Lord Howe Island

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

What time of the year is best to visit Lord Howe Island?

[topdrop]

Only been once, for a week in Oct and had a great time and wx. Very beautiful. If you want a challenge, get a guide and climb Mt Gower.
It's the holiday I would most like to repeat.

[Bevan666]

We stopped there in March in 2005 when I flew to NZ and back. Awesome place. Cant wait to get back there (when the kids can tread water).

For a family of 4, its one place its actually cheaper to fly GA there, rather than an airline...!

Bevan..

[On Track]

A truly beautiful place to get away from the rat race!

[Fantome]

a visit there should be preceded by reading Chichester's SOLO TO SYDNEY
where he recounts his incredible arrival in his Gipsy Moth floatplane having flown from Norfolk Island into deteriorating weather. Then the six months he spent on Lord Howe repairing the plane, as it had sunk in the lagoon on the night of his arrival.

another book worth looking for is by long time Lord Howe post master, Peter Phillipps, in which he gives a history of the islands aerial links and a run down on visiting aircraft over the years

The flying boat days : the early aviation history of Lord Howe Island / by Peter A.R. Phillipps.



here there is an interesting photo of a Sunderland flying 1:10 scale model at Lord Howe Island -

http://www.airwaveyachts.com.au/Aircraft/Index.html

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but for life size you cannot go past the old Ansett Flying Boat Services fleet

(on which Fantome spent a year, apprentice metal-basher)

http://members.ozemail.com.au/%7Etelica/Images/Lord-Howe-Island-flying-boats-26.jpg
Beachcomber on the left, and Islander at Lord Howe Island


more here to whet the appetite -

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~telica/Lord%20Howe%20Island%20flying%20boats.html

[skkm]

Around now or Sept-Oct is usually the best. A bit quieter and cheaper than over summer, and generally good weather.

[Capt Fathom]

Check the Island website to see what events are on.

They have Windsurfing, Fishing and Golf gatherings each year which pretty well book the place out!

[Ultralights]

now, water is still warm, and weather is generally best.

[Aye Ess]

Fantome....the author of that book, Peter A. R. Phillipps lives on the island. He is very knowledgeable and owns this painting I did.

http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/alan_spears/sunderlandlhipp.jpg (http://s1032.photobucket.com/user/alan_spears/media/sunderlandlhipp.jpg.html)

[Dick Smith]

Are you flying your own aircraft or travelling by Qantas?

All times are great. Latitude similar to Coffs Harbour but is effected by a warm current from Queensland .

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Do you often cop a belting making an approach there? .... (wish I had a dollar for every "Sigmet for SEV TURB BLW A100 within 50NM Lord Howe" I have seen)

[Howard Hughes]

Do you often cop a belting making an approach there?
Only when the wind is from particular quadrants! :eek:

[Beech Boy]

A wind from the NW at anything above 15kts IS BRUTAL!!!:O I think Mr Hughes speaks from experience.....................

[VH-XXX]

Can't you just "request alternate" like the Norfolk medevac guy did :eek:

[Howard Hughes]

North East actually BB, but close enough! ;)

Never seen a South Easterly in action, but believe they can be just as bad!