Flight Planning to Birdsville QLD

[jnicholas]

Hi Everyone,
I've just got my PPL on the Sunny Coast in QLD Australia, next year I am looking to take a Bonanza or something quite similar out to the Birdsville Races.

Just wanting some feedback from people who have gone out before about what they took and which route they took. So just an overview of what I can expect really.

Thanks for your time

[Trinity 09L]

:confused:Try the navigation section on the dunnunder site, up here we are more interested in winning the Ashes:ok:

[jnicholas]

what site is that sorry?

[Mark1234]

I think the suggestion is to post it in the down under section of this forum; you'll likely get more sensible answers as 'private flying' tends to be rather UK centric, and here they'd have a heart attack about flying to birdsville.

If it's any help, I did BDV-Longreach-Airlie Beach (chute harbour) in a 172. (I got to BDV via the flinders ranges, coober pedy and william ck, taking in lake eyre along the way, but I was coming up from the south. You should be OK for fuel in BDV/Longreach, but never a bad plan to book ahead - big problem if they don't have fuel for you..

Otherwise, do it, it's a wonderful experience, though I think birdsville is over-rated (outside the races), look to some of the smaller places like william ck, innamicka, etc.

Cheers,
- A repatriated POM who misses flying in aus :/

[djpil]

A life-raft would've been useful for anyone going this year.
home (http://www.birdsvilleraces.com/)

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

SE Qld to Birdsville in a Bonanza is a no-brainer.

Sunny Coast - Charleville - Birdsville, a couple of easy 2+ hr legs. Good fuel and food at Charleville.

C210/Bonanza type aircraft = speed and range for going places!

But be careful with the weather - they will take you up **** creek at a great rate of knots!

Dr :8

[Jabawocky]

Hi Everyone,
I've just got my PPL on the Sunny Coast in QLD Australia, next year I am looking to take a Bonanza or something quite similar out to the Birdsville Races.

If you have just completed your PPL it might be a while(some hrs) and a CSU/retract endo away from anyone letting you loose on a Bo or a C210.

Just be warned...do not get your hopes up and let down all in one flash!

[Worrals in the wilds]

The Birdsville Races got WEATHER this year (shouting intended :)) so leave plenty of time either side of the event to wait for the place to dry out. Also be aware (if you aren't already) that roofed accomodation is at a premium in Birdsville at the best of times let alone during the races, so be prepared to rough it.

If you're after the western race meet experience there are plenty of small towns without Birdsville's formidable reputation that offer rum, cow cockies, flies and horsies for a fraction of the hassle and with far fewer ferals. The Betoota Races is worth considering, although I don't know what the airstrip is like.
Outback race swells zero-population Betoota - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/30/2996741.htm)

There's more to the Diamantina than Birdsville! :ok:
Diamantina - Home (http://www.diamantina.qld.gov.au/)
As Mark said, Innamincka is also worth a visit, although it's serious Dreamtime country and time moves slowly. Cooper's Creek is lovely and the DIG tree site is well worth the trip.

Every couple of years I head out that way in 4WD air-conditioned comfort (unlike my ancestors that went on horseback) to rediscover true peace and quiet. Of course I have a satphone in case of emergencies so help comes within days instead of months if required, but the isolation is still there. It will not last forever, as every year civilisation moves closer to the Diamantina. This is great for the people that live there, who have an equal right to health care, TV and internet shopping but before long the true isolation will be gone and it will be like everywhere else. Enjoy it while you can, but take care, because these days it still bites.

When I come back to my pretty city I remember the silence of the western deserts, the peaceful place beyond F@cebook, beyond media hype, beyond the many modern trivialities that take up too much of my time here.

Enjoy your trip to the Diamantina. If you (and the Shire Council :}) will forgive me, take the time to see the place outside the BDV races when it is quiet the way it usually is. If you walk into the desert west of Birdsville you will see seashells lying on the ground from when the water departed 100 million years ago. It is an old part of the world.

[Sunfish]

Arkaroola is a great place to stay if you have the money. 650m strip, a hangar if you are lucky, avgas and Doug Sprigg, the owner of the resort, very kindly lent us a 4WD to see the sights.

We did a day trip to the Dig Tree which is about one and a half hours North, always ring ahead to check strip conditions. The strip is about 1400 metres long and was smooth clay last time I was there.

Always have a survival bag packed when you fly out there with plenty of water, matches, sun and wind protection and a PLB and hand held VHF. File a plan or let someone know where you are going. It's big country.

[jnicholas]

Thx for all your input guys, the plan is to get over atleast the 100hr mark before September when this will be on. Included in that will be a CSU, Retrac, Tailwheel and probably Aero's. I bought a few more WAC's yesterday and was taking a look, as someone suggested Charleville/Birdsville seems pretty straight forwards.
I will keep doing the research though.

[jnicholas]

It seems many of you believe the Birdsville event is over rated, what are some alternatives? Also, it doesn't fall at the best of timing's with me that is the time some of my Yr 12 exams are on (QCS)

[Worrals in the wilds]

It depends on what you're after. If you want a booze filled 'bloke's weekend' then Birdsville's okay, but the races have gotten very big in recent years and I hear it's more like a city event these days. It's arguably a bit feral, although the rest of the year Birdsville's a nice (if slightly weird) town that's well worth a look.

If you want the outback party experience, most towns have a race meeting once a year. Betoota is close to Birdsville and has their races a week before, where Bedourie has theres a week after. Bedourie's not all that different from Birdsville, but without the iconic status. Betoota's BYO everything, because no-one lives there permanently at the moment.

http://www.racingqueensland.com.au/race-diary.aspx?date=20110413
This is where all Queensland race days are listed. The small towns (including Birdsville) have what are called 'picnic races' where the horses are amateur and the day's more about fun than professional racing and betting. They're usually a blast wherever you are.

Personally, I'd look at the calendar where the dates suit you, google the town names and see if it's somewhere you'd like to go. All the shire councils have fairly decent websites these days, so you should be able to gauge what the places are like, otherwise ask on here! Be aware that if you want accomodation you should book early, because race meets are big days for bush towns and the motels often fill up.

There are also a lot of rodeos on throughout the year if that's your thing, they're good fun as well, particularly if you like rum :E.
special events - ........promoting the sport we love!!!! (http://www.qldrodeoassociation.com/specialevents.htm)

Happy hunting and of course there are the other states to look at too. Part of the fun of a holiday is deciding where to go! :)

[Jack Ranga]

Overated is an un-fortunate word, I know what he means but it's a bucket list thing. It's something you can put off but doing it at the peak of your powers (youth) is a good thing.

We didn't do it as a one off i.e. just BDV. We went Broken Hill (some stuff to see there) Leigh Creek (nothing to see there, no fuel there anymore?) Oodnadatta (Pink Roadhouse :cool:) Kings Canyon (good campsite, friendly locals and canyon is a good hike) Alice Springs (hired a car and drove out that road with all the canyons etc, excellent) Yulara (climbed the rock)

Took a C182, fit four biggish blokes and all camping equipment required and **** loads of water. AND WE DID IT WITH ONLY AN NDB :ok:

Birdsville mmmmm, Fred Brophy's boxing tent, you don't see that anywhere in the southern states anyway.

Do it, don't even think twice about it :ok:

[PyroTek]

From personal experience, we did planning for the whole flight in one day when we went in 2009. We planned Caboolture->Charleville->Windorah->Birdsville (Due fuel requirements etc.)
Got the relevant weather etc. and planned every last detail. The headwind was about 15kt stronger than it said on the TAF. Reserves were a very comforting thing then.
Windorah has a refueller, if you can't make it the full way, and if going during the race period, make sure all your maps/documents are up to date, planning completed, MR signed off and in good order, license, medical W&B etc. all correct, baggage tied down. - They enjoy doing ramp checks at Charleville.
Also, bring cheques/cash on top of fuel cards as some places don't take the fuel cards unfortunately.

In the end we did Caboolture->Charleville in one day - 185skywagon gave us some very good advice about storms on the way and what they do in the area, so we stayed there overnight. Next day, bright and early, we did Charleville->Windorah->Birdsville, no issues!

:ok:Pyro

[Al Fentanyl]

Did it a few years ago in a C182R..... Toowoomba - Roma - Charleville - Quilpie - Windorah - Birdsville. Lotsa stops for the spouse & baby.

had coupla days in Birdsville, then went to Alice Springs for a week. Had to change a nappy at 10,000 over the Strezlecki desert. (Not mine). Nothing good about that! :eek:

Went Alice to Curtin Springs for a few days, did the Rock thing.

Across to Cober Pedy and the Lake.

Stopped at Innamincka for a coupla days.

Down to Cameron Corner, taxied up the road to the servo for fuel.

Across to Thargomindah for the night, then via Cunnamulla to a mates place near Bollon for a few days.

Back to Bris. (YRED).

Still got the C182 if you want to hire one!

Bloody good trip.

Try going north from BDV to Bedourie and Isa, then up into the Gulf. Nip across to Weipa and Horn, then down the Reef to Cairns and park up at Atherton for a while. Charters Towers, Longreach, Kingaroy, Caloundra. Plenty to see on THAT route.

[Jabawocky]

Thx for all your input guys, the plan is to get over atleast the 100hr mark before September when this will be on. Included in that will be a CSU, Retrac, Tailwheel and probably Aero's. Still not sure you will find too many Bo's/210's available to you, insurance for a starter.

I think the most likely scenario would be a 172RG or something. Just want you to be realistic is all. Don't be disappointed if you can't find one etc etc.

J

[Jack Ranga]

Still got the C182 if you want to hire one!

Grab Al's C182 while he's offering it, it's the best plane you can take out those parts :ok:

[Pinky the pilot]

what are some alternatives?

The Camel Races at Boulia. Held around mid June, I think.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Al FentanylYour family has a narcotic anagesic fetish, huh? :E

Dr :8

[Worrals in the wilds]

Had to change a nappy at 10,000 over the Strezlecki desert. (Not mine). Nothing good about that! http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/eek.gif

You'd want a narcotic anagesic fetish to go through that! It's a whiffy enough job in the cabin of a heavy jet let alone in a 182... :yuk:

[Shimmer]

Make sure you have a look at Goyders Lagoon, it's just south of BDV very close to Clifton Hills homestead or the beginning of the Warburton River.

Absolutely amazing, there wouldn't be as much water at the moment but it's still a looker if you've got time!

[jnicholas]

I'd take a 182 if i wasn't planning on 6 people. Does anyone know of any 6 seater twins in SE Qld? It isn't for almost 12 months yet but i'd still like to start building a relationship with the owner / operator.

thx

[Checkboard]

It's a whiffy enough job in the cabin of a heavy jet let alone in a 182... :yuk:
For the sake of the rest of the passengers - I hope you DON'T do it in the cabin of a heavy jet - but use the baby change table provided in the toilet (that thing you use to deal with sh!t). :mad:

[Worrals in the wilds]

I don't own a baby or any other pets, so the problem doesn't arise :}. However, a charmingly feral family I had the pleasure of sitting behind changed both babies in the middle of the cabin while in flight.

It was on the way to Turkey, with three frigging flying hours added so we didn't go over Iraq. By the end of the flight most of us would have been happy to take our chances with the missiles if it meant getting away from them more quickly :yuk:.

All I want for Christmas is a Gulfstream. (sorry, drifting back to BDV now).