09 Mar 2007 - Solo flying!!

Having been checked to line, today I did my first couple of solo flights. A freight run to Snake Bay, and back with 4 passengers. Then a trip to Oenpelli (just past Jabiru) to pick up 3 passengers and take them back to Darwin.

Bathurst Island, Township

Today was also my first real run-in with a couple of local features - the heat, and the wildlife. Loading up for the trip to Snake Bay, the sun was out in full strength for the first time since I got here, and I found myself drenched in sweat. Soaked through. Starting up the plane, I had to take my sunglasses off because the sweat had run like a waterfall down my forehead and was pouring over the lenses. I doubt I'll ever adapt, but did put a couple of rags to good use to continually mop myself down.

Me in the office

The flight to Snake bay is QUICK in the Baron. About 15-20 minutes flying time each way, so the workload is quite high - no time to sit and sightsee, just straight up, out and down again. It really keeps you sharp, so I don't mind it at all.

Departing Snake bay, half way down the runway at full power, I found a stubborn 2' long lizard of some kind parked on the left of the runway. He didn't move, not frightened in the slightest. Probably used to it, I guess.

Luckily I had time on return to cool myself down in the air conditioned opps building, and compose myself before the afternoon flight. At 3pm I set off for Oenpelli, with just a little freight on board, to pick up some customers. It was an AWESOME flight, scattered cloud, showers and thunderstorms, and between them, bright sunshine illuminating the flooded planes of Kakadu national park. One minute I'd be in total cloud, and the next literally 'pop out' to another stunning vista of the wetlands. I couldn't tell one river from the next, as many had broken their banks, but it was all very beautiful.

North Alligator river - I think

Oenpelli has also suffered from the rain - in the picture, you can see the airport is almost cut off from the town (just above the airport in the photo) - two days previously it was totally cut off, and they needed a boat to get to it. The town has suffered a little from the flood, and my passengers were insurance assessors, surveying the damage.Fortunately, one of the passengers was not a local, and wanted to do a little sightseeing before departure, so with the necessary paperwork and approvals done, we set off on a local flight of the escarpment before departure. I don't have any photos of this bit - best not take pictures with the passengers on board, but it was also spectacular. Water and mist cascading off the sandstone, filling the crevasses, flowing down into the rivers
and wetlands. We flew down around Jabiru, then back, stopping to circle over a very nice waterfall, before departing.Returning to Darwin, things again got interesting, almost a mirror image of the previous Friday night. Initially, I managed to dodge the scattered thunderstorms and showers, but you could here from the chatter on the radio that things were developing, and deteriorating, at our destination. By the time we go there, the showers were heavy and there were occasional flashes of lightning, and had to hold with a 30 minute wait, and then number 6 to land. So after communications with the office (we use a separate frequency to keep in touch with base) I elected to divert to Bathurst Island, yet again, to sit it out.

Another flooded river

Fortunately the passengers weren't too put out by this, and I think enjoyed their quick glimpse of the island. Another 2 planes had also had to divert, one of them being another company aircraft, so I felt a little better about the decision, thought with hindsight, perhaps the only thing I could have done was simply divert a little earlier. I got back late, after dark, and it took a little while to do the paperwork, as I'm trying to dot all the 'I's, etc. A very long day indeed, but aside from that, it had everything I've come here for.