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Top 10 essentials when flying the outback is a must-read for all pilots. Visiting a country airstrip is a great experience. With a country as large as Australia, aviation is a great way to traverse such large distances in a reasonable time-frame. Whether you’re flying your trusty Cessna 172 around at 120 knots, or your barrelling along at closer to 200 knots in a Beechcraft Baron (or even faster in something like a Mooney or Cirrus), taking to the skies is a sure way to cut down your travel time. This could mean more time with friends, family, or more efficient business travel.
Country airstrips are invaluable
They exist to serve the local community – and are the lifeblood of some rural towns. Country airstrips allow businesses access to the towns, promote tourism, and allow essential services like medical patient transport (flying ambulances) and delivery of time-sensitive medical supplies.
As a recreational or private pilot, country airstrips give you access to parts of Australia that the general population could only dream about. Often these airports are only suitable for smaller, General Aviation style aircraft and can’t really support RPT services like Rex with their SAAB Metros. These larger turboprops generally need around 3000-5000ft to safely
carry profitable passenger and cargo loads. This means your aircraft and licence is your ticket to incredible and remote Australian tourism
So what do you need to take with you when visiting a country airstrip? Well, that really depends on why you’re travelling and how long you plan to stay. When I travel, I always take an overnight bag at the very least. Even for day trips. I always try to travel with an extra day or two worth of stuff, but of course, with the restrictions of size and weight, I always travel light. Things that you will find inside my aircraft either strapped
down on the back seats or in my cargo bay are;
1. My Pilot Navigation Bag
This contains my headset, Electronic Flight Bag (2 x iPads), kneepad, Paper topographical maps and airspace charts, sunglasses, a first aid kit and a small survival kit including location aids and my ELT.
2. Small travel bag with wheels
This contains a change of clothes, my toiletries including deodorant (we all know how sweaty the cockpit can get in the heat), and things such as my phone and tablet charger and power bank.
3. Two spare power banks
These can be used to charge up my EFB (2 x iPads with OzRunways) as well as my phone to ensure I have the best communication as possible.
4. My mobile phone
My mobile phone uses a Telstra or Boost carrier for the best reception in the Australian outback.
5. Clothing
I fly with my trusty RM’s, which are a great boot and comfortable enough to be worn when exploring local sights including restaurants and nightlife. With comfort in mind I always take a couple of shirts and a spare pair of jeans. That way I am comfortable and ‘fresh’ when I change out of my flying clothes. I make sure to include one t-shirt, shorts and thongs but also one or two long sleeve shirts, long pants, a hat or beanie, gloves and of course a good quality, warm jacket – preflights in the outback can often be below freezing – I have been very surprised to come back to my aircraft to find it covered in a sheet of thin icing /frost which was incredibly cold on my bare hands! (Moving the aircraft into a sunny spot for an hour fixed the problem).
6. Baby wipes
Take it from me, these are a lifesaver. Whether it’s cleaning dust, AvGas or oil off of your hands, baby wipes can be used to keep things clean. This is especially important in such a small space like an aircraft. The last thing you want to do is touch your brand new headset when you’ve just topped up the oil and have greasy hands. No one wants to contaminate their headset which is going to be put on their face. Similarly, you want to keep your Aviators as clean as possible to not limit your vision or field of view.
Not all airstrips have facilities!
You also need to realise that whilst most airports will have facilities such as bathrooms, they won’t always be open. Let’s not go into detail but just say baby wipes have saved the day a couple of times. Make sure to check ERSA or Country Airstrips Australia ahead of time to see what facilities are available.
7. Snacks
Not every country airstrip will have shops or cafes nearby; in fact, some remote towns won’t have any at all. Taking a supply of snacks such as nuts, chocolate and trail mix is super important to keep away the hangries and allow you to enjoy your travel.
8. Water
Not every airstrip will provide access to drinkable water, so it’s important to not only take a few large water bottles, but to carry a larger backup supply too. If you have mechanical issues and get stuck on the ground, or god forbid have an engine failure airborne and are
forced to land in a remote part of the country, you could be there for a while. Make sure you calculate just how much you need, and as a rough guide depending on the season (summer v winter) you might want at least 2-5 litres of water per person, per day. I personally always take a 10L plastic Jerry which is a compromise between capability and space/weight, as I wouldn’t expect to be ‘roughing’ it for more than a day or two with my phone reception, satellite communications or ELT in an emergency.
9. Good quality sunblock and a moisturiser
This cannot be understated! Take care of your skin. Flying exposes us to drier and colder air at altitude, as well as exposure to a lot of sun and UV. The higher you fly, the worse this gets and you get exposed to more radiation that is normally shielded by the thicker atmosphere closer to the ground. You do not want to end up sunburn or chapped which
can spoil a trip and fatigue you, sapping away your flying ability and increasing the risk to flight operations. Don’t go overboard on the application as it can make a mess, but small, frequent applications are best.
10. Cash, carnets, debit and credit cards
In this day and age, you would think everyone would have paywave right? WRONG.
Some airports won’t even take cash. With the high costs of AvGas and the various payment systems, you may need cash, carnets, debit cards or credit cards. I always take $500 cash with me when I fly (which could also cover the cost of repairs, lifts into town etc) and recommend you take a credit card over a debit card as credit cards are more widely accepted, often give you more buffer if an unexpected expense happens and you don’t have that much money in your account, and they also have insurance – e.g. if you buy dodgy AVGAS that damages your aircraft, then you may be able to use your credit card insurance to claim some of the damage.
Conclusion
Visiting a country airstrip is a great way to explore Australia. Just make sure you plan ahead and consider things on the list. If you’re wondering where you can fly to in regional Australia, check out our list of country airstrips. Enjoy!
