MERGED: First time flying across Australia
 

I'm hour building towards CPL, and noted that certain hours must be built cross country.

What constitutes cross country? Time based, distance based or what?

more than 50NM I think.

I remember it being somewhere along the lines of a minimum 300nm or 3 hrs, and at least 100nm away from the start point.

Why stop at just local xc's. It is a big land out there. Fill your boots and go and see it!

You are in a superb location from which to plan visits to great destinations in remote areas...coastal, desert and tropical.

Who are you training with?

Kaz

Outside the training area

The USA has the following definitions for the cross country time. I haven't found the equivalent in the AUS regs. Under this definition a cross country needs to have a landing somewhere else, ie a flight to the training area no matter how far does not count. I remember somewhere that there is an exemption for their military. Many of the military flights end up back at the same base having flown halfway around the word and so did not count as cross country.....

14 CFR 61.1(b)(3)

Cross-country time means -

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (ii) through (vi) of this definition, time acquired during flight -

(A) Conducted by a person who holds a pilot certificate;

(B) Conducted in an aircraft;

(C) That includes a landing at a point other than the point of departure; and

(D) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

(ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate (except for a powered parachute category rating), a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under § 61.101 (c), time acquired during a flight -

(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;

(B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

(iii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for a sport pilot certificate (except for powered parachute privileges), time acquired during a flight conducted in an appropriate aircraft that -

(A) Includes a point of landing at least a straight line distance of more than 25 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(B) Involves, as applicable, the use of dead reckoning; pilotage; electronic navigation aids; radio aids; or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

(iv) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for a sport pilot certificate with powered parachute privileges or a private pilot certificate with a powered parachute category rating, time acquired during a flight conducted in an appropriate aircraft that -

(A) Includes a point of landing at least a straight line distance of more than 15 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(B) Involves, as applicable, the use of dead reckoning; pilotage; electronic navigation aids; radio aids; or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

(v) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for any pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category rating or an instrument-helicopter rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges, in a rotorcraft, under § 61.101(c), time acquired during a flight -

(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;

(B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 25 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

(vi) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for an airline transport pilot certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating), time acquired during a flight -

(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;

(B) That is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems.

(vii) For a military pilot who qualifies for a commercial pilot certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating) under § 61.73 of this part, time acquired during a flight -

(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;

(B) That is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems.

CASR 61.010 says:

" cross-country flight " means a flight along a pre-planned route during which the pilot uses geometry, topography or radio navigation aids to determine the aircraft's position and course.

Cross country flight plan
 

Hi,

I will be traveling cross country from eastern states to WA, passing by some pretty remote areas without radar coverage.

How do I file my flight plan and sartime, things like that, when I'm unable to communicate with atc when I land?

sat phone?

AIP ENR 1.10 - 4 to 1.10 - 6

The Telstra map shows phone cover pretty much all the way on the highway. Motels usually have WiFi.

How does radar coverage help with filing flight plans etc?

Dr :8

I don't think the OP was relying on radar for flight plans, he was just settng the scene. It sounds a bit like this is first trip away from radar coverage and possibly VHF coverage.

HF?

Guessing your flying instructor has never left radar coverage either... :sad:

across australia just about all the airspace is G so there is no need to file a flight plan at all.

it is all about prior preparation and planning preventing piss poor performance.
1. make sure the maintenance on your aircraft is up to snuff.
2. new spark plugs will go a long way to having a sweet running engine.
3. you are flying long distance. you cannot get endurance with air in the tanks so know and plan where you can get fuel.
4. you are flying long distance. you are human. you will not last the distance yourself unless you can be mentally relaxed while flying. relaxed but mentally alert is the need.
5. you are flying long distance. you cant get out for a piss. you cannot achieve fine rudder control if your bladder is on the point of bursting. so always empty the bladder etcetra before departing. manage your water consumption in flight.
6. you are flying long distance. you will deplete the sugars in your system over time so a method of sparking up the noggin for the landing at destination is to suck on some butterscotch lollies about 10 minutes before destination. this will spark up your noggin for the circuit and landing.
7. you will need to buy fuel. carry a carnet card and a credit card. do not be flustered by the cost of fuel in remote locations. just bear in mind the logistical exercise that was undertaken to make the fuel available in the first place.
8. KNOW LAST LIGHT TIMES. out in the middle of australia when the sun first hits the horizon you have 20 minutes. when the top of the suns orb goes below the horizon it is like turning off a fluoro light in a room. it can go so dark you cant see anything in the matter of a minute or so.
9. KNOW ALL THE ALTERNATE AIRFIELDS near you. if you hit bad weather or stuff up your last light calcs you will need one.
10. be able to land your aircraft in windsock horizontal conditions. know how to taxy in high winds.
11. USE A GPS. if you fly from ceduna to forest this is akin to hitting a football ground after a 300 mile cross country with no reliable visual references.
12. breaking an aeroplane 2,000 miles from home can be a very lonely and expensive business. only flying through bitumen airstrips will increase your safety.

It takes a degree of self confidence to fly the nullabor.
if you cant bear the thought of flying without a flight plan and sartime coverage I'd suggest that you are not mentally up to the task.
your mileage may vary.
W8

That's an excellent summary w8 but I wonder if this pilot is actually heading over along the Nullabor at this time of year? Some pretty strong westerlies right now!

I was going to fly to Perth via my old station in the Gascoyne early August but can't get the time from work now so will be going in a kero burner instead.

Was planning to go via Alice and across through Warburton to Meeka, etc and return via the southern route so I had better chances of tailwinds each way.

Kaz

IFR is your friend. I Follow Roads/Railways. You'll be more relaxed.

Yes, heading west along nullabor early August kaz3g. thanks for the above. I'll write up a new post with a more precise question.

You shouldn't have an issue getting mobile phone (and therefore internet) service in the vast majority of public landing points these days.

Needless to say there is only one mobile provider in Australia which a GA pilot should be with and its name starts with a T.

Check their coverage maps online and if there are any of your landing points that don't have coverage, phone the aerodrome operator (or local pub) to find out if you can have access to a telephone/internet in town.

First time flying across Australia
 

Hi guys,

This is my first cross country flight from NSW to WA. Can you experienced pilots who have done similar trips across Australia share as much pointers as you can about crossing Australia? I'll be crossing the Nullabor plains also. I'm doing it in a warrior, spreading it out over 3-5 days.