the flight.

I observe as he proceeds to check the hatches and the rotating beacon. The control locks are out and trim set. Fuel mains and props clear. Immediately after it’s a call on 121. 7 for start clearance, which is given at once, time being 48. The port engine is started first, then the starboard. “Tango Mike X-ray on bay 21, received Foxtrot and request intersection departure runway 16. During the taxi, Allan checks flight controls, circuit breakers, vacuum systems, alternators and the QNH setting on the altimeters. Then it’s on to the annunciator panel and the fire bell warning checks and flight instruments are set. He quickly checks the mixture settings and makes sure the boost pumps are on and the heater is off. He tells me that takeoff safety speed will be 102 knots and decision speed 105 knots. Time is now 7. 51am and we are ready. We check oil pressure, as Singapore 21-Alpha is cleared for takeoff. We change to Tower frequency 120. 5. At 7. 52, Tango Mike X-ray is clear for takeoff. We climb out to the south on SID with Eastern Airlines company channel on COMM2 and the VOR dialled up on NAV 1 and 2. We are squawking a discrete code on the transponder of ‘4263’. As we commence out left turn, Ansett 727 Alpha November Foxtrot is on short finals for RW 07 on our starboard side.

Shortly after the turn, it’s reduce power and we are identified on Departures radar. We’re estimating Williamtown at 8. 20am. I notice the harbour glide by on our left and further north see numerous large ships at anchor off Dee Why headland. ”Tango Mike X-ray call control on 126 decimal 9-er”. Time is just 8. 00am and we are showing 17. 5 DME and a groundspeed of 189 knots. There is a 5 degree drift to the left of track. Our ADF’s are set on 365 KHz and 371 KHz. Later, as we come up to 35nm, we are leaving controlled airspace at 5000 feet and so we tune 125. 7 to speak with ‘Sydney’ FIS. At 8. 07am, we pass the halfway mark, with 38nm still to run, or 11 minutes in the air.

Allan has flown with Eastern for two years now, after coming over from Avdev Airlines. He has an experienced background involving Bandeirantes and Cessna 402s. He’s 44 years of age and a very careful, methodical pilot. We call Louise on company WLM 131. 65 and order 950 pounds of fuel. Allan attained his PPL at the relatively late age of 29 years and then stepped up to a Commercial Licence at 36 years. He’s based at WLM, living at Nelson Bay, with his wife and 7 year old daughter. Allan selects WLM TWR frequency on 118. 3 and we are now passing through 1350 feet, in a left turn. Our WLM SAR is terminated as we are in the circuit and we turn right for downwind. A quick but thorough check . . . no traffic . . . and it’s down to 95 knots across the fence . . . V-Reference is 85 knots as we land on RW 30 at Newcastle Williamtown.

Having turbo supercharged engines means a three-minute rundown time after touchdown, so as it only takes one minute to turn off and taxi to Eastern Terminal, we run down for two minutes before engine shutdown at the gate parking bay. Flight time was 30 minutes, 36 minutes crew time, with brakes and control lock on. Allan says goodbye and introduces Ken Perry, our Captain through to Brisbane and return to Williamtown in the evening. The final sector, WLM to SYD will be flown by Captain Rick Duldig in another Cessna 404 Titan, VH-SON.

It’s Ken’s 37th birthday today and he’ll be our Captain on Flight UN432 and UN433. Ken flies the Brisbane ‘milk run’ at least once a week and frequently up to three times weekly. He’s been with Eastern three years, is unmarried and quite happy with his work situation. He tells me he left school after 3rd year (present year 9) after attending Kingsgrove Boys’ High.

We’ll soon depart, as all our passengers are qn board. We have four for Taree as the right engine is started followed in turn by the left. The engine fire warning bell is checked as are the flight controls. We are soon cleared for takeoff and airborne, calling Sydney FIS on 125. 7 at 8. 43am. Traffic is advised as Foxtrot Delta Golf, 10nm to the south of us and Alpha Mike Delta, an air ambulance, 10 miles to the north and just changing to 121. 6. By 8. 45am, we are passing 4250 feet on climb. Ken alters the frequency oh COMM 2 from WLM TWR 118. 3 to company freq. Alpha Mike Delta is a little slower than us and soon we are both estimating Taree on the hour. At 8. 50am, at 32nm, we are tracking inland at a groundspeed of 167 knots.

Ken speaks repeatedly to the Captain of Alpha Mike Delta, a Queen Air, with VH-AMD requesting us to commence our descent. Further traffic is Papa Victor Bravo, a Cessna 210, VFR, now Port Macquarie at 5000 arid for a landing at Taree. We are coming up to the Manning River at 9. 03 and one minute later we are in the circuit area. Our Sartime is terminated by Sydney at 9. 05am, as we fly a left circuit for Taree’s RW 22. After landing, it’s another engine rundown, as we have had another quick exit from the runway to the terminal. We have a few people on hand to meet the aeroplane and we lose two passengers and gain one. At 9. 14am, Ken is again taxying and broadcasts . . . “All stations Taree, this is Tango Mike X-ray, an RPT Titan, taxying for Port Macquarie, runway zero four”. We depart a minute later and the gear retracts. This service to Brisbane is go go go, no time to waste, every second spent wisely. We’re tracking 030 degrees and there’s no other traffic on FIS frequency 121. 6 MHz.

Shortly after, we call Coffs on 122. 1, well north of the circuit. Ken is busy filling out the Flight Record/Defect book, as we are now on autopilot. Coffs Harbour advises we now have traffic, India Bravo Yankee, an Aero Commander, Port Macquarie for Lord Howe Island, climbing to 7000 feet. In addition, Stallion 717, a RAAF Hercules from No 36 Squadron is tracking down the coast.

We are drifting right of track, as we hear VH-IBY request the Tasman QNH from Coffs, which is given as 1018. IBY is instructed to track 080 degrees. At 9. 25am, we are well into our descent, passing 1000 feet, as we enter the circuit at Port Macquarie and get three greens with our gear. We’re still on Coffs 122. 1 and we copy VH-IBY telling Coffs that he is currently talking to Adelaide on HF 5526. On finals we pass very low over a soccer field just short of the threshold of AW 21 and touch down at exactly 9. 30am. We backtrack along the runway to the terminal and I notice VH-STO, a Piper Chieftain of Oxley Airlines parked near our bay.

After shutdown, the ground agent comes out and stows baggage in the baggage hold. I do the walkarounds with Ken, who concludes with a check of the baggage hold latches. We depart at 9. 38am after a very quick turnaround and I gaze at the northern peninsular and breakwater as they pass beneath the aircraft. Tango Mike X-ray is climbing to cruise altitude 4500 feet. The area QNH is 1016, our heading is 358 degrees. We are again on autopilot and are breezing along at 182 knots, still listening to Coffs on 121. 1

A frequency change near to Coffs ensues with us dialling up 124. 6 30 miles out. Ken tells me that a control tower is almost ready to go at Coffs, actually being manned at the moment with the future controllers ‘dry running’ what they would do if they were actually controlling the Coffs traffic now. (The tower became operational last December. Ed) We experience some light chop as we pass Abeam Coffs two miles out to sea northbound, estimating Coffs at 10. 03am.

Traffic is Tango Bravo Foxtrot, a Cessna 172 climbing to 2000 feet on departure. At 1000 feet on descent, we left turn over the harbour and are in the circuit 4 minutes later than expected at 10. 07am. Tango Mike X-ray touches down at Coffs Harbour 3 minutes later and we eventually take on 200 pounds of fuel, 70 litres a side. The refuelling gives both ourselves and the passengers a welcome chance to stretch the stilts. I have a look around Coffs Harbour FIS. The three Flight Service Officers on duty are extremely eager to provide a good look over the station and it’s a pity we have to cut it short to set off again. Lismore next port of call, with doors closed at 10. 30am. Wind is now 01o degrees at 10 to 15 knots, temperature 22 and CAVOK. We a:re monitoring ‘information Echo’ on 117. 0. Ken and I discuss normal passenger loads and he tells me that t’1e Titan can take the pilot and nine pax, with a flight attendant on some sections making up 11 on board. Normal load factor on such a Saturday as this is four or five passengers per sector.

I get a slightly better look at the new Tower and Aussat dishes on the takeoff roll and we are airborne at 10. 34am. Power is cut back after takeoff and at 15 OM!= we change to 122. 1. We’re tracking 353 degrees and the autopilot is now on once more. ETA Lismore is 11. 09, or 0109 zulu time. We’ve got light chop as Ken adjusts the yaw dampers and pulls back on the 1T1ixture. We’re 13 miles out of Coffs Harbour and are showing a groundspeed of 148 knots. AUW (All Up Weight) out of Coffs Harbour was 3690kg and MTOW 3810kg. Ken Perry tells me he earned his PPL in 1973 after learning on a Cessna 150, then getting an endorsement on a 172. He has 1050 hours up on Cessna 404 Titans and 1500 hours up in the right hand seat of the ‘Bandits’. He does prefer the Bandeirante just a little, but he still very much likes the 404.

ETA Lismore is 11. 08am, as our engines deliver their 375hp each at 4500 feet. QNH is given as 1020 and we are instructed to “call Brisbane on 120. 3 at time five five”. Brisbane is conversing with Romeo November Uniform regarding restricted area R-168, a RAAF bombing range. The aircraft is told the area is deactivated. Ken is monitoring company and hears a mate calling in routinely. It’s Glenn and they have a quick jovial exchange. The passengers are oblivious to this, as we are not on speaker. By 11. 09am, we are in the circuit and on finals over the river. I gaze down as we land on RW 33. “Brisbane Tango Mike X-ray, c!ear of the runway at Lismore”. Ken taxies up past the Northern Rivers Aero Club premises.

Another quick turnaround and the right engine is once again the first to be kicked over, as Keri advises Brisbane that “Tango Mike X-ray is taxying Lismore for Coolangatta and will depart RW 33”. The gear is up by 11. 21am and we are climbing to 4000 feet for the cruise into Queensland. Conditions have been visual all the way from Sydney so far . . . we’re lucky . . . it’s a really beautiful day for flying. As we call Coolangatta Tower, the wind is gusting to 20 knots, at 320 degrees, QNH 1018, temperature 27 and CAVOK. Just after 11. 30 we can clearly make out the Gold Coast high-rise buildings to the north along the peninsula. The TWR vectors us for a left base to Coolangatta’s RW 32. There’s no traffic OCTA and we are cleared for a visual approach. At 5 DME destination, we are at 183 knots groundspeed and steering 360 degrees. Ken calls Transair on 129. 5 and is allocated Bay 2 as Australian Airlines are the handling agents for Eastern at Coolangatta. Ansett 767 Romeo Mick Echo is backtracking on the runway at 11. 38 as we turn on final. The Tower advises . . . “caution, jet blast, at the threshold” . . . and gives us our clearance to land. TN Airbus Tango Alpha Delta is just about ready to line up behind us after we have landed. VH-TAD is off to our starboard side on the taxiway. On the ground, we change from TWR 118. 7 to SMC 121. 8. I notice the softly flowing palm trees in the gentle breeze at the front of the terminal complex at this busy airport and wish I was staying a little longer. A baggage handler from Australian removes passenger luggage and several passengers disembark. We take on another man, woman and child as East West’s Echo Whiskey Delta, an F28 lands on RW 32. A Boeing 727 is on downwind, just about to turn base and a DC-9 is already on short final.

With all pax on board and luggage loaded, walkarounds complete and doors closed, Ken calls Coolangatta Ground on 121. 8. “Coolangatta Ground, Tango Mike X-ray, start clearance. ” The reply is “Tango Mike X-ray, clear to start and taxi, clearance 66, cruise 4000. ” We’ll track visual, east of the coast on the final leg of Flight UN432 to Brisbane. Information ‘Delta’ is current, wind 310 degrees at 10-15 knots, QNH 1016, temperature 26 and CAVOK. We are cleared for an intersection departure, then the clearance is suddenly cancelled. Ansett 727 Romeo Mike Oscar is on short final as we change to Tower frequency and call ready. By 11. 54 we are airborne again and the power settings are being adjusted. There are actually three power settings. . . takeoff, climb and cruise power! We’re tracking 323 degrees to Brisbane and now cruising 4000 feet. Ken fills out the Flight Records book once more, as he does after each takeoff. We are over water now and call Brisbane Approach on 125. 6. Ken selects 113. 9 on NAV 1 and 2. I notice a large number of small craft on the water below us as we are told to track direct Brisbane”. The controller advises us that he has four or five radar returns beneath us in the training area. We are now on descent to 3000 feet and are tracking inland. Thai International 987 is on heading 110 degrees and is climbing steeply to Flight Level 310 out to our right in the east. I see the Brisbane River up ahead now as we call the TWR on 120. 5. It’s a visual approach, with the city on the left and the gear comes down just abeam of the Gateway Bridge.

We are cleared to land on RW31 and Singapore 22-Slpha rolls on the cross runway as soon as we are clear of the intersection. We taxi up to Bay Alpha next to a Sunstate “Bandit’ and VH-ELC, a corporate Learjet. It’s been a long taxi to the terminal complex. so shutdown is effected immediately on reaching our bay. The passengers deplane and Ken tidies up the aircraft ready for the turnaround and orders fuel.

I take the opportunity to have a long chat with Ken about the job, his hopes and future aspirations, the state of the industry and numerous other topics. Our one-and-a-quarter-hour turnaround time goes by just like that. . . it seems more like half an hour! We pause to watch the Air Caledonie Caravelle taxi up the International Terminal. What a beautiful aeroplane! At 2. 05pm, we depart Brisbane for the return journey to Williamtown where I connect with Captain Rick Duldig’s Flight UN387 in Titan VH-SON to Sydney.

It’s been a long day and it’s not quite over yet. The trip I have been allowed to make with Allan, Ken and Rick is not really the “bread and butter’ route of Eastern Airlines. It’s more significant as one of their routes that helped get the airline up and away in the early days. The heaviest passenger loads are in the southern, western and northern NSW triangular routes which allows Eastern to boast quite correctly that they fly to more NSW centres than any other airline! I’m much indebted to Allan Gardiner, Ken Perry and Rick Dul- dig the Captains and to Captain Witson Way and Eastern supremo John Roworth for the opportunity to observe this most professional leading Commuter Airline from within.