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Reynard

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Everything posted by Reynard

  1. Reynard
    Not quite southern NSW, but Wings Out West are based at Dubbo. They had a Cub at Parkes which was RA-AUS registered.
  2. Reynard
    Oil refiners routinely call it Mogas. It is the cut from the atmospheric distillation column where ~C5 to C10 hydrocarbons condense and are separated…..and after a little more refining and blending becomes what we call petrol. I don’t know the exact origin of the word mogas, but understood it to be a simple shortening of motor gasoline. Outside the refinery gate, I have only heard the term used in aviation - I can only assume it is used to differentiate its use from Avgas. I don’t see a lot of mystery and intrigue here.
  3. Reynard
    Probably - available fuel tankers (and DG drivers) all tied up trying to keep up with petrol and diesel demand, while Avgas was further down the list.
  4. Reynard
    There was direct public access to the Fly n forFun site. However, I also think Narromine would be better. Although there was a free shuttle bus into the Parkes township, at least at Narromine you could walk.
  5. Reynard
    Excellent question! You would think that Avgas demand would not have significantly changed over the past month, so something doesn’t stack up.
  6. Reynard
    An earlier poster indicated he had been told that 100% of Avgas consumed in Oz, was produced locally. My post was to provide data that Oz does import ‘some’ Avgas. in relative terms to mogas and diesel that are both produced locally and imported, the Australian consumption of Avgas is very small. I have no data to compare Avgas consumption with other countries. Additionally, it should be obvious the consumption of Avtur vastly outweighs that of Avgas in Australia.
  7. Reynard
    The import stats in the attached file seem very ‘lumpy’, and don’t really provide much insight. Unless the Geelong refinery alkylation unit was down for an extended period in 2024 ?? - unlikely. Bottom line, yes Australia does import ‘some’ Avgas, but the volumes are small, probably because the consumption is small. Australian Petroleum Statistics - Data Extract January 2026.xlsx
  8. Reynard
    As a side note here, if you want to receive ‘internet ADS-B traffic’ while using OzRunways, you need the $299/yr Australia Plus subscription. if you have the OzRunways Essentials version for $219/yr and add AvTraffic Premium (iOS only) for $29.99 you will get the same result. Yes, it’s still expensive.
  9. Reynard
    The consumption of Avgas shouldn’t have changed over the past month, but a number of airfields have now run out. This points to major supply chain issues not demand, but the price has still gone up dramatically.
  10. Reynard
    I overheard that of the 116 aircraft registered for arrival, only 6 made it in late on Friday - the main expected arrival day. No idea if this is accurate or not. There were regular arrivals on Sat morning when the weather improved. What I can confirm is the weather was simply awful on Friday. No doubt this put a bit of a dampener on the weekend, but overall I think RA Aus did a pretty good job, particularly the site setup in pretty nasty weather conditions. Despite the weather, there were lots of hardy underwing campers, 6 fixed wing aircraft distributors, a number of aviation related vendors and a spread of seminars across topics. There was a free shuttle bus to/ from town, and a free breakfast for all pilots on Sunday morning. All in all, a good weekend, despite experiencing the coldest March day in Parkes since 1973. I don’t have a point of comparison with other locations, so wont comment on Parkes as being any better or worse than any where else. If you stay within the Fly n for Fun grounds at Parkes, you don’t need an ASIC. The pic of the yellow bird is just for Skip’s enjoyment.
  11. Reynard
    https://www.realcommercial.com.au/news/goodman-group-nears-15bn-sale-of-moorabbin-airport-to-baringsled-group
  12. Reynard
    “There is published criteria for "weather" cracks on side walls and tread areas, you may find that these tires are airworthy.“ Any idea where this ‘published criteria’ info would be found ?
  13. Reynard
    https://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/casa-seeks-feedback-on-the-oaks-visual-approach-point-relocation Is this an outcome from an investigation into the mid-air, or unrelated ?
  14. Reynard
    Google traffolyte labels for another option - there are a bunch of online businesses that will produce customised labels pretty cheaply. https://www.makeyourmarkengraving.com.au/product-category/traffolyte-label/
  15. Reynard
    https://aboutregional.com.au/raaf-decision-sends-five-heritage-aircraft-back-to-temora/496868/ Some of the very rare collection now permanently grounded - very sad indeed.
  16. Reynard
    When undertaking a flight more than 50 NM radius from the aerodrome of departure, you must carry a serviceable ELT. If the ELT is installed on the aircraft, it must be armed before flight. If it is a survival (portable) ELT it must be carried in a readily accessible place.
  17. Reynard
    “We consider carrying a satellite device like a Zoleo when you are remote essential“. Just as a straw poll, what do others use for maintaining contact with your ‘responsible person’ in remote areas, if you don’t lodge a flight notification with a SARtime ?
  18. Reynard
    Fair enough. Although I suspect it would be rare for posters on this forum to have 6 people in an aircraft. A Starlink mini costs around $400 outright + a monthly plan for ~ $60 and may be another option.
  19. Reynard
    But you still need a round tuit.
  20. Reynard
    I recall Rex having an argument with Qantas on some regional NSW routes. Qantas used larger capacity aircraft which demanded more screening services, which Rex ultimately had to pay for.
  21. Reynard
    “The charts I'm using don't indicate the type of vegetation as far as I can tell. Are there maps commonly used to show what's down there apart from mountains, lakes, rivers and manmade structures?” Other than satellite images on an EFB, the short answer is no, there is no commonly used chart that shows the type of vegetation (except maybe plantation forests) that I’m aware of. The other consideration with ‘tiger country’ is access to civilisation, such as a road, which would speed your rescue. The desert with no vegetation could be considered as ‘tiger’ country on this basis. if ever you get bored, read the story of Max Hazelton (founder of Hazelton Airlines- the forerunner of Rex Airlines) and his crash in the Blue Mountains. Over a number of days, he walked himself out through some very rugged terrain after he was presumed dead. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-11/tributes-paid-to-western-nsw-aviation-pioneer-max-hazelton/102206992
  22. Reynard
    I recall my father telling me about the day the gruff DCA inspector landed at the airfield, but had forgotten to wind the aerial in. He was uncharacteristically sheepish that day apparently.
  23. Reynard
    HF radio -Doesn’t seem to be a requirement any more. A modern iPhone now has satellite connectivity which is handy.
  24. Reynard
    “I am having difficulty finding defined requirements/recommendations for traversing these areas.” Defining generalised survival gear requirements would be a challenge - survival gear for alpine areas would be rather different to that in the desert in summer, or the wet season in Kakadu. My interpretation of this requirement (and I’m planning a DRA flight right now), is carry plenty of water and wherever possible follow signs of civilisation (ie. roads). I also carry a space blanket, that happens to be highly reflective, and a cigarette lighter. You can survive without food for literally weeks, but water, maybe less than 24 hrs in some cases. We generally carry snacks such as dried fruit and nuts for long trips - they are light, and don’t go off. I recall reading the story of the guy that bogged his plane in Lake Eyre and didn’t set off his ELT as he thought his rescue would cost too much. He was lucky - when he was rescued he was severely dehydrated and drank gallons of water.
  25. Reynard
    Thanks to all respondents- I was curious how active Scherger is these days with the larger US military presence in northern Oz. Sounds like Coen is the safest option if Weipa becomes out of bounds on the day.
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