I've arrived back in YBTL this morning after about 8 hours of flying around Qld (YBTL-YBUD-YLRE-YBTL) in the FTDK in the last couple of days, 7.8 hrs of it in solid IMC - RNAV Appr into YBUD, GPS Arrival into YLRE (just), ILS into YBTL.
Gotta give the guys and gals of generic ATC bouquets for their professionalism and for looking after us all. I have thrown a few brickbats in the past when I felt I had been dealt with poorly.
The weather over much of Qld was CR*P!. It sounds like TL was well beyond cr*p at times (200+ mm rain in 24 hrs and I was told winds gusting to 60 kts at one point) yesterday. Interesting to listen to the conversations as jets of a number of persuasions "missed" at YBRK yesterday morning.
My plan was to go to YLRE where I could refuel and be within striking distance of YBTL. If I back the FTDK off a bit I can get 6 hrs endurance and YLRE-YBTL is about 2 hrs. The forecast for YLRE was good when I left YBUD but about an hour into the flight the SPECIs started flying thick and fast. The weather over much of Qld was clearly deteriorating quickly. At one point Birdsville was starting to look like a real possibility.
On landing at YLRE and a check of the Townsville weather, the guy on BNE Centre sounded somewhat relieved when I cancelled the remainder of my plan.
Dinner and a good bottle of red in Longreach was much better than fighting with nature (embedded CBs frighten me) - the flight up this morning was a non-event - but its now rumbling outside - don't know where that one came from!.
Interesting couple of days! The last time I had the FTDK wound back for max range was Ayres Rock to Leonora last year - the weather was pretty cr*ppy on that flight also.
Thanks all!
Dr 