Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:57 pmBrisbane to Alice Springs
First problem was clicking on the default 737 by mistake, whew a close thing, I wouldn't have wanted to try and jump from one aircraft to another mid-flight!!
A gloomy rainy day, not the best. Had to queue for take off and then when holding there was a string of about 4 aircraft coming in for landing. It felt like I has spent half the expected flight time on the ground waiting.
Once above 15000 feet it was bright blue sunny skies again, I could feel my grumpiness melting away.... You have to love those white fluffy things don't you.
Checking the GPS, 2 hours and 20 mins to Alice Springs and I've already been flying for 10 or 15 mins, this makes Australia look rather large to me, and then this is only half way on my way to Perth! Another check from my trusty atlas open beside me does indeed verify that Australia is big, actually it's "bloody big mate!"
Dipped back down into the clouds to take a look at an airport but found that cloud base was too low so climbed back up through some very dark clouds - almost like night flying, once again popped out to see the sun shining on a magical cloudscape at about 1300 feet. Was tempted to stay at that height because of the sheer beauty of the drifting mistiness and brilliant white sunlit tops.
Time for a cup of coffee and my breakfast toast of marg and marmite. Even though it was now mid-afternoon, this is rituals which should be observed every day.
I'm noticing that the sun is getting rather low and that means I will likely have to land in the dark and here I didn't check is Alice Springs has runway lighting. I rather hope and expect that it does otherwise things could be a little tricky though probably not as bad as landing in wellington on a dark rainy night with the cloud base at 400 feet so maybe I can survive this too . . .
Started a gradual descent about 100Nm out down to 5000 feet at 30 Nm to go. No sign of the runway ot town lights!There's an annoying haze at 5000' so have to sneak along just below this to give me some poor visibility as opposed to zero visibility.
5 miles to go, flaps and wheels ready for landing, and at last, some lights have come in to sight out on the left. Perfect positioning to turn in on finals and land. Whew. Definitely a whiskey night when I finally get in there. In the distance I can see the flashing lights of the first aircraft I've seen since leaving Brisbane, it's a Beechcraft King Air. Things are really looking up with this unexpected night visitor, we should be in for a wild time this evening. You can see the Beechcraft approaching touchdown to the left of the 737.
Only 5% fuel left in the wing tanks but still 71% in the centre, a bit more used than I had expected but all's ok, now arrange to get refuelled and then it's time for that whiskey . . . .
First problem was clicking on the default 737 by mistake, whew a close thing, I wouldn't have wanted to try and jump from one aircraft to another mid-flight!!
A gloomy rainy day, not the best. Had to queue for take off and then when holding there was a string of about 4 aircraft coming in for landing. It felt like I has spent half the expected flight time on the ground waiting.
Once above 15000 feet it was bright blue sunny skies again, I could feel my grumpiness melting away.... You have to love those white fluffy things don't you.
Checking the GPS, 2 hours and 20 mins to Alice Springs and I've already been flying for 10 or 15 mins, this makes Australia look rather large to me, and then this is only half way on my way to Perth! Another check from my trusty atlas open beside me does indeed verify that Australia is big, actually it's "bloody big mate!"
Dipped back down into the clouds to take a look at an airport but found that cloud base was too low so climbed back up through some very dark clouds - almost like night flying, once again popped out to see the sun shining on a magical cloudscape at about 1300 feet. Was tempted to stay at that height because of the sheer beauty of the drifting mistiness and brilliant white sunlit tops.
Time for a cup of coffee and my breakfast toast of marg and marmite. Even though it was now mid-afternoon, this is rituals which should be observed every day.
I'm noticing that the sun is getting rather low and that means I will likely have to land in the dark and here I didn't check is Alice Springs has runway lighting. I rather hope and expect that it does otherwise things could be a little tricky though probably not as bad as landing in wellington on a dark rainy night with the cloud base at 400 feet so maybe I can survive this too . . .
Started a gradual descent about 100Nm out down to 5000 feet at 30 Nm to go. No sign of the runway ot town lights!There's an annoying haze at 5000' so have to sneak along just below this to give me some poor visibility as opposed to zero visibility.
5 miles to go, flaps and wheels ready for landing, and at last, some lights have come in to sight out on the left. Perfect positioning to turn in on finals and land. Whew. Definitely a whiskey night when I finally get in there. In the distance I can see the flashing lights of the first aircraft I've seen since leaving Brisbane, it's a Beechcraft King Air. Things are really looking up with this unexpected night visitor, we should be in for a wild time this evening. You can see the Beechcraft approaching touchdown to the left of the 737.
Only 5% fuel left in the wing tanks but still 71% in the centre, a bit more used than I had expected but all's ok, now arrange to get refuelled and then it's time for that whiskey . . . .
