{"id":4290,"date":"2021-07-16T23:00:25","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/?p=4290"},"modified":"2021-07-16T23:21:41","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T15:21:41","slug":"remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote Flying in Australia – A Pilot’s Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Remote flying in Australia – what is it like? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it like to have a job that involves taking charge of groups of people and flying them around the vast state of Western Australia?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell Christensen, a commercial pilot with more than 40 years’ experience, tells his story of keeping a hard road up his sleeve if the weather turns bad, hand-pumping fuel in the middle of the desert, and exploring parts of Australia many never get to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get to any of the remote communities or the mining and pastoral operations dotted around the enormous state of Western Australia, flying is the only option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is where Mr Christensen has spent a large part of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a three-day journey with Mr Christensen travelling through the isolated Ngaanyatjarra Lands<\/a><\/strong> in the western desert region of WA, it is clear just how isolated his job really is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is one of the only people who can provide a safe passage in and out of the small Aboriginal communities of Wanarn, Warakurna, Wingellina and Blackstone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Remote
The Rawlinson Ranges look impressive after a storm has passed, and the sun heads towards the horizon.(ABC: Nathan Morris)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Out here it can be hard to get information on the condition of the unsealed airstrips <\/a><\/strong>at the other end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Christensen said if you could not land, you turned back or “found a hard road”. If you got bogged, you stayed the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The biggest challenge is you do it yourself; you put the bags on and off, you make sure the passengers are looked after and briefed,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You coordinate the departures, you check the weather and make any operational decisions that are required there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s not unusual to roll out a drum and stand it on end and pump it in by hand.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in that steady, calm tone often associated with pilots, Mr Christensen said he never let a situation unsettle him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You just keep plodding away at the problem until you find somebody who can provide you with what you need.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s just a matter of finding somebody who can find somebody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sometimes things just happen at the pace they happen at, and when you get it done, you get it done.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Remote
Remote flying in Australia – The small shed that serves as the Wingellina departure lounge, and with the footy oval just behind. <\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Growing cautious with age<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During our trip there were a few occasions where we had to set off early, or delay our departure to avoid passing storms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Warkakurna, Mr Christensen had been watching the weather radar and forecast closely all day. He was trying to time our flights between weather activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made it clear to us that we needed to get away on time. If we didn’t we may not get to our next destination in a comfortable manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the air, on our way to Wingellina, which is situated on the tri-state border of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia, Mr Christensen pointed out storm columns ahead of us, and banked left and right to avoid them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we descended towards a distant red stripe on the earth below, our stomachs suddenly dropped. The plane seemed to bob freely in the air. The chatter in the back stopped and the noise from the engines filled our heads. Our pilot gently turned a dial here and there then rested his hand on the throttle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Circling the gravel airstrips prior to landing is part and parcel of flying in remote WA.(ABC: Nathan Morris)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A storm cloud had rolled over the range surrounding the small community. There was the odd flash of lighting that lit the horizon, and we were feeling the front of the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the dark red stripe below began to resemble an airstrip, our pilot worked the throttle, holding us on course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moments before the wheels hit the gravel strip, a splatter of rain blew across the windscreen, and the storm moved in. We were out of the sky now and on the ground, and the chatter of my fellow passengers resumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glancing at his watch, Mr Christensen actually seemed more proud of himself for getting there about a minute or so quicker than he had estimated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of flying in and out of remote areas, he said there were times when he felt at risk. However not recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You might make a few bad decisions early on, but if you find yourself driving home from work thinking ‘Next time I’ll handle that differently’ then you file that away as a learning experience,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

His early training was under some very experienced pilots who became his mentors as he developed his own flying career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also spoke about a culture of cautiousness \u2014 a trait that had grown on him over decades of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We all cut our teeth flying around the bush, and when you get incidences like that, you think ‘Well, next time I’ll make a few more inquiries, or next time I’ll be a bit more wary’,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“By the time you get to my stage, you’re just pretty generally cautious.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enthusiastic about the mechanics of flight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Mr Christensen it was a fascination with engineering and machinery that drew him to his passion for flying, something he has been actively interested and involved with since he was a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Never ever wanted to do anything else,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t know why, I don’t know where the drive came from. Also I never wanted to be a cowboy or a fire engine driver. I just always wanted fly aeroplanes, so that’s what I did.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I have an interest in cars, I have an interest in aeroplanes, I have an interest in things mechanical.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But aeroplanes are something separate; as a machine they are actually quite fascinating.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And it’s not only the tinkering, I read books on them, I subscribe to magazines \u2014 I’m an enthusiast.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Remote flying in Australia – what is it like? What is it like to have a job that involves taking charge of groups of people and flying them around the vast state of Western Australia? Russell Christensen, a commercial pilot with more than 40 years’ experience, tells his story of keeping a hard road up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nRemote Flying in Australia | Country Airstrips Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Remote flying in Australia is both hazardous and rewarding. It's necessary to support communities, but requires experience and skill.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Remote Flying in Australia | Country Airstrips Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remote flying in Australia is both hazardous and rewarding. It's necessary to support communities, but requires experience and skill.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Country Airstrips Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-07-16T15:00:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-16T15:21:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/remoteflyingaustralia.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/\",\"name\":\"Country Airstrips Australia\",\"description\":\"Airstrip, Accommodation, Food & Attractions!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/80124d79dedf8684f066a78e14eada5a\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/remoteflyingaustralia.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Remote flying in Australia\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/\",\"name\":\"Remote Flying in Australia | Country Airstrips Australia\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-16T15:00:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-16T15:21:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"Remote flying in Australia is both hazardous and rewarding. It's necessary to support communities, but requires experience and skill.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/80124d79dedf8684f066a78e14eada5a\"},\"headline\":\"Remote Flying in Australia – A Pilot’s Perspective\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-16T15:00:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-16T15:21:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#webpage\"},\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/80124d79dedf8684f066a78e14eada5a\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#primaryimage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Remote Airstrips\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/remote-flying-in-australia-a-pilots-perspective\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/80124d79dedf8684f066a78e14eada5a\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-content\/plugins\/userswp\/assets\/images\/no_profile.png\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/#personlogo\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/countryairstrips.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}