Paul, I believe you are referring to the Warrumbungle Range where the Siding Spring Observatory is located. Nearly wiped out by bushfires about 4 years ago.
Paul, I believe you are referring to the Warrumbungle Range where the Siding Spring Observatory is located. Nearly wiped out by bushfires about 4 years ago.
Cheers
Pat
"Some people might say that freedom is being alone in the bush with the only sounds being the murmurs from the birds ... but I believe freedom is at 5000 feet with no other sound than the engine roaring."- William Hutchison, a young man taken from us far too young (16).
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Well, we left Moree and headed in the general direction of Brisbane, landing at a small dirt strip near the town of Warwick (YWCK). Looks like a nice place to visit. According to one of the local historical attractions, the Australian Federal Police can trace its roots to an incident that happened here on November 29, 1917. The Prime Minister at the time, W.M. (Billy) Hughes, stopped by to give a speech. One onlooker, a Mr. Patrick Brosnan, was unimpressed enough to pitch a well aimed egg in the direction of the PM, knocking off his hat. The authorities also suspected that Mr. Brosnan was "assisted" in this heinous act by his brother, Bartie. Perhaps Bartie held the egg. When Mr. Hughes demanded the arrest of the perpetrator, he was told by the local police officer on the scene that he had no jurisdiction in Warwick! Ahh, the good old days. This incident is said by some to have been a catalyst for the formation of the Federal Police. Now they have jurisdiction, so keep your "war reserve" eggs locked up in the magazine when the PM visits!
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Got the CDM out of the shop all fixed back up with it's new paint scheme.
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
PRB and I flew on up north of Brisbin to Marybourough. Nice flight, buzzed the tower at Amberly a couple of times. I think the Officer in Charge at the tower choked on his Fosters when a black CDM blew about 50ft from the tower in a high bank. I was thinking I was gonna hit it myself at the last second there, but somehow managed to miss it.
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
We left Warwick after the "Egg Throwing Incident Reenactment" held at the railway station. We headed northeast towards the mountains of the Main Range and Brisbane. After crossing the ridge line, we decided to pay a short visit to RAAF Amberley (YAMB), home of the RAAF Super Hornets. I did a quick touch and go while Willy buzzed the tower, Top Gun fashion, in his black CDM. We flew over the city of Brisbane, then turned north, following the coast to Maryborough (YMYB). The Maryborough airport was in operation in WW-II, and some of the buildings here date to that time. These building are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register for this reason. Kodaks: 1) Touch-n-Go, Amberley. You can just see Willy crossing the runway in his Tom Cruise act. 2) Over Brisbane International. 3) The port of Brisbane and the turn to the north. 4) On deck Maryborough.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
We flew on up to Rockhampton via Lady Elliot Island. Great flight with some interesting scenery and stuff enroute.
(HMS Victory does seem to get around a bit)
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
From Maryborough we headed out over the Coral Sea, 85 miles, to Lady Elliott Island (YLTT). Miss Elliot's island is a fun place to stop. It's a teeny tiny island, with no nav aids. If the weather is bad it would be hard to find. From there we headed for Gladstone, flying over the airport there, and then on to Rockhampton to end the flight. Kodaks: 1) Lady Elliot Island. 2) Take off from Lady Elliot Island. You will note the Cessna 337 out the left window, a bit close to the water. This was Willy, after he pulled up... I think I briefly saw a tiny wake from the left wingtip at one point. I was going to warn him about the impending CFIT with the Coral Sea, but I was too busy getting this shot... MM is in the Shrike Commander, at a bit safer altitude. 3) Final approach Rockhampton.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Colorful leg. Here is a snap of the Boyne Island Aluminium Smelter. A consortium of American, Japanese, and Australians built the plant in the late 1970s to take advantage of local coal supplies. It remains the largest of Australia's big four aluminium smelters.
-Mike
Some kodaks of the flight to Mackay.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Rob and I buzzed on in to Hamilton Island today. I think we are going charter fishing later on. Something about wahoo in the harbour.
Last edited by Moses03; October 6th, 2016 at 05:45.
What a time to be fresh out of torpedoes.......
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
IJN port visit! Here's a couple pics of the flight up the coast to Townsville.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Found this in the junk pile behind a hanger and decided it's a diamond in the rough so I made a deal for it and hoping to have it fixed up by our next flight.
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
Heading inland - to YKID
a dirt strip by a river - with a healthy crosswind
"To some the sky is the limit. To others it is home" anon.
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein
Nice flight to YKID. The Spartan flew well enough, but is gonna need some tweaking.
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
On the way to Julia Creek. The interior of Australia is just so...wide open. It's really something.
The scrub and grassland will soon give way to desert...
Good crowd into Mount Isa. Must be the wallaby burgers.
Got stuck in Townsville for a week or so. We ran out of sonobuoys and those things are hard to find. Made a deal with a shady character in Charters Towers. Traded a load of sonobuoys for a case of Celine Dion Greatest Hits CDs. He drove a hard bargain. Here's some pics of the flight from Julia Creek to Mt. Isa. Not a lot for a sub hunter to do out here. Mt. Isa is located in what is sometimes called the "Gulf Country", on account of its location near the Gulf of Carpentaria. There is an underground air raid shelter and hospital from WW-II here that is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. And, of course, the wallaby burger and hotdog joint.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Looked around inside Willy's Spartan. Pretty nice in here!
MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
HP Reverb G2
Paul, are you sure you looked in the right Spartan? That one doesn't look "lived in".
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
We veered south to the small outpost of Boulia (pop 230ish). After parking and shutting down the engines, the vast outback at dusk was something to take in.
Willy is the guy you ask for apparently when passing through here. (Not our Willy but the Aussie Willy).
Taxiing to find a parking spot at Boulia. Milton would be proud.
Let Being Helpful Be More Important Than Being Right.
LOL Great shots and great fun guys; can't wait to join up with y'all once I get this last project out of the way.
Bookmarks