East Coast Flight
 

Hi all,
Looking for some advice please for a flight up and down the East Coast. Specifically any tips etc for flying past Jervis Bay, Sydney and Williamtown.
Many thanks
H

Read ERSA!

Why do general requests for help on this site degenerate to smartarse comments from flogs?

Head..er..wind, it is actually a very good reply. The information you require is in the ERSA. There is no doubt more on Airservices web site and possibly more again if you contact them or CASA. If Nowra airspace is active you need a clearance and can ask for whatever you want but will probably be made to fly through the easy to navigate lane. Victor 1 past Sydney is an awesome flight but what part about remaining over water at 500 feet don't you understand?

Williamtown has been the subject on more threads on PPRUNE than most folk could be bothered reading. Be prepared to hold, do the beach at 500' or traverse the bumpy 1500' lane.

These routes and instructions are easy for a PPL to follow. You do have a PPL right?

Before you dismiss me too as another flog, you will love these flights if you put a bit of homework into them and they are all easy. I recall doing all of them in a single day pre GPS and with the ink barely dry on my PPL.

+1 for ERSA !


It's all in there. I wouldn't rely on an internet based rumour network for flight planning such a trip!

Deep sigh. It really is difficult to get a meaningful response without pilots resorting to the high and mighty stance isn't it. Yes I have a PPL (30 years if you must know), yes I fly regularly, yes I fly in controlled airspace, and yes I like to be thorough in areas I haven't flown in before. Thanks for your high and mighty response - typical of so many PPL's here (where exactly did I even mention about 500 feet?). I was after tips, not the stuff we find in ERSA (yes I have read it) and other places, but the everyday information that pilots share between themselves. You had a go at providing some of that (and thankyou for it) - wasn't hard to just share with a fellow aviator was it? I'm sorry if my thorough and broad based approach to planning a flight in an area is a just a bit difficult for you to grasp. Perhaps I should just do what I normally do when required and ask the professional pilots who fly the areas regularly and are more than happy to share info without being condescending.

My tip on Victor 1 is enjoy it and keep a good look out. This is surely one of the must do flights for every pilot. If it doesn't leave you stoked, take up accountancy and lawn bowls.

Find time when transiting Nowra airspace to drop into the museum at Nowra Airport. I haven't done this myself but it is on the list for next time and has a great reputation. Take a rest at Wollongong before continuing up to Victor1.

For Williamtown, flying the lane needs no clearance and is a fun flight following a railway line at 1500' Keep right of the railway going either way. Look out! As for Willy Clearance delivery, this is a mixed bag. On principal I always ask for a direct clearance via overhead Willy and sometimes even get it. Once I was 1000' above FA18's doing circuits. Other times I am told to orbit at Nobbys then fly coastal at 500'

Settle down mate

Thanks Aussie Bob, this is exactly what I'm after. I'm keen! Good advice re the rest spots - it's nice to break the trips up. Cheers

Head

In your circumstances my plan would depend on how much time I had and how much useful aeronautical experience I wanted to gain compared with mostly spectacular sightseeing.

Assuming you have the time and want to wring as much aeronautical experience you can out of the trip, it is worth planning to use a different means of transiting Nowra, Sydney and Williamtown in each direction.

My experience is that whenever Nowra Romeos are active, you don't get much choice but to follow the GA transit lane procedures described on the VTC and in ERSA. (Others' experience may be different.) I use the Nowra ATIS as the most current source of information on activation of the Romeos.

Therefore, if one or both of your transit days/times happen to be when the Nowra Romeos are active, you should be prepared to call for a clearance and follow the routes described. Conversely, if you want to fly the (spectacular) coastal route past Point Perpendicular, I'd suggest you do your homework and plan a transit on a day/time when the Nowra Romeos are inactive. If you happen to be transiting both ways when the Romeos are inactive, it's worth practising following the lane, anyway, at least once.

Victor 1 past Sydney is a 'must', as already noted and as you've probably already worked out. All the info is described on the VTC and in ERSA. Make sure you know how to obtain Sydney's ATIS info to set the correct QNH. Eyes out of the cockpit, particularly near the Heads and north. Lots of helicopter sightseeing traffic and amphibious aircraft tootling around the heads, northern beaches and Pittwater. Take particular care to know the bits of V1 during which you are not allowed to 'contour fly' the coast.

It's also worth flying into and out of Bankstown, at least once. It's pretty 'squeezy' up and down the lanes in and out of Bankstown, right up against and below Sydney Class C and Richmond Romeos, so you need to plan well and be well ahead of the aircraft.

Williamtown coastal is a must, but getting a clearance can take time. The boys and girls in blue have lots to do and you need to be prepared to orbit and various points prior to entry and along the coastal route. Fortunately, there's lots to see while you are doing that! My view is that one transit using the inland lane is also a must - for experience' sake - and it has the benefit that you don't need a clearance. But note the upper level of each chunk of the lane and the nearby elevations! Spectacular, but it can be very uncomfortable in a variety of weather conditions. (I haven't given the overhead lane a go yet. I'll add that to my bucket list!)

Enjoy!

Thanks heaps LB, fantastic advice. You've convinced me!

I second Lead Balloon’s advice.

Nowra airspace typically becomes deactive between Friday lunchtime till Monday morning (check notams and atis). If deactive, plan on going the long way around Jervis Bay, ie, the coastal side. On the south section, run along the beach from Sussex Inlet, Wreck Bay, around to the decommissioned Cape St George lighthouse. On the north side, over to Point Perpendicular lighthouse and the amazing cliffs. Stay over water and at 500’ looking across at the cliffs you’ll be amazed. Then, get a bit of height and check out the Beecroft bombing range as you head towards Currarong. At Drum & Drumsticks you might see a seal colony sunning themselves on the rocks.

If Nowra is active, feel free to ask for a clearance other than the GA lane, but expect to be given only the GA lane if there is any hint of activity at JB airfield (or there’s a warship inside JB). In my experience I’ve found Nowra ATC far more friendlier and helpful than Williamtown. The GA lane has a couple of doglegs in it, so you need to know where you are and where you’re going.

Victor 1 is amazing, just don’t be one of the numptys who drift into CTA between Maroubra and Ben Buckler. The real estate from Jibbon Point all the way up to Barrenjoey is incredible. Lots of aircraft traffic though, especially on nice sunny weekends, so also need to keep a good look out and listen out. If you are keen, put a plan in and carry out a “Harbour Scenic One” flight to check out the harbour, CBD etc. on your way north (or south). Details in ersa.

On your way up the central coast, if you’re tracking coastal, be aware of traffic around Lake Macquarie airport, as it is almost right on the beach! Get your clearance from Willy Delivery and then expect to hold at Nobbys Lighthouse before tracking nouthbound coastal via the GA lane. If you’re in the right place at the right time you might see some hornets buzzing around.

On the reverse trip home, as LB suggested, try the alternate GA routes if you want some different experience, or if you like the beach runs, just do that.

Southbound through Nowra, if deactive, run along the inside section of JB. Pick it up at Callala Bay, then run down to Husky, Hyams Beach, and HMAS Creswell – an amazing Navy base in an incredible location. From Creswell, overfly JB airfield and pick up the coast at Wreck Bay then continue southbound coastal. Half of JB went up in a bushfire this week, so the area will look a little different than normal!

Further south, both Moruya and Merimbula are right on the beach, so be careful of traffic, especially Rex at both places and parachutes at Moruya. Speaking of parachutes, there is intense parachute activity at Wollongong City, just NW of the lighthouse. The jump plane operates out of YWOL. They make multiple drop calls on both ywol and Syd centre, so no excuses for bumbling through an active drop zone unawares.

Have fun!

Earlier this year I flew coastal from Ballina to Wollongong. Absolutely stunning scenery, would highly recommend it.

Willy; I rang a few days earlier to discuss the coastal transit, RAAF were very happy to discuss. I also rang before i launched at TRE to ensure it was still good, had a plan in the system. Called at Sugarloaf point, and only had 2 orbits at Anna Bay. Buzzing down the beach at 500ft was incredible and spectacular.

Victor 1 was equally spectacular. Tried for the Sydney scenic but didn't get a clearance despite calling at Barrenjoey. Regardless, keep a good lookout near the heads (Had a floatplane pass me opposite direction pretty close) and ensure you don't stray into CTA.

Thanks heaps- fantastic help 👌

Eeeeek! I'm keen to try that flight. Thanks for the tips. Cheers

Hi Aussie Bob. I have yet to fly the Inland lane but have done the coastal on two occasions. Both were super exciting with MIL ops happening at the same time.

I have heard people transmit their intentions (location, height, direction) when flying the Bankstown Lane of Entry (both North and SOuth). Although not mandatory, I feel this courtesy is well received and appreciated by other users of the lane at that time.

The Inland WLM lane looks really tight and I am wondering, in your experience, if people make a similar call when using that lane?

Thanks kindly, 40Fly.