Fly away trip & tips~
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ozone
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Fly away trip & tips~
Hey guys, I am a low hour CPL holder and currently planning for a fly away trip from YSBK----->YGTH----->YPPF and then back next month. Just wonder whether you guys could provide me with any tips of what to look for when a low hour pilot like myself doing a trip like this?? Thank heaps guys!
1. Take a mate/ma or pa, neighbour, bum off the street along with you for company. Yes the scenery is fantastic but unless you are in something pretty quick, the flying gets boring somewhere after YGTH. (I have done the reverse- PF-GTH-YKRY
2. Get an aircraft with a few gizmo's in it- not so much to make the flying easy, but for the same reason above- to have something to play around with!
3. Take a little esky that fits between the front and rear seats. Take snacks, nibbles, drinks, if your legs are fauirly long (like GTH-PF) something to eat doesn't go astray.
4. Take a print out of ALL the weather areas you will be passing through, nothing worse than seeing some intimidating cloud approaching and not knowing how widespread it is or if it contains rain etc.... (This could be a fair few pages, so best to print this all out at somewhere other than your house.)
5. Take a camera! Your first big flying trip will be one to be remembered.
6. If you are looking for work (I assume you are if you have a new CPL) make HEAPS of stops along the way, just talk to anyone you can find. On my equivalent first big nav (pre cpl days) I ended up getting a card from a charter operator who said to give him a call back when I got my cpl.
oh and try not to get lost.
2. Get an aircraft with a few gizmo's in it- not so much to make the flying easy, but for the same reason above- to have something to play around with!
3. Take a little esky that fits between the front and rear seats. Take snacks, nibbles, drinks, if your legs are fauirly long (like GTH-PF) something to eat doesn't go astray.
4. Take a print out of ALL the weather areas you will be passing through, nothing worse than seeing some intimidating cloud approaching and not knowing how widespread it is or if it contains rain etc.... (This could be a fair few pages, so best to print this all out at somewhere other than your house.)
5. Take a camera! Your first big flying trip will be one to be remembered.
6. If you are looking for work (I assume you are if you have a new CPL) make HEAPS of stops along the way, just talk to anyone you can find. On my equivalent first big nav (pre cpl days) I ended up getting a card from a charter operator who said to give him a call back when I got my cpl.
oh and try not to get lost.
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Just come back from a trip YBTL-YCWR in a C172 (g/s varied from 71kts to 135kts for a trip average of 105) and some tips would be check fuel availability en route and assume that they only accept fuel carnet card, so ring around. Double check fuel & oil caps & dipstick are secure (siphoned off 25L of avgas in flight on my trip due distraction from winds gusting 35-45 kts while refueling) take plenty of water and a few nibbles for enroute stops, and don't try to out fly your bladder. Keep good track records even if GPS equipped, if possible get the aircraft set up the day before departure including maps ersa, then sit in it and get comfortable with where to find everything ..... and above all relax and have fun! 
cheers
cheers
Join Date: Feb 2005
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G'day,
Totally agree with taking mates and snacks if you can. Something entertaining without bringing your eyes in the cockpit too long is also good. Toilet stops are also quite good, too much iced coffee before you go will remind you of this quickly.
Checking how fuel can be delivered and paid for is a good idea. Some places will only do barrels, some are cash/cheque only etc. Phone call is best way to find out for sure.
Make a holiday out of it and stay in your destination for a bit. Avoid leaving on sunday night though 'cos you then have to decide how to regulate your drinking on saturday night. Flying with a hangover/fatigue is to be avoided...I hear.
Good luck and have fun!
Totally agree with taking mates and snacks if you can. Something entertaining without bringing your eyes in the cockpit too long is also good. Toilet stops are also quite good, too much iced coffee before you go will remind you of this quickly.
Checking how fuel can be delivered and paid for is a good idea. Some places will only do barrels, some are cash/cheque only etc. Phone call is best way to find out for sure.
Make a holiday out of it and stay in your destination for a bit. Avoid leaving on sunday night though 'cos you then have to decide how to regulate your drinking on saturday night. Flying with a hangover/fatigue is to be avoided...I hear.
Good luck and have fun!
Last edited by vh_ajm; 24th Nov 2006 at 22:50. Reason: Salutation
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thank you so much guys for all your tips and stuff....how ever, a bad news now is that I would have to take a virgin flight to Adalaide now~~could find a company with what im looking for hire....some said they wouldn't rent it out for more than a day~~so yea...bad luck for me~
may be next time around then....
do thank you all tho!!
good luck with flying n hab fun!
may be next time around then....
do thank you all tho!!
good luck with flying n hab fun!
Join Date: Aug 2006
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I'm looking at doing my first real cross country since getting my PPL and my first time in to Ardmore.
Weather permitting, I'm hoping to fly 172 from NZHA - NZAR - NZGB and back for a weekend trip with my dad.
Any hints for getting around Ardmore safely, I have trained in non controlled airspace for most of my training so will be going around Auckland airspace.
Thanks for any help
Weather permitting, I'm hoping to fly 172 from NZHA - NZAR - NZGB and back for a weekend trip with my dad.
Any hints for getting around Ardmore safely, I have trained in non controlled airspace for most of my training so will be going around Auckland airspace.
Thanks for any help
