newt
Well Known Member
In October, I took VH-SOL on a 1400km trip from Sydney (Bankstown YSBK) to near Adelaide (Goolwa YGWA) to have its annual inspection carried out.
Since travelling in an RV with an empty seat is a crime punishable by guilt, I asked my Twitter friends whether any of them would like to come. John-Paul jumped first, so off we went.
John-Paul had never travelled in a plane smaller than a B737, and had no reason to visit Adelaide other than to come along for the ride. Pre-departure briefing: "We won't be turning back, so if you get part way through the trip and don't like it we'll land somewhere where you can take the bus home."
So you can probably imagine the sense of relief I felt when the appointed day arrived and the weather forecast for the entire trip was for smooth, calm, sunny conditions. Couldn't have asked for a better day.
John-Paul became "the map guy," assisting with navigation, pointing out landmarks in the distance and referencing them against bearings and markings on the charts. When he wasn't doing that, he snapped photos and took short videos -- enough to produce the YouTube movie here:
http://youtu.be/bS4z0MpLo5M
Because John-Paul was a first-timer, I broke the trip up into shortish legs.
We tracked from Bankstown to Mittagong, then Goulburn, then direct to Wagga-Wagga (YSWG) for a leg-stretch and a coffee.
Then we boarded and departed Wagga-Wagga direct for Swan Hill (YSWH), our refuelling stop.
Finally, Swan Hill to Goolwa via Meningie and the Murray River Mouth.
Three legs of approximately 90 minutes each, with one stop for fuel. Breakfast in Sydney, lunch in Swan Hill, afternoon tea in Adelaide 1400 kilometres away: A third of the continent in one day without even trying hard. Amazing li'l machines, aren't they?
- mark
Since travelling in an RV with an empty seat is a crime punishable by guilt, I asked my Twitter friends whether any of them would like to come. John-Paul jumped first, so off we went.
John-Paul had never travelled in a plane smaller than a B737, and had no reason to visit Adelaide other than to come along for the ride. Pre-departure briefing: "We won't be turning back, so if you get part way through the trip and don't like it we'll land somewhere where you can take the bus home."
So you can probably imagine the sense of relief I felt when the appointed day arrived and the weather forecast for the entire trip was for smooth, calm, sunny conditions. Couldn't have asked for a better day.
John-Paul became "the map guy," assisting with navigation, pointing out landmarks in the distance and referencing them against bearings and markings on the charts. When he wasn't doing that, he snapped photos and took short videos -- enough to produce the YouTube movie here:
http://youtu.be/bS4z0MpLo5M
Because John-Paul was a first-timer, I broke the trip up into shortish legs.
We tracked from Bankstown to Mittagong, then Goulburn, then direct to Wagga-Wagga (YSWG) for a leg-stretch and a coffee.
Then we boarded and departed Wagga-Wagga direct for Swan Hill (YSWH), our refuelling stop.
Finally, Swan Hill to Goolwa via Meningie and the Murray River Mouth.
Three legs of approximately 90 minutes each, with one stop for fuel. Breakfast in Sydney, lunch in Swan Hill, afternoon tea in Adelaide 1400 kilometres away: A third of the continent in one day without even trying hard. Amazing li'l machines, aren't they?
- mark
