World's Longest Mail Run Part 2
 

For those that are interested, grab yourselves a copy of the Outback magazine (Dec 2006/Jan 2007) & turn to pages 98-99. There you will find a photo of our very own Outback Mail Run pilot. ;)

DF.

Which one? :)

the current one of course...:ok:

BTW any veteran mail run pilots have any tips for santa suit mods to suit 45 degree heat? :O

...disco

Santa suit mods?
The one I used to wear had a rip in the nether region, kept the goolees cool but still was melting everywhere else.

We should have a website, kind of a hall of fame of past and present mail run pilots and their mounts.

So which is the "World's Longest Mail Run"?

The one run out of Port Augusta by Airlines of South Australia, north up the Birdsville track to Boulia etc

Outback :: The Heart of Australia Jody Rollings is a pilot, and along with his colleagues at Airlines of South Australia, he operates what is described as the "World's Longest Mail Run".

or the one run out of Cairns by Cape York Air Services, north up Cape York?

Destinations - Tropical North Queensland - News - Tourism Queensland... the pilot from Cape York Air services, which operates the world's longest mail run out of Cairns in the Tropical North of Queensland, Australia.

R:cool:

Miles covered in one day?, sector lenghts? a/c type? Number of destinations?
Define longest mail run in the above idea if you intend to do it.....or not:}

Dunno...but Lake Eyre was full of water when I was doing it.....and the Diamantina was wet not dusty ...gonna be a bloody long time before that happens again I reckon :uhoh:

% days
 

Connair used to do five day mail runs out of Alice Springs, using Beech 18, DH heron etc. They went to WA NT, Qld, and home.

Har har...remember one trip in a Cherokee 6....solid IMC piddlin rain from Boulia to BDV cruising LSA sittin there eating me sandwiches A/P engaged feet up on dash when it suddenly struck me...****e if I misses BDV have I got enough gas for Maree?

Wonder how many have logged a trip in IMC over that route? :hmm:

BTW does anyone remember a wonderful man named Bruce Bretherton?

God knows how many times he did that mail flight.

Sure do.
One of South Australia's aviation gentlemen.

I know it's the silly season and all that but puhleeeeeese PPRuNe'rs surely you can't have missed the glaring errors in this article.

1 Jody Rollings and his colleagues at AIRLINES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. ASA bit the dust in November 2005!

2 In the AirNorth ASA days there was no Jody Rollings, nor any of the other pilots mentioned.

3 In the AirNorth ASA days, Chieftains flew the Mail Run not Aero Commanders.

So what gives? I know for a fact that ASA was never approached by Outback Magazine to do a story on the Mail Run, so this article must have been written pre Oct 2003 or is a compilation.

And does anybody know who John Dunn and Trevor Fox are????

So what am I, a non pilot, missing here? Is there some sort of secret handshake conspiracy happening????

Can't wait for the replies.

Rock On!

Deejay 1

The very same gent showed me the ropes on the mail-run
Introduced me to all the characters at the Birdsville boozer
EVERYONE knew Brucie:ok:

The glaring errors in this article are that if you are looking at the online copy it is definitely NOT the same as the hard copy. Yes, the online one was done pre Oct 2003. And it isn't even Jody Rollings in the photo, it is Jeff Hodges. The article I referred to in my original post in issue 50 Dec2006/Jan 2007 has a photo of the CURRENT mail run pilot, our very own DISCO AIR. ;) And no, I haven't a clue who John Dunn & Trevor Fox are. Care to enlighten me?

DF.

Point taken DF.
It goes to show though that you shouldn't believe everything your read.
The following line is straight off the Outback site:
Full article available in this issue of the OUTBACK magazine. Visit our subscription centre.
Given the wording one would suggest that this is an excerpt of said article as it refers to the full article in the current issue.
And without having the benefit of seeing the printed article, as Split Enz sang "What's a poor boy to do?".
As usual its not PPRuNe issue its damn OUTBACK, for getting it sooooooooooo wrong.
Wonder what poor old RM would think about such sloppiness!
DF I don't know who the pilots are so I can't enlighten you.

Rock on!
And Merry Christmas to all!

Some years ago Australia Post did an article on RASS/Australia Post mail services.

I seem to recall the Port Augusta Airways service to Birdsville (and Mt Isa??) was the longest, however one of the Cape York Air services was the longest one day air mail service.

It was less than 10 years ago when a certain mail run out of Alice visited 21 stops a week (thankfully it was only weekly), in 8hrs of flying and 12hrs duty for the day.
May not have been the longest but was definitely a big day!!:ouch: By the end of it, checking the log was the only was to remember if youd stopped at them all. ;)

Anyone know if its still going?

Still is but some stops added and deleted.
That just happens to be one of the runs I did the Santa thingy on

Me three.... Yes, it still goes... and in a 210 to boot.

I was fairly lucky. I had to do the santa thingy on the Mail Run which visits DF, but broke down in DF-Land. By the time I was ready to go, I was going to run out of duty time, so had to hot-foot it back to YPPF, and go home for the weekend, whilst some other poor bugger had to do the MR some 8 hours late.

Then ... the german tourists apparently wanted a beer in YBDV, but the beer was too cold, so he asked one of the ringers if they had one in their Toyota! One ringer had a XXXX gold, rolling about in the tray, which he promptly gave to the german man, who drank it... it was 46C that day, and the beer would have been at LEAST that warm...:{

So disco_air; How did you go with the Santa suit on the run?

I remember doing the run with several pilots (as second pilot when a Chieftain was used) whom had in the past scored the Christmastime run. One or two wore the Santa suit but only when using the Shrike Commander and found it somewhat of a trial if it was a hot day. (Surprise surprise!:eek: )

One other Pilot flatly refused to wear it for just that reason, another stated that he would do likewise if he was rostered for the Christmas run. I never ever got to do the run as PIC; It nearly happened but 'Murphy' had other ideas but I had already made up my mind that if the situation arose I would also decline to wear the suit.

My 'Ho Ho Ho' is somewhat unconvincing anyway!:E :}

Disco had to make an unscheduled visit to YBMA, and flatly refused to wear the Santa suit in front of his fellow workers, :}. Much to the disappointment of those there, they wanted a laugh, :ok:.

morno

morno, they only needed that laugh cos their normal target is away on holidays...

When are ya back? :8

:sad::*, thanks Pseudo...

And I was still around then! That was the day before I left I believe.

The plane ticket says a Tuesday soon but not too soon, :ok:.

And if you're wondering, the beach is lovely, the sunburn not so lovely, :ugh:

morno

No worries, mate. Anytime! :ok:

Must have left ya 10 gallon hat at home if ya got sunburnt... http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...an76/couch.gif

It didn't quite fit in the suitcase, :bored:

I expect the whole fleet to be washed and polished by the time I get back there by the way, :ok:

Not by me! :ok:

Houston, we have a Brokeback!
 

Little does he know he'll be the one doing it!

I believe there are a few C182 flights coming up, too...

:D

520.

Strewth, you blokes got 182 there. I never saw one while I was passing through. I bet you can't get Pseudonym to mount that steed. :}

Erm...
 

Perhaps not Pseudonym personally, but you'd be surprised, Wiz!


520. :ooh:

the santa suit was stinkin hot and was only worn when required (stops where kids were at, and no, morno, youre not a kid :p )

the beard was the first to go :=

was blowing a dog off a chain in dust at birdsville (and only in birdsville) and many stations got the rain they were waiting for shortly after my visit that week. :ok:

...disco

Sounds like you have spent too much time in Birdsville :E

CMN :ok:

Yeah!! I noticed from the plane covered in dust when you returned it to us, :E.

Never mind mate, she got a good wash that night when I was flying around in the pouring rain.

morno

Any photos of the dusty Diamantina with water innit?
The Birdv pub surrounded by a moat? :}

Pelicans abound?

They like to crze up around 7k

Big buggers give ya the evil eye (beak) when ya sneaks up on them

Havent seen any pelicans yet :\

Here's some shots however...

http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/sdhbe...w/SSA40022.JPG

Birdsville's moat...

http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/sdhbe...w/SSA40023.JPG

The road out of town....

http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/sdhbe...w/SSA40047.JPG

Diamantina in the morning...

http://www.myfoto.com.au/Photo/sdhbe...w/SSA40096.JPG

A whole of 3 sectors on the first day last week due lots of water :D :ok: :}

...disco

Bloody ripper :ok: at least the folks up that way wont have to wash and drink the water out of the ****house like they will in Brizvegas :ooh:

Yep... as the saying goes...

Water water everywhere, so lets all have a drink!

Notice: No parody whatsoever for the Rime of the Ancient Mariner :}

GREAT photos disco_air. I was up there for the races this year flying scenics during the weekend and to see it bone dry then and now in flood is really quite something!

What is the condition of the strips around Lake Eyre? Is YWMC servicable?

They also give ya a big dent in the wing if ya hits them! ;)

DF.

After 66 mail runs & 16 months straight I have handed over the fantastic job to someone new.

Its been a great stint and have made some friends for life in places I never knew existed before :ok:

...disco