Almost there

The length and breadth of the country is literally scattered with waypoints which are subsequently viewed in light of the aircraft’s performance. As ‘There and Back’ seeks to emphasise the accessibility of general aviation, the all-Australian Jabiru J230D was an ideal choice. With up to 700nm of range and 120 knot TAS, it also gave a great deal of flexibility in flight planning, however, waypoints that sat 300nm abeam the planned route still called for a major investment of time which in some cases proved difficult to justify. For example, diverting to the site of the ‘Kookaburra’ crash meant a huge dog leg into the Tanami Desert to a waypoint where the wreckage is now long gone. Conversely, there are clusters of interest to be found in central Queensland where QANTAS and the RFDS took fledgling steps and in Victoria where the RAAF’s Point Cook and the sites of Houdini’s flight and Duigan’s at Mia Mia are all very close.

And beyond the big names are the stories that underpin any culture, but slip through the cracks of history from time to time. Murchison Station near Kalbarri in Western Australia is the resting place of two aviators lost on a pioneering air service of Western Australian Airways while the role of Sir Hubert Wilkins is also oft overlooked. In addition to pioneering arctic flights, he sold the Fokker Tri-Motor to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith which ultimately became the famed “Southern Cross”.

The tales of this nation’s aviation past seem endless and a 12 month safari would still leave so many stones unturned. Over three weeks the task will be to showcase a diverse ‘sample bag’ of our heritage while reminding people that this is a land made for flight. It is a challenging balance that is shaping to be a flight to remember.

Fuel, Friends and Photographs.

A flight such as this is multi-faceted to say the least. Operationally, prime considerations such as the availability of fuel must be researched in conjunction with the planned route and performance of the aeroplane. While the cost of AVGAS in the outback is significantly higher than in major ports, there is very little benefit to be gained from endeavouring to minimise fuel uplift in the interests of economy. Fuel equates to time and options, so with one person on board and no performance issue, it makes sense to fill the aircraft to the fuel caps with options.

Planning the route sought to tie together points of aviation history, but that cannot be done at the expense of the regular planning prerequisites of a single-engined aircraft. For all of the GPS based navigation systems available, the benefits of a railway line and friendly forced landing fields can never be undermined in VFR flight. A few extra track miles can often provide the opportunity to fix a position with ease compared to the potentially barren straight line track.

In the interests of safety, a number of planning considerations must be assessed. In the case of fatigue, it is not only the total flight hours that need to be monitored; each sector length also needs to be managed. The opportunity to stretch the legs and take a bathroom break also offers the chance to take a breath and relax, re-group and re-organise. While the carriage of rations, water and equipment is vital for the emergency scenario, it is equally important to remain adequately hydrated and sustained in flight.

But beyond necessity of planning, the fun should not be forgotten. The flight is a chance to meet the people in regional communities and spread the word about aviation, reinforcing its role in this wide brown land and the fact that it is actually affordable to become involved. There will also be scenery and sights along the way and these will be captured by the HD camera secured in the cockpit, while photo opportunities will abound alongside a variety of aircraft; both civil and military. It is these opportunities to meet people and share moments that transforms the challenges into pure enjoyment.

Spreading the Word.

The Reverend John Flynn’s vision for the RFDS began as the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) over 80 years ago. The first flight took place out of Cloncurry in Queensland on May 17th 1928 using a single-engined biplane hired from young flying outfit known as QANTAS. Today, the RFDS operates from over 20 bases, flies over 65,000 km each day and attends to over 270,000 patients per year. It is an Australian aviation success story that has served the nation admirably and made the choice of a charity for ‘There and Back’ very straightforward.

The task of raising awareness of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is at the very heart of the around Australia flight. The ‘There and Back’ website’s donation facility has already been in receipt of a great deal of generosity, however, to further assist the RFDS there needs to be an awareness of the flight within the media. This task has been the source of numerous emails, faxes and phone calls and hopefully, this awareness will now translate into donations for this Australian icon.

As an industry and pastime, aviation has had a fairly tough time over recent years. It is either perceived as long queues and security checkpoints or a past-time of the privileged. The truth is that even in the wake of security checkpoints, departure delays and holding patterns, aviation offers the ability to do business in Sydney in the morning and dine with the family at home in Perth that night. No other form of transport is yet able to offer this.

Similarly, a walk along the flight line at any Aero Club will reveal people with passion and a general absence of millionaires. Particularly with the growing line of sports aircraft, the price of an aeroplane can be compared to the purchase of a family wagon. The perception of aviation at all levels in the greater community has drifted far from reality. Hopefully, the coverage of a light aircraft such as the affordable Jabiru making a trip around Australia will provide some insight into reality. The most remarkable aspect of this trip is that it is relatively unremarkable and within the reach a good many people. It’s time there were some positive stories in the broader media about aviation in this country and hopefully ‘There and Back’ will provide one such instance.

An Australian Bird.

Marking an Australian centenary, it was only appropriate that an all-Australian aeroplane make the flight. Recently at the NATFLY gathering at Temora, the Jabiru J230 that will carry the ‘There and Back’ markings made the flight from Bundaberg for its first public appearance.

The aircraft was assembled in a little over three weeks and houses a 6 cylinder Jabiru 3300 engine beneath its cowling. Within the cockpit is a traditional suite of analogue instruments supported by a multi-function Dynon EFIS unit. Nearby, the Garmin 495 moving map display supplements the array of information to a degree that could only once be imagined in a light aircraft.

Equipped with two seats, but enough space for another two like its J430 sibling, there is more than ample capacity for the equipment and camera gear to be carried. Giving off that ‘new plane’ smell, the high wing and more than ample windows promises to offer the best seat in the house across the length and breadth of Australia.

There and Back.

While ‘There and Back’ will be endeavouring to spread the aviation word and meet as many people at airfields across the land, it also recognises that not everybody can be there. Through the ‘Spidertracks’ onboard satellite tracking system, the website will display the Jabiru’s position and update it every 6 minutes. Furthermore, there will be images uploaded each evening and some words posted about the day’s events. On completion of the flight the words, photos and footage will form the core of a DVD, so that one way or another, everybody can follow the flight and share the experience.

With vast distances, predominantly good weather and friendly terrain, Australia is a nation made for flight. Our wealth of pioneer aviators set the tone and 100 years later Australians are still enamored with the sky. Planning is undertaken to cater for contingencies and to design the most effective flight profile to accomplish the task. Beyond this, the flight is about enjoyment and freedom in the three dimensions. It is about a beautiful country and a wonderful way to witness all it has to offer. Only flight offers such a unique combination of accessibility, speed and perspective well in journeying ‘There and Back’.

Follow the flight at www.thereandback.com.au

(c) Owen Zupp March 2010.