John York Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I'm trying to map out a route from East to West. In my planning I've managed to get to Docker River in maximum approx 200 or less mile jumps flying VFR. But now I've hit a real problem. With my road map and world atlas, I just can't find maximum 200 mile flights between me and the West coast. There are no OZx or FTX places I can see anywhere near that route. All I can detect are flights of just over 600 miles to Kalgoorlie and then just over 300 miles again to Perth which I'm not really prepared to do because it defeats the object of the exercise, ie. That's to do the whole trip in a light aircraft. No way am I going to spend six hours, or even three hours flying a leg, especially over the bloody desert! Any suggestions will be welcome anyone please, bearing in mind I not only have to land but have to have somewhere FSX can give me to take off from. Many thanks. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotspot Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 No way am I going to spend six hours, or even three hours flying a leg, especially over the bloody desert! Any suggestions will be welcome anyone please, bearing in mind I not only have to land but have to have somewhere FSX can give me to take off from. Many thanks. John Yes, Oz can be an inconvenient size and shape, especially for us simmers. I've heard rumours that a young sheila crossed solo from the Alice to the west coast using camels a few years ago, took a few months though, and she wrote a book about it - said she learnt to do something on the trip which you don't hear young ladies do in public. And then we have a myth about two guys called Burke and Wills who tried it south to north but came to an apparently unnecessary grisly end by refusing to eat a native diet of which there was reputedly an abundant supply. Some of the early aviators used to arrange fuel dumps and actually land on the unprepared desert surface. Yes, life can be a bit of a trial at times for us simmers when the designers don't put in enough pit stops, we might even have to hit the pause button to go for a pee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dow Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I'm not at home so I can't look up the OZx fields but if you use any reputable map it will give you the locations of all the roadhouses along the Nullarbor from Ceduna to Norseman. Some definitely have had their strips modelled in OZx. As far as I know all have at least a landing strip close by. Also I believe that OZX have modelled the two Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency strips along the highway. Even though the exact strips may not be modelled in OZx and FTX, I would see no problem in finding the roadhouse locations in Google Earth and noting the coordinates, and flying there, and landing either on the highway (because traffic is so sparse you could safely land if required) or picking a suitable bit of flat ground to land on near the roadhouse locations. If that's not a suitable solution then I guess you could get a copy of Train Sim, dismantle your plane, load it onto the Indian Pacific and reassemble it at Norseman, and if necessary fly around via Esperance and Albany over to Perth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumman Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Warburton (YWBR) would be next en route, but you can't fly through the Gibson Desert in FSX and expect legs under 200 miles. If you want to cross the country with short legs your only real option is via the coastlines. I recommend you use Google Earth. You can get kml files that show all the FSX and OZx fields, and you can use the inbuilt tools to measure bearing and distance. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dow Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I've just checked Google Earth and discovered where Docker River is, and all I can say is you've picked the most empty part of Australia to fly across. You're not even allowed to take a 4WD from Docker River towards Kalgoorlie unless you're in a convoy of at least 4 vehicles. The nearest strip that I am aware of after Warburton would be at Laverton 487 kms away, then Leonora and finally Kalgoorlie, a futher 250 km approx. So, as is the case in far flung parts of the empire where the pommy rules of distance and comfort don't apply, you will either have to settle in for an extended leg, or backtrack towards Uluru and seek a route down to Port Augusta and across via Ceduna and Eucla. Sorry but there are no alternatives, it's a big empty country and sometimes you have to pay the price in time and preparations to go where you want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serge Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Any suggestions will be welcome anyone please, bearing in mind I not only have to land but have to have somewhere FSX can give me to take off from. From this statement I gather you are saying you need to land at an airport with an afcad so you can then find it again in another fsx session from the fsx free flight menu? If that's the case here's a tip: If you land at an OZx field without an afcad that isn't in the fsx free flight menu just save your flight. Then in your next fsx session load that flight and you will be at your last location. You can then change plane, add fuel, etc. Also, as other have suggested check out the OZx Google Earth files. They are very useful for pre-flight planning. It looks like the southern coast is the best option for your flight. All OZx fields are less than 200nm apart along this route. Do you have the latest OZx version 3? There are a couple of extra fields in the south west of WA with this version that may also assist in your planning. Hope this is of some help. Cheers, Serge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice_King Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 In my planning I've managed to get to Docker River in maximum approx 200 or less mile jumps flying VFR Unfortunately the only strips you are likely to encounter are for the most part unmarked ala's, the term wide brown land is NOT to be taken lightly. I think I may have some charts for the west I'll look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John York Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 Hi all Thanks for the tips. I searched Serges Google Earth before I wrote the post. Yes, I think I'll have to re-route and go via Warburton and even that's difficult. It is very empty across the deserts and I don't really fancy stopping at a road station, forgetting to save it and then have to do the trip again, even if it is with the 'Y' key! I remember Burke & Wills from my school lessons (yes, I can remember that far back quite well - it's what happened yesterday I have trouble with! ) and they were described to us as heroic adventurers who did much to open up and map the Australian hinterland. Mind you, I've found other examples of teachers lying to us when we were children but I won't go into that here. I've been all round the coast so I don't really want to get too far south and north but it looks like the only alternative is to circumvent the desert perhaps just nibbling off bits where I can. Thanks for your help fellers. At least it confirmed for me that I wasn't missing anything obvious. Well, except I can't go across it! Here goes. I'll let you know how I get on. John John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_A Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Warburton - Laverton is your shortest route West, with YDVR - YWBR 157nm, and YWBR - YLTN at 267nm. The picture has the rings spaced at 100nm to the outer edge, centred on Warburton Your other option is North past Alice (lots of OZx strips around Alice) to Hooker Creek. You can do that in 200nm or less, and take in a dozen or so OZx strips with very little diversion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 You may have found the one good use for Tubeliners in FTX John, the desert looks lovely from 37,000 ft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John York Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 Thanks Tim. Yes, I wanted to go via Alice and see 'A Town Like Alice' which still brings tears to my eyes. Damn it! :'( That was the original plan. As you say, Warburton would have been best but now I'll have to re-route further south. Thanks Archie, but truth is I've no interest in sitting in a jet on auto pilot, which even at those speeds, would take at least a couple of hours. The achievement for me is in doing it all the way low and slow in a light but modern aircraft. Us Pom's do have to have our comforts! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swraymac Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 First time I've ever heard Central Oz described as "hinterland". Good luck John, and keep us all posted. ;D ;D (How much air time u reckon this trip will take, from beginning to end?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotspot Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 G'day John, There is away to pioneer the outback on the sim which may prove more interesting for you than following a laid down route and is reminiscent of Richard Bach's favourite pastime of firing up and flying with the wind. In brief you simply choose the direction and time interval desired, proceed on that 'plan' until finding a suitable field or desert patch when you wish, land. Now here is the neat trick - you place an accomodation building and a refuelling point (tanker) using one of the easy object placing tools (downloaded from the net) at that position using your aircraft as reference point. Refuel, have a kip or save the flight, then start off for a similar exercise when next convenient, saving each flight as you progress across the vast landscape, and if you like recording the lat/long of each stop. Take some pics on the way, tell us the story of your self created route and journey across Oz, and have a great time!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arismac Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 G'day John, you might like to try this. Goondiwindi - YGDI Cunnamulla - YCMU Windorah - YWDH Bedourie - YBIE Jervois - YJVS Alice Springs - YBAS Ayers Rock - YAYE Warburton - YWBR Laverton - YLTN Kalgoorlie-Boulder - YPKG Southern Cross - YSCR Cunderdin - YCUN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swraymac Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 hey there JohnY, if it's supposed to be in 200 mile legs, i reckon Hotspot is a true lateral thinker. do a "Burke & Wills" and cut your own path! i love it...........wish i'd thought of it myself............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John York Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 Actually Bill, that really is a good idea and if I was as young as you I might be tempted. Well, I am tempted, but I must say I do rather like to know where I'm going, especially when I'm up in an aeroplane, if you see what I mean! Thanks for that suggestion Arismac. I'll have a look at it but I rather think that some of the legs are a little too long. I'll let you all know how I get on. And yes, I'll post some piccies on the way. Thanks for your interest. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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