30 August 2007 - A blog update

Today, it appears, is a good day for a blog update, as I have found myself on another 'all day wait', while conducting a charter for the Government 'Remote Area Health' team of doctors.

It's been... hmmm... 6 weeks at least since the last update. Things have changed since I went to Melbourne to 'pack up the house and family' and move to Darwin, and I don't have as much time as I used to for blogging. In addition, I've also been without a laptop, so increasing the difficulty if finding time when the desire to write coincides with the ability to type. I still hope to do something occasionally - there's really so much worth remembering that I want to write some of it for later, when I don't recall it as well, or I need to be reminded of the adventure that it is.

This month has not been my busiest, but the flying I have done has been quite valuable. The company has implimented a new (or rather, it's first) pilot roster, and I've found my 'days off' coinciding with the companies busiest days, and hence have missed out a little. Next month should see an increase in flying, as a couple more pilots leave, and my roster has me working more frequently on the bussier weekdays.
The flying I have done has been largly in twin engine aircraft, either the Cessna C310, or the Beech Baron 58. While not the biggest aircraft in our fleet, it's all valuable 'multi engine' time for the logbook.

This morning I had a 8am departure, which is usual for the Remote Health team. An 8am departure means being ready by 7:30. This means getting to the airport about 6:30. For me, on a bike, this means being up by 5:30.
Following that timeline, getting up at 5:30 means I should be in bed by and asleep by, say, 9:30ish, to give myself enough sleep. But thanks to the alarm clock, it's always easier to get up than it is to go to sleep, and consequently as the week drags on, I get tiedr. It's something all us pilots have to deal with. Fortunately today I'm in a nice, clean, airconditioned room, with a nice, clean, comfortable bed in the corner. I may have a catchup snooze shorty.

I'm rambling again, so lets repaint the picture, working in a more logical direction, from the beginning. It's the Northern Territory, late in the dry season, with a hot and dry sun, but not yet humid, so comfortable when the breeze blows. I'm a little tired, but coping with the odd opportunity to do some catch up sleep at the various locations where I wait. Today I'm strapping on a twin engine Cessna C310, registration VH-LYD, looking to depart Darwin at 8am with two doctors. Having woken early to be ready on time, I find myself waiting for one of the doctors, so depart 20 minutes late anyway.

The first location is due north, to the town of Pirlangimpi (Garden Point) on the far side of Bathurst Island. With a nice tail wind, I get to 201kts, 220 on descent, and cover the 60 odd miles in 23 minutes. After dropping of the first doctor, I set off with the other one to Millikapati (Snake Bay), and cover that distance in 11 minutes, hardly enough time to get the plane settled.

We travel into town. My white shirt already sporting brown stripes from the plane seatbelt, now gets another coating from the dust in the car. The red dust up here gets everywhere, I'm sure it's finer than talcum powder, but fortunately it comes out in the wash, so you have a nice clean shirt for next time you jump into something dusty.

I'm taken to the health clinic, which today is going to be the place I hide from the sun. It's clean, unlike some other health clinics, airconditioned, and has internet access. Woohoo. From where I sit typing, it's a lovely looking day outside. A blue skys, palm trees swaying, white sand on the beach. A pack of dogs wanders past. Seven of them. The trot down the street, meet with another couple of hounds and just when I expect a fight to break out, they circle back and return whence they came. Some states have birds in flocks. Most towns up here have dogs in packs. Nice.

Unusually, the paper today contains no crocodile stories or photos, but does have an article continuing the controversy of the lady in Alice Springs who published her recipe for marinated feral cat. Perhaps she should try marinated feral dog, they're easier to come by. I didn't say that.

Soon the doctor will be finished, and will come for me - hopefully after I've finished my nap. We'll return to the airport, and repeat the mornings trip in reverse. YSNB, YGPT, YPDN. It usually ends in YPDN, which is good, as it means I've made it home.