Originally Posted by
PiperCameron
FWIW, unless fuel state was an issue (and it sounds like it wasn't), in my inexpert opinion, YMAV could be a totally inappropriate option following a low-altitude in-flight emergency near Mornington since your flight path would be (a) taking you well outside gliding distance of land and (b) from the moment you head west to get to one of the YMAV north-south approaches, taking you over deep unfriendly water a very long way from help, should you need to ditch along the way. Sure, you wouldn't kill anyone else, but staying coastal as he did makes the most sense to me.
They were well and truly already outside of gliding distance where they were operating.
If you look at the proposed flight path to YMAV it's not overly hostile. From your circuit at Moorabbin where you were looking yes maybe, but not from where they were off Mt. Martha.
Sure, you wouldn't kill anyone else
That's what this is all about.