Cairns to Thursday Island-Tips Please

[Roger Roger]

I am planing a trip from Cairns to Thursday Island in November this year. Start of the wet season I believe.

At this point I am looking to hire an aeroplane from Cairns, private or flying school aeroplane are okay. C206 or smaller or P32R or smaller will do. Please email me or post any suggestions on where to hire.

Anyone that can help with tips, trick and traps to watch out for while flying between Cairns and Thursday Island would be very much appreciated. Especially in terms of the local weather one can expect.

Since I have never been to this part of Australia please let me know if there is something which should not be missed while flying in the area.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[LUCKY-1]

Cairns to TI

Hey There Roger Roger, Sounds like a great trip. Nth Qld Aero Club have a number of aerplanes to hire that might suit. They are a very friendly bunch with lots of exerience on your planned route. Email them or give them a call. Try http://www.nqaeroclub.com.au/aircraft.htm

Cheers Lucky

[The Bullwinkle]

I am planing a trip from Cairns to Thursday Island

Unless you're in a chopper, plan to land at Horn Island.
I have done the trip between Cairns and Horn Island a couple of times, and I'd have to say that it is a beautiful part of Australia to fly.
As far as the weather goes, I would have to say that the dodgiest weather always seemed to be around the Lockhart River area.
If you're adventurous, there are strips all over the cape. Coen, Laura, Karumba, Kowanyama Weipa, Bamaga, and once you are up in the Torres Strait, there are plenty of islands to go see. Coconut Island was probably my favourite, but there are quite a few others.
Read your forecast well, take plenty of fuel, a GPS would be handy, be especially vigilant with fuel drain checks after wet nights, and if the weather is marginal and you are in a VFR single, I would suggest staying on the ground.
Without knowing your experience level, it is hard to give specific advice, but it would be far wiser to go after the wet season.
Whatever you do decide, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip.
BW

[Bula]

basic rules of thumb..

YLHR NOTHING = INTER, INTER = TEMPO, TEMPO = ALTN. VFR YCKN is probably the only alternate worth using unless you can reach YHID. YCOE will usually recipricate the WX at YLHR without the localised bad weather YLHR is famous for. YBWP is also ok HOWEVER if the weather is really that bad you probably wont make it over the hills to get to WP, especially during the wet.

Going up the coast is quite scenic. Depending on your fair weather experience I would try to go prior to the commencement of the wet season otherwise it can catch an inexperienced pilot out. The Area is also remote so be sure to carry survival gear just incase.

As bullwinkle said take plenty of fuel, dont be pressured by time and enjoy a very exciting part of Australia. Good luck and feel free to shoot any questions.

[Roger Roger]

LUCKY-1, The Bullwinkle, Bula, thanks for the tips.

My planned route is YBCS-YCKN-YLHR-YHID-YBWP-YKOW-YSCN at this stage and I can go IFR if required however I would prefer not to.

Does anyone know if fuel is readily available at these locations and how much extra is it compared to Cairns prices?

What type of weather conditions prevail at Dawn and Dusk time in November around these parts?

Cheers once again. Roger Roger

[frangatang]

Change your holidays to earlier in the year as it will be very hot and bloody sweaty in nov.Appalling.

[itsbrokenagain]

Nov. is not hot and appalling ! February is hot, but bearable, Nov is not.... (lived there for 10 yrs flying GA ). ((I see why he/she says that, Location:UK ! says it all !!)

Question for the others, is Musgrave station still open and serving burgers?

If so suggest you stop by there for lunch to break the journey, they used to sell avgas from drums, but things may have changed.

Also land at bamaga and get the camp ground to pick you up, go stay there in a cottage, do some fishing and take their great top end tour, seeing the carnivorous plants was cool, let alone standing on the top of the country.

Also do a flight over the beaches up the top, over near Crab island , west side of the tip, there was the most gianormous crocs sitting like logs on the beaches.

PS IFR in a lighty is not fun up there, as we are talking about bumpy rough IFR weather most of the time, unless its the stratus crap and sea spray that would engulge the topend sometimes. Much more fun and stress free to fly VFR to the top.

Also dont run to a tight schedule, due weather like others said, and give LHR a miss, its not fun, and there is nothing there to see, except another airport, plus if its not cloudy, its windy and bumpy there.

Have fun, remember to post some pics for others after you do the trip .

[tinpis]

Had a job flying prawn trawler crew between the islands and Cairns during a sabbitical(read unemployed between jobs) many years ago.

As the man says dont be in a big hurry to fly into the lumpy poo its not like the smooth as glass stuff in Blighty.

Id be a bit circumspect if you have grog on board if you land at some of the places enroute.