You shouldn't have an issue getting mobile phone (and therefore internet) service in the vast majority of public landing points these days.
I wouldn't bank on that... Assume
no coverage, be glad when you do!
Needless to say there is only one mobile provider in Australia which a GA pilot should be with and its name starts with a T.
Spot on! If you are with another provider then you'll have serious trouble getting any reception.
duddleyew is spot on. Though I'd add - know how to navigate visually! Like you know, you won't be within radar coverage, so there is no call to centre "Hey, I'm lost can you give me a fix please?". Especially if you have an alternator failure, 'cause that magenta line will disappear quick smart!
I also agree with dy8 that landing in strong crosswinds is a must! There are often some pretty gnarly winds this time of year and you won't have the luxury of just going for one of the seven runways that is more into wind than the others.
Some others;
- Just because the ERSA says a field has fuel, don't assume they do!
- Carry a credit card, some places won't take Carnet
- If you pay via CC, make sure you know how much fuel you need and how much that'll cost. Some of the machines will get you to enter an amount, let you fill up and then charge the fuel you've taken. What many people don't realise is the first amount is ALSO charged to your card as a pre-auth and is only refunded 10 or so days later. I've seen people max out their cards in a single top up because they'd just entered an arbitrary number...
- Have plenty of survival gear, water, rations, first aid etc with you.
- Know the regs about flying in remote areas!
- Have a plan A, B and C for every leg. (Remember PPPPPP)
- A couple of large empty 1.5L+ bottles with large necks (and if travelling with a female, a she-pee) could be a life saver when you're busting
- Calculate your PNR for your big legs and also know your PNR for other alternate airfields