Grahame Hutchison
15th November 2009, 09:02 PM
A work meeting up the Central Coast in early December was a good excuse for a quick flight up to Magenta Shores at The Entrance. It was quite busy at Bankstown on Saturday morning, and I had to wait for a while for the fuel tanker to arrive.
With the tanks up to the tabs, it was a quick departure from 29R and I tracked north via Parramatta, Hornsby, Patonga, Terrigal and The Entrance. There was some early haze in the air and the city buildings were only just visible from Hornsby. Along the coast the beaches were sparkling and the sand ranged from white to gold.
The track back was direct Brooklyn Bridge, Dural, Prospect and back into Bankstown. Again it was busy at Bankstown, with three aircraft calling before me at Prospect and a couple after. While I tracked in the next two aircraft calling at Prospect were asked to hold, first time I have heard that one, and maybe it is related to the new airspace changes around Bankstown. There are limitations on the number of aircraft that can be in the Training circuit or on the active side of the airport.
Flying over for the day, I headed down to the Model Aircraft Expo at the terminal building where I caught up with Ray from Melbourne, who had some great photographs on sale. The model jets were fantastic and they ran up the engines a couple of times during the morning. The aircraft were taken out onto the apron, but up against the fence for everyone to see (30lbs of thrust apparently). They also had a jet dragster with an afterburner would you believe, and when they fired up the engine and hit the afterburner, there was a metre of flame out the back (the bitumen was burnt in the shape of the flame). Amazing to watch.
Out on the apron there was the Catalina, Cessna Birddog and A-37B Dragonfly, a DC-3 and RV-4. The A-37B had two passenger lined up for flights, and I had organised with airport operations to get out near the runway for the departure (thanks to Alan and Tony for their assistance, much appreciated).
Brooklyn Bridge on the Hawkesbury and fairly hazy to the west
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-001.jpg
The Mantra Ettalong Hotel
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-002.jpg
Crowne Plaza at Terrigal Beach
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-004.jpg
The Entrance
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-007.jpg
Magenta Shores - not a bad place for a meeting (and some golf and Tennis)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-011.jpg
Looking south from The Entrance
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-015.jpg
Looking south over Gosford towards Lion Island and Pittwater
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-019.jpg
AS.350B2 VH-LEY (1686)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-022.jpg
The two new Beech 350s VH-ZHT and VH-ZHS (not on the register yet)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-027.jpg
Beech 350 VH-ZHT
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-031.jpg
With the tanks up to the tabs, it was a quick departure from 29R and I tracked north via Parramatta, Hornsby, Patonga, Terrigal and The Entrance. There was some early haze in the air and the city buildings were only just visible from Hornsby. Along the coast the beaches were sparkling and the sand ranged from white to gold.
The track back was direct Brooklyn Bridge, Dural, Prospect and back into Bankstown. Again it was busy at Bankstown, with three aircraft calling before me at Prospect and a couple after. While I tracked in the next two aircraft calling at Prospect were asked to hold, first time I have heard that one, and maybe it is related to the new airspace changes around Bankstown. There are limitations on the number of aircraft that can be in the Training circuit or on the active side of the airport.
Flying over for the day, I headed down to the Model Aircraft Expo at the terminal building where I caught up with Ray from Melbourne, who had some great photographs on sale. The model jets were fantastic and they ran up the engines a couple of times during the morning. The aircraft were taken out onto the apron, but up against the fence for everyone to see (30lbs of thrust apparently). They also had a jet dragster with an afterburner would you believe, and when they fired up the engine and hit the afterburner, there was a metre of flame out the back (the bitumen was burnt in the shape of the flame). Amazing to watch.
Out on the apron there was the Catalina, Cessna Birddog and A-37B Dragonfly, a DC-3 and RV-4. The A-37B had two passenger lined up for flights, and I had organised with airport operations to get out near the runway for the departure (thanks to Alan and Tony for their assistance, much appreciated).
Brooklyn Bridge on the Hawkesbury and fairly hazy to the west
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-001.jpg
The Mantra Ettalong Hotel
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-002.jpg
Crowne Plaza at Terrigal Beach
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-004.jpg
The Entrance
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-007.jpg
Magenta Shores - not a bad place for a meeting (and some golf and Tennis)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-011.jpg
Looking south from The Entrance
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-015.jpg
Looking south over Gosford towards Lion Island and Pittwater
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-019.jpg
AS.350B2 VH-LEY (1686)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-022.jpg
The two new Beech 350s VH-ZHT and VH-ZHS (not on the register yet)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-027.jpg
Beech 350 VH-ZHT
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-20091114-031.jpg