I just love the wet season!!
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Writing Part 141 and 142 manuals these days
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I just love the wet season!!
Just thought I would share this with all those unfortunates down South Dunnunda that don’t have the privilege of experiencing what flying in the wet tropics of NQ is really like………….
Let’s see, lets start with:
1) Looking at the color Wx radar and the first thing that pops into your head is “HOLY S$%T – how am I gonna get over / under / around that CR@P??
2) Arriving at a CTAF after a long day and being “stacked” up over 5000ft in various approaches with high performance business jets, Turboprop aircraft above 5700kg, yourself and then other piston bug smasher twins, and wondering whether that visibility will hold up for your shot at the title!!
3) Knowing that after landing the A/C, you will have to get out and get wet!!
4) Getting to your destination in relatively clear skies only to find that the 3nm wide stationary down pour that has a visibility of 500m at best is over your destination and it AINT moving!
5) Waking up in the morning, sitting at the computer and staring at Champaign Flight Planner through tired eyes at the ARFOR only then realizing that the 5 landings planned for that day will entail holding and approaches at every single stop – ARGHE – leave the hard work idea till I have at least had a coffee and got a grasp on the world please??
6) Trying to kid yourself that at least the wet is almost over, and next year will not only be not as bad, but perhaps I will be working and the boss will give me a pay rise, send me off on a 4 month paid holiday, and I won’t have to deal with the BL@@DY wet!
No, on an honest note – I actually love the wet, I am up to my 5th now in the wet NQ tropics, and seeing the daily changes flooding in the rivers, the greenery etc change on a daily basis – ROCKS MY BL@@DY WORLD!!
How does everyone else feel when they log on to www.bom.gov.au, or NAIPS and see the Wx loop and it is just a shamozzle?
Let us know your funny stories of the wet?
I just noticed that this was my 100th post - YAHOOOOO!!
Let’s see, lets start with:
1) Looking at the color Wx radar and the first thing that pops into your head is “HOLY S$%T – how am I gonna get over / under / around that CR@P??
2) Arriving at a CTAF after a long day and being “stacked” up over 5000ft in various approaches with high performance business jets, Turboprop aircraft above 5700kg, yourself and then other piston bug smasher twins, and wondering whether that visibility will hold up for your shot at the title!!
3) Knowing that after landing the A/C, you will have to get out and get wet!!
4) Getting to your destination in relatively clear skies only to find that the 3nm wide stationary down pour that has a visibility of 500m at best is over your destination and it AINT moving!
5) Waking up in the morning, sitting at the computer and staring at Champaign Flight Planner through tired eyes at the ARFOR only then realizing that the 5 landings planned for that day will entail holding and approaches at every single stop – ARGHE – leave the hard work idea till I have at least had a coffee and got a grasp on the world please??
6) Trying to kid yourself that at least the wet is almost over, and next year will not only be not as bad, but perhaps I will be working and the boss will give me a pay rise, send me off on a 4 month paid holiday, and I won’t have to deal with the BL@@DY wet!
No, on an honest note – I actually love the wet, I am up to my 5th now in the wet NQ tropics, and seeing the daily changes flooding in the rivers, the greenery etc change on a daily basis – ROCKS MY BL@@DY WORLD!!
How does everyone else feel when they log on to www.bom.gov.au, or NAIPS and see the Wx loop and it is just a shamozzle?
Let us know your funny stories of the wet?
I just noticed that this was my 100th post - YAHOOOOO!!
"Let us know your funny stories of the wet?"
KARUMBA (YKMB)
C37/07
AD NOT AVBL DUE SOFT WET SFC
(INCLUDING TEMPO PARALLEL SHELL GRIT RWY)
FROM 03 220451 TO 03 230000 EST
Dr
KARUMBA (YKMB)
C37/07
AD NOT AVBL DUE SOFT WET SFC
(INCLUDING TEMPO PARALLEL SHELL GRIT RWY)
FROM 03 220451 TO 03 230000 EST
Dr
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Brisvegas
Age: 46
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I did 3 wet seasons in Darwin and only had to hold a couple of times.....only once did I not get into a destination. This is my first Cairns wet season and so far it has been very much like the late Darwin monsoonal wet. The dry season flying is boring......I enjoy the wet season...at least it is always interesting.
Bottums Up
After 13years flying in and out of DRW I've only had to hold for Wx once. Once after a Pakistan airforce 707 blew an engine, and once for the obligatory traffic cluster-F. 
The one that sticks in my mind was one late wet season afternoon in 2005 when for about twenty minutes there was a goodly sized thundery over DN airport and another about 8-10nm east of the Howard Springs NDB, with clear air in between the two cells. If I recall correctly the holding patterns started at 3K at HWS, with mostly two aircraft in each holding pattern (one inbound, one outbound at the same time) a 1000' apart, all the way up to 9K (I started at 8K) before the storm over the AD moved enough away to allow approaches to commence. Luckily enough most of the aircraft were CAT B aircraft.
As each aircraft was able to approach and land, we were all consecutively given descent in the hold and then approach clearances in turn. 'Twas a thing of beauty to hear the Eastern Approach Controller co-ordinating this with VFR aircraft also having to hold out near Elizabeth River Bridge, latest divert times etc. How he kept the struggling kittens in the bag was just pure genius to listen to! Big thumbs up!!!
Had an interesting one here at Isa a couple of weeks ago too with a cell arriving just before about 6 aircraft did.
As each aircraft was able to approach and land, we were all consecutively given descent in the hold and then approach clearances in turn. 'Twas a thing of beauty to hear the Eastern Approach Controller co-ordinating this with VFR aircraft also having to hold out near Elizabeth River Bridge, latest divert times etc. How he kept the struggling kittens in the bag was just pure genius to listen to! Big thumbs up!!!
Had an interesting one here at Isa a couple of weeks ago too with a cell arriving just before about 6 aircraft did.
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Ahhhh, the NT Wet.
Flying into Katherine at 1am, wondering why I couldn't see the town lights. Because they were all under water, THAT's why!
Having MAF close the strip at Maningrida because it was too soft/wet. After their own flight had been in and out of course
Paddling barefoot across the tarmac at DN at midnight and loading the NT News into a leaky 210.
Those were the days
Flying into Katherine at 1am, wondering why I couldn't see the town lights. Because they were all under water, THAT's why!
Having MAF close the strip at Maningrida because it was too soft/wet. After their own flight had been in and out of course
Paddling barefoot across the tarmac at DN at midnight and loading the NT News into a leaky 210.
Those were the days
Paddling barefoot across the tarmac at DN at midnight and loading the NT News into a leaky 210.
Ops, I swear to god, if you had've told me where they were, properly, it mightn't have happened, 
.
And that day you described earlier with the holding patterns, I was number 2 in the hold, at 4,000ft,. If I remember correctly, about 1 week later, it happened again. Both times I spent 30mins in the holding pattern at least.
Coming back from an airfield around the Isa a couple of weeks ago, spent a thrilling 40mins holding south of The Isa. Was a bloody good storm though!
morno
.And that day you described earlier with the holding patterns, I was number 2 in the hold, at 4,000ft,
. If I remember correctly, about 1 week later, it happened again. Both times I spent 30mins in the holding pattern at least.Coming back from an airfield around the Isa a couple of weeks ago, spent a thrilling 40mins holding south of The Isa. Was a bloody good storm though!
morno
Quote:
...... and the bravest of the brave flew the gutless Cutless, VH-SKY!
No, the bravest of the brave flew the fixed gear 172!!
VH-UDB
I'll bet that UDB did NOT have the hours on the clock that SKY did!
Dr
...... and the bravest of the brave flew the gutless Cutless, VH-SKY!
No, the bravest of the brave flew the fixed gear 172!!
VH-UDB
I'll bet that UDB did NOT have the hours on the clock that SKY did!
Dr
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...... and the bravest of the brave flew the gutless Cutless, VH-SKY!
No, the bravest of the brave flew the fixed gear 172!!
VH-UDB
No, the bravest of the brave flew the fixed gear 172!!
VH-UDB
Almost
I remember flying around in WMP one day doing the TNT run, and upon taxi at Gove, I got a call from a QF jet on the same frequency asking me to contact them when I got airborne. I did so, and was shocked when the pilot was saying how he used to fly WMP many years before, doing the same freight run, 
.
Used to fly like a dog that plane too. Not surprising considering it had about 22,000hrs on it a few years ago.
morno
.Used to fly like a dog that plane too. Not surprising considering it had about 22,000hrs on it a few years ago.
morno