Georges Hall, 11 May 2008
On thursday night it took me about 3 hours to plan a 3 hour flight (positions, headings, distances, altitudes, airspaces) with the following itinerary:
Bankstown-Patonga-Warnevale-Cessnock (touch&go)
Cessnock-Tuggerah Lake-Barrenjoey Head-Long Reef-Manly-Harbour Bridge-Bahal Temple-Brooklyn Bridge-Bankstown
And on Friday morning, I woke up at 6 to make the last calculations taking into the wind forecasts for the day consideration.
So, Navex 3 with LukezSheppard was the greatest flight ever. It was the navigation solo check, in other words, it was my chance to show my instructor that I am able to go for a navigation flight by myself. We flew the Cessna 172 with registration JGZ. We flew directly to Cessnock, which takes about 45 minutes, and departed for Paxton, Mt Mc Quoid and Calga, but Luke gave me a diversion excercise to "The Entrance", Tuggerah lake. This means, I had to disregard my planning re-plan a few legs of the flight in situ and divert to a new point on the map. I think I did good enough! And I talked for the first time to Sydney Radar to let them know that I had amended the flight plan. From Tuggerah Lake we descended (first 3 pictures) to only 500ft to track down the coast until Barrenjoey Head practicing “Low Level operations”. It was very beautiful to track down along the coast at almost the same height as the cliffs. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of this because I had to focus on flying and on keeping exactly 500ft. I can’t wait to undertake the exact same flight with my parents in August!
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CmFPnt46Rc
At Long Reef I talked to Sydney Radar (the guys at the Sydney Kingsford Smith tower) to request, for the first time, Airways Clearance to enter the controlled airspace over the city. We were advised to enter the Harbour Bridge zone over Manly and to circle the water keeping clear of the bridge and the southern shore. To exit the controlled airspace we flew back to Manly and back to Long Reef, and from there I aimed for Bahai Temple and back to Brooklyn Bridge, and arrived in Bankstown over the northern lane of entry and Prospect. It was funny to land in bankstown because the radio was very busy, the guy at the tower very nervous and everyone overtransmitting. I made the fastest radio call ever.
Since I have never talked about one of the most fun parts of flying, the radio communications, I am going to write down a sketch of what I say when communicating to the tower and other stations. So, this is what goes on through the microphone during a flight.
(Me) and
(Tower):
GAAP Outbound:
Bankstown Ground, Cessna 172, Juliett Golf Zulu is ready run-up bay for departures.
Juliett Golf Zulu, taxi to holing point and contact tower.
Taxiing to holding point, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Bankstown Tower, Cessna 172, Juliett Golf Zulu is ready Runway two-niner left
for upwind departure, received Bravo.
Juliett Golf Zulu, line up!
Lining up, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu, clear for takeoff!
Clear for takeoff, Juliett Golf Zulu.
CTAF:
Cessnock Traffic, Cessna 172, Juliett Golf Zulu is one-zero miles south of aerodrome,
two-thousand feet, inbound, Cessnock.
Cessnock Traffic, Cessna 172 Juliett Golf Zulu is joining midfield crosswind for Runway three-five, Cessnock.
Cessnock Traffic, Juliett Golf Zulu is turning base for Runway three-five, Cessnock.
Cessnock Traffic, Juliett Golf Zulu is turning final for Runway three-five touch&go, Cessnock.
Cessnock Traffic, Juliett Golf Zulu is departing upwind Runway three-five, Cessnock.
Nav:
Sydney Flight Watch, Cessna 172, Juliett Golf Zulu, request ammend flight plan.
Juliett Golf Zulu, go ahead.
Juliett Golf Zulu departed Cessnock time zero-six, heading "The Entrance", five nautical miles
south-east of Warnevale, then heading to Barrenjoeh head to continue with flight planned route,
Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu, flight plan ammended, thank you.
Thank you very much! Juliett Golf Zulu.
Controlled Airspace:
Sydney Radar, Juliett Golf Zulu, Cessna 172, is Barrenjoey Head one-thousand-five-hundred feet,
tracking Long Reef to Harbour Bridge, request Airways Clearance.
Juliett Golf Zulu, remain outside controlled airspace. Squawk 0-4-1-5, contact Sydney Departures on 123.0 at Long Reef for Airways Clearance.
Squawk 0-4-1-5, 123.0 at Long Reed, Juliett Golf Zulu
Sydney Departures, Juliett Golf Zulu, Long Reef, one-thousand-five-hundred feet, request Airways Clearance.
Juliett Golf Zulu, Sydney Departures, clearance. Track via manly to the Harbour Bridge, maintain one-thousand-five-hundred feet, QNH 1021, report approaching the Harbour Bridge.
Via Manly to the Harbour Bridge, one-thousand-five-hundred feet, QNH 1021, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu, orbit east of the Harbour Bridge, remain east of the bridge and north of the southern shore at all times, maintain one-thousand-five-hundred feet, report on completion.
Keep clear of the bridge and southern shore, one-thousand-five-hundred feet, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu has completed orbits, request exit via Manly to Long Reef.
Juliett Golf Zulu, Track Manly and Long Reef and broadcast intentions on 120.8.
Tracking Manly and Long Reef, contact 120.8.
Juliett Golf Zulu is Long Reef and will leave controlled airspace.
Juliett Golf Zulu, no further requirements on this frequency, radar service terminated, squawk code 1-2-0-0, listen out on 120.8,
Squawk 1-2-0-0, 120.8, Juliett Golf Zulu.
GAAP Inbound:
Bankstown Tower, Cessna 172, Juliett Golf Zulu is Prospect, one-thousand-five-hundred, received Eco, inbound.
Juliett Golf Zulu, join downwind Runway two-niner left.
Downwind for Runway two-niner left, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu is downwind for full stop.
Juliett Golf Zulu, follow cherokee on early base, number three.
Number three, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu, clear to land, number one.
Clear to land, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Juliett Golf Zulu, Cross Runway Center, Cross Runway Right.
Cross Runway Center, Cross Runway Right, Juliett Golf Zulu.
Sydney By Air
