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Post by isc on Nov 27, 2018 21:11:16 GMT 12
Jonathan, Ernle *****, was Ernle Clark (no relation) his son Michael Ernle Clark, a local here in Darfield died just a few months ago. isc
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 28, 2018 10:14:23 GMT 12
If it works out Peter make sure you get some air to air photos and footage.
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gtw
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 85
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Post by gtw on Nov 28, 2018 11:47:13 GMT 12
Ben Buckley holds the record for smallest aircraft crossing the Tasman. He flew a Rotax 582 Lightwing across. No sar no details .
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Post by jonathanpote on Nov 28, 2018 18:10:10 GMT 12
Hi All Very pressed at the moment, but here is a pretty amateur compilation that you might find if interest. Much has been left out. The whole story, properly written, should be in the February NZ Aviation News.
G-GBNZ Confidential update. Copyright, just for trusted friends who may be interested (G-GBNZ should fly the Tasman on or soon after 6th December, weather permitting. The WONZ thread will hopefully give warning of that, and arrival in Auckland.)
BCC text Akrotiri to Perth
Chris flew solo from Calabria in Italy via Crete (overflying Malame airfield, where the German paratroopers overcame stiff New Zealander resistance) to exit the Schengen area, and then on to RAF Akrotiri. Wing Commander Gatland, formerly Chris’s navigator on Tornado active service, had a spare day, so gave an interview on the local radio and did more planning for the desert. They headed for Egypt at 100 kts, FL100, and entered the desert haze so familiar to both.
Their hotel in Hurghada was being rebuilt and entirely without water, so no shower. Then there were the familiar delays ; “One official in particular spent about 15 mins examining Chris’s pilots licence and seemingly reading intently the dates associated with his licence types until it became apparent the chap couldn’t read and needed his colleague to read some details off the page so he could appear to do something with it on his phone. We finally got through not quite sure whether any security enhancement had happened or it was all an elaborate ploy to delay us”.
They saw sun rise during a 32 minute climb to FL95, managing only 90 kts. “Thankfully this increased to 100-105kts once fuel was burnt off and we became lighter. This balance of speed, fuel, tailwind component and daylight hours was in constant balance as we heading eastbound. We regularly checked the fuel throughout and although tight it was in accordance with the plan. A different wind would have changed the calculation. For modern airliners a difference of 10-15kts and wind direction makes little difference but for us in our 310kg tail dragger with limited fuel and performance, it makes a huge difference and would easily make the difference between making the distance or not and landing short here meant a visit to an airfield in Saudi Arabia – not somewhere we had neither a permit to visit nor a desire. Keeping on track therefore was also imperative”.
There were problems with their HSI (horizontal situation indicator – replacing the compass most of us use) which were not obvious in the haze over featureless desert, and when they realized this, they were 45 degrees off course over an unfriendly Country, both politically and in survival terms. They finally made it into Bahrain as the sun set, after 9h 20m. With the previous day, Chris had flown 19 hours in two days.
From Bahrain they routed out to sea to Dubai, avoiding overflying any problematical Countries. Then it was on to Pakistan, where the security situation meant being under constant guard (Note: a few day later, there was a lethal terrorist attack) “This enveloping support was particularly fortuitous as, on arrival to the airport, we were confronted with the requirement to make payment in dollars – cash – rather than our expectation of a credit card. Once again, the Commission were exceptional and provided a cash advance in rupees which we then needed to go into town to convert into dollars at a local exchange. Whilst we thought this would be simple, there was an issue as neither of us had visas stamped in our passports as we were transiting aircrew. A stalemate ensued until the Commission could verify our status and we were able to leave the currency exchange equipped with our dollars”. (Maybe it was easier in the 1930s! Jonathan) The highlights of this visit were the presentation to the British Council and a large number of Pakistani students about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and their integration into aviation and a subsequent visit to the Pakistani Air Force Museum. Our hosting there was by a charismatic character by the name of Johnny Sidiq – an ex PIA Chief Pilot with a wealth of stories and able to recall the histories of a number of exceptional aircraft held at the museum. His hosting extended to having lunch at the Gymkhana club where we were able to indulge further in aviation discussions into the afternoon.
(Note: With the exception of Hurghada, built post-war, all the airfields noted are former RAF Bases. Near to Hurghada are many ex-RAF Bases, prohibited from use by G-GBNZ Jonathan).
“The haze also meant there wasn’t much view to look at however on the descent towards Chittagong we did spy a curious island apparently covered in red brick quadrangles, which was not on any of our maps or charts. A bit of post flight googling led us to believe that this might be an island reclaimed for the purpose of creating a camp for displaced Rohingya from nearby Myanmar. Somewhat sobering” (Jonathan: Please donate to their charity site – ‘Save the Children’ run this refugee camp.
The Bangladeshi QRA was brought up to readiness before the Eurofox was identified as harmless..
“We were parked next to a flying school, training hopeful future airline pilots, several of whom came over to look at what we were doing and the aircraft we were doing it in! As is the case all over, despite only using part of a barrel of fuel we had to pay for it all, so after overcoming the initial reluctance of the ground handler, we were able to arrange to donate the rest of the barrel to the flying school. A gift they could really appreciate given that the cost of fuel was limiting their flying”.
“We also had another very foreign feeling moment as I tried to negotiate to get our flight plan filed. The smiling ground handler keep saying that we couldn't file a VFR flight plan. I kept pointing out that we couldn’t file an IFR flight plan as we did not have the equipment to fly IMC and were height limited due to performance, and lack of oxygen. Eventually, and slightly uncomfortably, he decided to file it IFR “but he would just tell the tower we were VFR”. This was one of several occasions when we decided to just roll with the local advice on the ground and just be entirely clear as to what we wanted when we finally got to talk to ATC. In the end, take off was several hours after our planned departure time but at that point we weren't too worried”.
However, as they crossed southern Myanmar an unforecast wind change gave them a 30 kt headwind (30% of their airspeed) which led to a very tense flight before they scraped into Don Mueang at Bankok just 7 minutes before ECT, their last legal time. More important still was the fuel, as they made up the time with a fast cruise. Even on the ground things were not safe – a violent storm threatened to wreck the Eurofox, but extra tie-downs saved the day.
Monday 29 October
“After the excitement of Saturday, the trip down through Malaysia proved relatively straightforward. The Thai coastline was beautiful but again from the air we saw the devastation of the recent floods, huge swathes just covered in brown mud, some still under water, villages that clearly had been built along a road but currently looked like houses were facing each other across a small muddy river. As we approached Butterworth, we flew over Alor Setar-the final landing site of Sqn Ldr Arthur Scarf who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross following a solo bombing raid on a Japanese Air Force base in Thailand in December 1941.
We were greeted in Butterworth by both RAAF and RAF personnel, who made us very welcome, provided us with food and accommodation, flight planning assistance and even hangarage and friendly hands to assist with a scheduled oil change.
. Disappointingly, as we reached Kuantan, we had to make the decision that it was unsafe to attempt to travel out over the sea to overfly the wrecks of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse. It had been planned for a long time but on the day the weather was simply unsuitable. With cloud in the showers down to low level and visibility greatly reduced, there was no visible horizon and over the water the grey sky just merged into grey sea”.
On leaving Singapore,
. “Over the course of the next few hours, strapped into the aircraft our patient handling agent tried again and again to find a routing that they could or would accept. The trouble was that a small slow VFR aircraft without the ability to climb through the surrounding clouds was too much of a puzzle for them. They just didn't know what to do with us! In the end, just 15 min before our absolute final TO time (based on ECT-not having that fun again!) we finally obtained a clearance, heading in the wrong direction for our route but we were confident that once we got airborne, we could negotiate direct with the controllers as required”.
“Christmas Island’s superb airport manager had not only sorted out our aviation needs but had also arranged for us to visit the school and have an open session at the airport. At the school we talked about navigation, flying and STEM and our trip so far. We discussed all the survival aids we carried with us and how they worked and fielded a broad range of questions.
We had had to do a lot of planning before we were allowed to take such a small single-engined aircraft across an Oceanic sector without radio or radar coverage. We had permissions for operating without HF, for operating a ‘home-built’ aircraft in Australian airspace, for landing at Learmonth (which is not a port of entry). We had to arrange for border police and dept of agriculture and dept of biosecurity. And that is all in addition to normal flight planning, visas, General Declarations etc. So it was with some relief that we finally launched on the ‘big’ leg of our journey so far”.
On possible ditching:
“We had been told to expect 72 hrs for a rescue but with such little space it was easy to prioritise. We were wearing lifejackets so we added a 406 MHz PLB in each. With a stated life of 24 hrs each, assuming we both got out we could activate them in series. We added a spare in our survival bag which would mean we had beacon coverage for the 72 hrs. We had a very small lightweight dinghy, about the size of a small briefcase (thankfully that wasn’t part of the lunchbox size available). For the long crossing, Chris and I wore immersion suits, despite the outside air temperature and the sea temp, as it would reduce shock of immersion and if we had to leave the aircraft without the dinghy would give us protection over the ensuing 72 hrs. For pinpointing our location, we had one laser flare and one day/night pyrotechnic flare, a heliograph and a coloured streamer. The next concern was water. We had water bottles in the aircraft, we took as many foil sachets of water as we could fit in the survival bag or our pockets, and we borrowed from the RAF a reverse osmosis pump-a handheld device that will suck in sea water and squirt out desalinated water. It would be enough to keep us going. A fire lighting set, compass, basic medical kit and empty water carrier filled up the last few corners. No space for food but I reckoned we could do without for 72 hrs…”
They made it to RAAF Learmonth without problem, indeed with 4 hours fuel remaining after a 1000 mile oceanic crossing, probably a ‘first for an LSA.
However, part way down the coast next evening, they landed at a remote coastal airstrip:
“Unfortunately the taxi driver in Kalbarri town, some 8 miles away, was not answering his phone, so we decided to try and hitch, carrying with us everything we didn’t want to leave on an unattended site. The light was just fading as we reached the road and we were rewarded not with any vehicles but with the sight of kangaroos bouncing away through the scrub. So we started to walk. Luckily for us, after about half an hour, a vehicle finally came along so I stood right in its path so it couldn’t miss us. The couple were hesitant whether we could fit into the back with their stuff but we certainly weren’t taking no for an answer and promptly piled in. It turned out that they were the last ones leaving the park further up the airport road so we were pretty lucky to get a lift at all!”
The crew flew back to the UK for two weeks to catch up on their day jobs, then restarted from Perth a couple of days ago.
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Post by jonathanpote on Nov 28, 2018 18:13:41 GMT 12
Hi GTW
Yes, I was aware of the Rotax Lightwing. Tasmania to South Island? As you say, I believe no permission, no clearance, no SAR cover and no verification. I am sure he did it, but the FAI did not recognise it.
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Post by jonathanpote on Nov 28, 2018 18:36:02 GMT 12
Hi Plane Crazy
Chris is bending his route towards Lord Howe Island for added safety. You should get several hours notice by seeing his tracker leave Coffs Harbour at morning civil twilight (an hour behind you?) followed by a position blob every ten minutes. At present Thursday 6th December is looking hopeful for weather. Fingers crossed. Chris will monitor 123.45, the airline chat frequency, and 121.5 (Distress) and has pretty sophisticated nav equipment Mid-Tasman images would be wonderful. I am hoping to greet him coasting in to North Island (with an Auster) so might have a chance for pics too. Do be aware he will be very tired (cumulative) and you are both high wing monoplanes, so approach carefully, in visual contact both ways and in radio contact. Good Luck
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Post by delticman on Nov 28, 2018 18:55:46 GMT 12
Ben Buckley holds the record for smallest aircraft crossing the Tasman. He flew a Rotax 582 Lightwing across. No sar no details . 2/12/1999. There must have been a revised edition of Buckley's Chance. Mine is 1998 but I found complete script on the net including coming to Wanganui and meeting up with Ian Wakeling.
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Post by planecrazy on Nov 28, 2018 19:25:42 GMT 12
Hi Plane Crazy Chris is bending his route towards Lord Howe Island for added safety. You should get several hours notice by seeing his tracker leave Coffs Harbour at morning civil twilight (an hour behind you?) followed by a position blob every ten minutes. At present Thursday 6th December is looking hopeful for weather. Fingers crossed. Chris will monitor 123.45, the airline chat frequency, and 121.5 (Distress) and has pretty sophisticated nav equipment Mid-Tasman images would be wonderful. I am hoping to greet him coasting in to North Island (with an Auster) so might have a chance for pics too. Do be aware he will be very tired (cumulative) and you are both high wing monoplanes, so approach carefully, in visual contact both ways and in radio contact. Good Luck Thank you jonathanpote, all good all just talk for now, nice that he is planning to come close to the island, makes things better for us, thank you for all the information.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 30, 2018 16:07:11 GMT 12
Hi GTW Yes, I was aware of the Rotax Lightwing. Tasmania to South Island? As you say, I believe no permission, no clearance, no SAR cover and no verification. I am sure he did it, but the FAI did not recognise it. Hughes Australian Light Wing GR-582 25-0694 on 2Dec99, later ZK-JLG.
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ron
Squadron Leader
Posts: 110
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Post by ron on Dec 3, 2018 19:21:44 GMT 12
G-GBNZ arrived safely in Caloundra, Queensland this afternoon. If winds are favourable tomorrow they may depart for Lord Howe Island direct.
Regards Ron
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Post by planecrazy on Dec 3, 2018 19:39:27 GMT 12
Heard a whisper she was coming my way, looks like great winds coming from Caloundra to Lord Howe!
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ron
Squadron Leader
Posts: 110
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Post by ron on Dec 4, 2018 15:46:29 GMT 12
G-GBNZ departed Caloundra at about 1030 local headed for Lord Howe direct. Looks like they are about half way as I type. Regards Ron
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Post by jonathanpote on Dec 4, 2018 18:17:04 GMT 12
As Ron says, they are on their way. This is no longer a sub-500 kg solo attempt, but 'two-up'via Lord Howe. The weather really has made it nearly impossible, but today's weather was OK for LHI, tomorrow is OK LHI to Auckland (Mangere), then on to North Shore airfield for the night. I am following a day behind (pre-booked flight based on old schedule). Seems as if a Eurofox can beat a B737 across the Tasman. With a day's headstart. It was a great pleasure and privilege to meet Abby and Chris in Cairns. Tied the aircraft down in well rehearsed routine, three trips to the garage courtesy of Hawker Pacific (thanks, Ollie) to refuel with mogas, just finished in time to give presentation to (?) 1304 Squadron Air Cadets, showed them around GBNZ, the off to accomodation, meal and bed after flight planning and more negotiation with the NZCAA. This after 9 hours flying and before as many the next day. I think there was 17 days of this UK-Australia, now about half a dozen more days. Today they donned immersion suits and life jackets and headed off in grey overcast just as a thunderstorm began. It is still rumbling on. I think the word 'professional' can be overused, but their professionalism and 'mission focus' is astounding.
This should mean G GBNZ should make both Kaipara Flats and Ardmore on Saturday, local weather allowing.
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Post by jonathanpote on Dec 4, 2018 18:20:36 GMT 12
Looks to me as if they are LHI.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2018 18:43:29 GMT 12
Fantastic!!
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Post by Bruce on Dec 4, 2018 20:41:00 GMT 12
looks like he went and had a look at Balls Pyramid while he was passing... as he should!
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Post by planecrazy on Dec 4, 2018 20:56:33 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2018 21:37:40 GMT 12
Fantastic photos Peter!!
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Post by planecrazy on Dec 5, 2018 9:45:23 GMT 12
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