Am having trouble sending this message so will send pics seperately.
Hi All. Ian Patching had threatened to kill me in a fit of jealousy if I put a report or photo's on this list. This has since been downgraded to a threat of stealing my beer next time we meet in a bar and now to "OH OK but I may not read it" As Laurie has requested, here is the report and I hope Patch enjoys it too. Richard with his Son Peter left Thursday night in our 4WD and camped at Hawker. Friday morning they got going early for Leigh Creek. We left Waikerie a bit after 10AM meeting them at Leigh Creek around 1PM where we took on fuel carried in our 4WD. The trip over the Flinders from Waikerie was in superb weather and an easy cruise with gentle tail wind. As usual the scenery was superb and low stress in smooth air at 8500 with good strips available within glide in the event of a power failure. After topping up we headed off for William creek and another ride in great conditions while Richard and Peter drove. Knowing it was likely a good 3 1/2 hour drive for them we were not in a hurry and detoured over Lake Ayer. I was amazed at the level of traffic. The CTAF was abuzz with 3 commercials doing scenic flights plus visitors like us. We went engine off about 20NM out of William creek and enjoyed some gentle Dolphin Soaring on the way then loitered over the town till down to circuit height. On arrival Peter and Margaret Wright (ex Scout Flying Club where I learnt to fly all those years ago) were waiting. They spend 8 months of the year living out of their OKKA Motor Home touring OZ. Richard had been in contact and it was pre arranged they would be there at the same time. They had met another couple 2 days before also OKKA operators who said they had met a couple in a Motor Glider last year so the test was on to see if it was us. We all met up in the Pub and yep we had had drinks with them at the bar in the Birdsville Pub on our way home from Burketown in October last year. Small world. They were still just as amazed that Heather would cross the country with me in such a small craft. My response was "how else". Richard and Pete arrived around 5PM and we set up camp and got dinner organized. Of course the 4WD had all gear onboard and the William Creek camp ground was well serviced. Saturday morning Richard got organized early and flew his Son and the Wrights. When allowing for "photo" time it took longer than we thought and he did 3 hours flying time back and forth to the Lake . Richard had a wing camera which resulted in some great shots attached to this mail. While all this was going on I did what we all do and hung around the air strip a bit after launches. I was chatting to a couple of blokes who had flown in from Arkaroola with their wives in their RV8's. They had taken a long route via the top of Goyder's Lagoon intercepting the Warburton and then following down to it's mouth into Lake Ayre North then across the lake to William Creek. I was JEALOUS. This would be 5 hours for us. During the discussion I cracked a joke asking what sort of car Doug at Arkaroola had given them. He keeps a Junker available for visiting pilots (just fill it with fuel before you go) and on our last visit it was a Datsun Sunbird. They told me he had upgraded to something 5 years younger. I then noticed an 8 Seat'r Cessna in the parking area with Arkaroola Air on the side and asked who flew it in. Doug Sprigg they said. I went straight to the Wright's OKKA and called through the door to Heather announcing we are going to the Pub. Tell me more is the response. "Doug is here" from me was enough to get a rapid response (Heather and Doug are mates from way back longer than me). Like I said, small world. He had flown a tour group over for a look at the lake and lunch at the Pub. After greetings and a bit of catch up it turned out his son was with him for school holidays and at 15 was showing an interest in learning to fly. He then got us together for a chat and the lad seems interested in the idea of being able to be a pilot at 15 so looks like Waikerie may have a new student. Doug then asked "it is a Dimona you 2 fly isn't it". This resulted in him going off to get one of his tour customers we should meet. Turned out to be a Stunning Blonde German HK36 Dimona Pilot and Gliding Instructor. What is the odds of that and at William Creek. Pretty good it would seem. She came out to the field with us and checked out our H36 and sat in it etc. Richard did his last flight out to the lake and then we all got into the OKKA and our 4WD driving out to the lake. Having transport was the best part of the plan enabling us to get up close to the lake and in fact stand in the water and have a beer. See the pics. It was a short walk out to the waters edge and while not deep quite a site. Stepping carefully you could avoid breaking the salt crust and thus walk into the water. There was an overseas couple that took joy in wriggling their feet till they broke through and sunk to the knees in the underlying mud. I couldn't help but smile and say "Australia, your standing in it". Sunday Morning was an early start. We packed up and loaded the 4WD for Richard and Peter to get going so as to meet us in Leigh Creek to re,fuel. We left some time later with the early morning Q building. We got a gentle climb not far from William Creek and then dolphined to cruise height in a short space of time. We took a track taking us over the bottom of Lake Ayre North and South staying within easy glide of the Oodnadatta Track to Marree taking in the sites including the Marree Man (getting faint now from weather degradation but still visible) along the way. Overhead Marree we could see conditions overdeveloping as forecast to the east and tracked direct Leigh Creek enjoying the view. After topping up at Leigh Creek and Richard and Pete got going we contacted a very pleasant 8knts about 3 miles on track and with the engine idling were soon at 8500ft and heading across the Flinders Ranges. Another beautiful trip over the Flinders was enjoyed before tracking over the Barren landscape for Waikerie and Home. On arrival at Waikerie we found Allen Hudson preparing his ASW Tri Jet for it's first test flight. We immediately became involved as I have been over the past few years of this project and drove chase in Heathers car carrying a Fire Extinguisher in the event he put it down with problems on the strip. After a taxi run to flying speed and a small hop he landed and we towed it back. With the sun getting low it was decided to delay to the next day, and less pressure. I announced to Heather we weren't going home that night but staying over. We had a great night at Allen's with his wife being the usual good host and his Brother and partner in crime in the project. Monday broke with perfect conditions again on the best runway for the test and at 8.30 AM the ASW Tri Jet flew for the first time and impressively too. The climb was aborted at 600ft due to fuel supply issues but hailed a success as proof of concept. Heather graciously let me hang around the rest of the day working with Allen and his brother John resolving the fuel issues. We returned home late Monday having had a great weekend. Was it worth all the effort going to Lake Ayre. Probably not in most people's eyes. Did we think it was, ABSOLUTELY. Heather has seen it in flood and flowing over the spillway into Lake Ayre South from the air about 20 years ago. [but this time she washed her hands in the Lake, and brought home flakes of salt] I hadn't and loved it. Heather admitted to me while standing in the water of the lake that she was glad we had gone. It is something that rarely happens and to see it is something. Plus the experience of being able to say "Australia your standing in it" and be doing exactly that in such a rare way was moving. The landscape driving in to the Lake was most interesting, from sandy desert and bull dust, to moonscape! So if you guys at Byron want to go I can recommend it as an excursion. You may or may not see it as I do, being almost a spiritual sort of experience for an Australian who loves the Outback but it is certainly an interesting trip over some great desert country. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Enjoys the Pic's with compliments from Richard and a few from us. Cheers. Nige. P.S. Heather has done an editing job on this mail which I havn't checked so who knows what you got. ----- Original Message ----- From: Laurie Hoffman To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 3:27 PM Subject: Re: [DOG mailing list] Lake Ayre Hi Nige, So how did the trip go? Laurie 02 46531233 0425 703226 --- On Sat, 28/3/09, Nigel Baker <[email protected]> wrote: From: Nigel Baker <[email protected]> Subject: [DOG mailing list] Lake Ayre To: "DOGS" <[email protected]> Received: Saturday, 28 March, 2009, 10:03 PM Hi all. Have BCC'd to a couple of G109 users and others that may be interested. I have a driver/pilot for our 4WD thus we are getting organized. Looks like GYT from Sydney and possibly Ian Patching and Pax along with NHB (us) so far. The plan is our 4WD will leave early Good Friday morning for Leigh Creek. Plan to leave Waikerie around 10am flying in company to Leigh Creek 228nm. Meet up with 4WD at Leigh Creek for refueling about 1.00 PM. The 4WD will have a trailer with a 200lit drum on board or 2 if needed depending on how many aircraft are going. Leigh Creek no longer has fuel hence we trailer it. No ASIC required for Leigh Creek. Depart Leigh Creek 2PM for William Creek 148nm. 4WD goes to William creek and expect arrival about 6 PM with tents food etc. Avgas available at William Creek Hotel. There will be our 4WD plus it looks like an OKKA as well so we should have no trouble getting people out to the lake on Saturday. The lake is 30nm from William Creek so a short trip by air giving an opportunity for those that drive up while for everyone the trip out by 4WD I would expect to be in the order of 2 hours. I rang the Pub at William Creek. Tourists are reporting the water close to the lakes edge at this stage. Richard in our 4WD is taking a canoe on our roof racks in anticipation. The 4WD will carry tents and mattresses. If anyone else is interested in coming please let me know soon so I know how much stuff to take. The pub advised they have no rooms left for Friday or Saturday night but their camp ground is fine hence we are tenting it. The strip is reported to be in good condition. Depart Sunday with the routine in reverse. Cheers. Nige. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The new Internet Explorer 8 optimised for Yahoo!7: Faster, Safer, Easier. Get it now..
