Flight #20

(singing) I'm comin' home, I've done my time, ....

From Canberra, it should be a nice day of flying to get me back to my starting point, Sydney.

I'll start off with 2 Outback Air Charter passengers going to Jervis Bay and 1 Ray's Airtaxi passenger going all the way to Sydney.

Leaving Canberra

Now it's off for the short hop to Wollongong with my one passenger.

Just another day in paradise!

And now to Camden for my penultimate landing!

Leaving Woollongong and its pair of DC-3s.

Two more Ray's Airtaxi passenger for me to take to Sydney. Seems only fair to end The Great Australian Tour with a full load of Ray's Airtaxi passengers, since Ray's Airtaxi is the sponsor of the tour!

On approach for YSSY, I pass by Hoxton Park (my home base).

And there's Sydney -- she looks good!

Total Profit: v$61,495.80

Flight #19

I'm so close to home, I can almost taste it! I won't make it all the way today, but I'm determined to get as far as Canberra before I bed down.

Flinders Island was very nice, but it's not densely populated enough because there aren't any jobs going where I need them to go. So it's off to Yarram on the mainland by myself.

No luck at Yarram, either! Onwards and upwards to Mt. Hotham.

Zipping between the clouds at 6,500 feet on my way to Mt. Hotham.

It really IS in the mountains!

Still no jobs for me, so it'll be a solo trip to Cooma-Snowy Mountains in wonderful New South Wales!

The Snowy Mountains will be hard to see!

Hurray -- there are 3 Campers here at Cooma heading for Canberra. So am I, so I'm taking them with me!

Taxiing at Canberra

Total Profit: v$58,379.10

Flight #18

Feels like deja vu all over again! No helpful jobs heading from King Island. So, it's me, myself and I flying to Smithton.

A little more luck this time. Although there will be a few intermediate stops, I found 3 Tasmanian Adventurers going to St. Helens. Should be a nice sightseeing tour as we head off to Launceston in the interior of Tasmania. But, when I load up, I find that I'm 3kg overweight! So, while my passengers watch from the terminal, I'm going to do a quick loop to burn off a gallon of fuel....

And now it's off to Hobart.

The "wilds" of Tasmania, near Hobart

Okay, back to business -- I'm off to deliver my passengers to St. Helens.

One last leg to do today, and it will be just like my first -- all by myself. I'm going to Flinders Island. So long, Tasmania!

Leaving Tasmaina for Flinders Island

Impressive peaks on Flinders Island

Total Profit: v$56,925.60

Flight #17

Finally, a little free time opens up. So, I'm going to make up for lost time today. Unfortunately, there aren't any jobs going from Goolwa to any of my next six desitinations! So, It's just me early this morning, making the hop to Naracoorte.

Looks like North Carolina's Outer Banks to me!

Rats -- no helpful jobs at Naracoorte, either. So, I'll just press on to Ararat and try my luck there!

On my way to Ararat, I encounter "mountains"!

Looks like this is going to be a solo cross-country day. Very few jobs at Ararat, and none going my way. So, off to Mangalore I go.

More of the same -- nobody but me going to Lilydale. And it sounds like such a pleasant place!

The streak is broken! There are 3 Private Shuttle passengers and an Express Envelope headed for Philip Island. So, we're off with a full load.

Approaching Philip Island

From one island to another -- I'm heading off on my last leg for the day, to King Island, Tasmania.


Total Profit: v$54,816.00

Flight #16

Not too much activity here in Woomera, but it's time to move on. I did find 72kg of cargo needing to go to my next destination, Wudinna. And as I fly there, I leave behind the unique red dessert and enter back into the green world of southeastern Australia.

Even less activity in Wudina, so I'm off on a solo leg to my next stop, Port Lincoln.

Lots of farmland around Port Lincoln

Still no jobs going my way, but I'm keen to press on. So, one more solo hop, this time to Goolwa.

Beautiful countryside 15 miles from Goolwa (30 miles from Adelaide).

Total Profit: v$54,180.60

Flight #15

Real life continues to plague me, but I've squeezed out time for a hop to my next destination (Woomera). I'll be hauling 106kg of Priority Courier mail.

Coober Pedy

Heading out of the desert

Total Profit: v$53,762.60

Flight #14

Another quick hop today, carrying 186kg of Newspapers and 113kg of Priority Courier mail to my next stop, Coober Pedy.

Feels like Southern Australia to me!

Total Profit: v$53,231.55

Flight #13

I've been caught up in other FSE activities (I'm ferrying my new Douglas A-26 Invader from Peru to Australia!), so have been sitting at Ayer's Rock for more than a week now. One quick leg to Alice Springs this afternoon, taking 3 YAYE passengers.

On approach to Alice Springs

Total Profit: v$48,919.45

Flight #12

Gonna be a longer day today, but I'm determined to get to Uluru and pick up my mystery box!

It's getting a little lonely -- again, there aren't any jobs going my way. So, I'm off by myself, 212 miles to Esperance. Started out at 5,500 MSL with a 24 kt headwind (yuk), so I climbed to 6,500 MSL and found a 32 kt tailwind (yeah!).

Approaching Esperance

Waiting for me here were 2 Corporate VIPs and 1 crate of black ducks! This should make for an interesting trip!

Just a quick stop at this little dirt strip to log my landing, and I'm back off to my next destination (and that of the ducks!), Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Finally starting to see some of the Australian scenery I expected.

Found a few jobs waiting, but none that will fit in my Skyhawk. So, I'll take my 2 VIPs to Laverton.

I'm heading to my next stop (Warburton) alone on this next leg.

One passenger headed for Ayer's Rock, so I'll take him along! It's nearly dusk, and over 2 hours to YAYE, but I really want to get there today, so I'll press on.


Total Profit: v$46,454.35

Flight #11

I've taken a week off (real life vacation!), but I'm back in the saddle again. No jobs headed my way, so I'll start with a cross-country solo flight to Busselton.

A little better luck this time -- I've now got 3 G.A.S. passengers going to Katanning (which just happens to be where I'm going!).

Gotta love those tailwinds -- I'm cruising along at 7gph and 115kts groundspeed!

Western Australia looks a lot like Kansas to me!

Very few jobs here in Katanning, and none heading my way, so I'm off on my own to YABA. Yabba dabba do!


Total Profit: v$41,694.25

Flight #10

I've enjoyed my time in Shark Bay, but it's time to move on. This morning I've got a Priority Courier package headed for Geraldton.

Lots of farming country around Geraldton

Now I'm off to Morawa with a rather motley assortment -- 1 GAS Passenger, a 113kg Priority Courier package, and an Express Envelope.

Moon over Morawa

Nobody and no thing is going to Perth, so I'm off to spend some quality ILS time alone!

Good thing I got off the runway when I did!

Total Profit: v$39,365.55

Flight #9

Two Coporate VIPs this morning, heading to Port Hedland. I hope they're not too snotty for my little Skyhawk!

An uneventful flight, but that darn headwind made it take longer than it should have. But, the VIPs were very pleasant, and very understanding.

Two Air Taxi passengers this next leg, heading for Barrow Island right along my route!

Not much traffic at this airport, so I'm off for some quite time (alone) on my next leg to Learmonth.

Coming in to land at Learmonth

Better luck this time -- a Priority Courier package going to my next stop (Carnarvon), and 3 GAS passengers going to my final destination (the not-so-inviting Shark Bay). Unfortunately, that payload doesn't leave much left over for fuel, so I'm going to leave the courier package at the terminal.

I've been to Caernarfon in western Wales, but never Carnarvon in western Australia.

Total Profit: v$37,660.45

Flight #8

I'm departing Darwin, heading to Wyndham by way of Port Keats with 3 Great Australian Tour Supporters. These folks are really helping us out, providing jobs to keep us going on our way.

Almost a touch-and-go at Port Keats. Just a quick stopover to get my log book validated for the tour, and we're off again.

Approaching Wyndym, the scenery begins to change.

A longer hop than usual to Halls Creek this time. I'm taking 2 more Great Australian Supporters to Fitzroy Crossing on this leg.

Since the hills are growing a bit taller, I'll climb to 6,000 ASL.

Now a slightly shorter leg straight west to Fitzroy Crossing to deliver my passengers.

Not a cloud in the sky, and that sun is BRIGHT! On of the supporters even gave me a Sharpie pen, so I can mark my progress on my map. He's filled in my flights so far...

It's getting a little late in the day, but there's a great job headed for my next destination, so I'm going to squeeze one last leg in today, taking 3 Corporate Charters to Broome International. Looks like it's time to file an IFR plan again.


Total Profit: v$31,512.55

Flight #7

Lady Luck continues to smile on me. As soon as I check in at the FBO, I find a 3 passenger Charter going to my next destination, Borroloola. Gotta love a plane full of paying customers! But, you've got to take the good with the bad -- there's a 13 kt headwind, so this leg will take a bit longer than it should.

Climbing out of YMTI

Is this Australia, or Ireland?!

Swapping my 3 passenger for 3 new ones, I'll be completing today's tour around the surprisingly rectangular Gulf of Carpentaria -- I've found 1 Engineer to going to Groote Eylandt (my next stop), and 2 Corporate VIPs who I'll take to YMGD.

Approaching YGTE

I should buy a lottery ticket today! After unloading my passenger here at Groote Eylandt, I find a Miner headed for Gove (my next destination). So, I'm still full of paying customers!

Just showing off FTX Global scenery...

I've still got my VIP passengers. The only other job headed my way is 961kg of materials, which is just a little over my maximum (by about 860 kg!). So, after a quick turnaround, I'm off to Maningrida.

Just when I thought I'd used up my allotment of good luck, along comes another choice assigment. Although nobody's going to South Goulburn Island (at least, not on purpose), I've picked up 3 Cougar Air Taxi passengers headed for Darwin International (my intended stopping point for this flight). I am raking in the bucks today!

What a beautiful day for flying!

Why do the trees always line up with the runway?!

Darwin's a big airport, so I'm going to file an IFR flight plan. Don't really need to, but I like to make sure all the big boys know where I am.

Add caption

Total Profit: v$25,579.60  --  I've made my v$25,000 profit, so from here on out it's gravy!

Flight #6

Drat! I'm all set to go after a nice vacation here by the Lockhart River. And there's a job going my way... but it's 555kg. Too much for my Skyhawk. So, it'll just be me, myself and I as I head out to Scherger.

Well, happy day. At this stop, I find 2 Laborers and a Priority Courier package heading to my next destination, Pormpuraaw (say that 3 times fast!). The winds have really picked up, so this should be an interesting leg (between passengers, cargo and fuel, I'm within 10kg of my maximum weight). It'll be a slow climb all the way up to 4,000 ASL!

On approach to YPMP

There's no one heading to Normanton, so I'm back to flying solo for this leg.

As I approach YNTN, I start to see some hints of the red that I know will become more common as I head further east.

Starting to see red

A quick lunch from the vending machines (not my favorite, but I'm pressed for time), and then I load up 2 Aviation Mechanics and a Charter passenger, and we head off to Mornington Island.

Heading for YMTI -- I hope my GPS knows where it's going!

Time for some scuba diving!

Total Profit: v$17,335.60

Flight #5

After cutting my last leg short because of darkness, I'm off once again (a bit earlier in the day this time!). I'll be leaving Townsville and heading to Ingham (YIGM), Cairns International (YBCS),

I'll start out this morning with 2 Tasman Aviation passengers going to Ingham and 1 Bartek passenger going to Cairns. Surely I'll find more jobs in Cairns going my way....

Approaching Ingham in the morning mists

On the ground at Ingham, I find two more Tasman Aviation passengers heading to Cairns, so after a quick swap, I'm off with another full load.

It's a beautiful day to be flying (IFR) ....

Midway through my flight, the clouds rolled in, so I filed an IFR flight plan. Usually a good idea when I'm going to be landing at a major airport anyway. But sometimes, you do have to wonder about FSX's ATC. They had me zigzagging all over the place before I finally got lined up for a nice approach.

For an airport that calls itself "International", there aren't many jobs from Cairns. So, I'll carry on solo for a bit...

How lucky can one guy be? After landing at Cooktown, I find that a 3 passenger charter group for Lockhart River just arrived! With a brief touchdown at Coen, that's where I'm headed! This will be a nice v$2,000 paycheck!

The clouds are rolling in, the ceiling is lowering, so I'm glad to be stopping for the day.

Might be a dark and stormy night....

Total Profit: v$13,642.20 -- half-way to my goal, and not nearly half-way done, so things are looking good!

Flight #4

From Rockingham, I'm off to Mackay (YBMK), Hamilton Island (YBHM), Townsville International (YBTL), Ingham (YIGM) and finally Cairns International (YBCS).

I'm starting off with one Great Australian Tour Supporter (gotta love them!) going to Mackay, and one Tasman Aviation passenger going to Townsville. I'm hoping to find other jobs as I make my intermediate stops....

At Mackay, off-loading my passenger

Heading off-shore to Hamilton island

I sure hope I pick the right island!

You can't tell from the photos, but it's a very blustery day -- I'm really getting tossed around up here!

On ILS Approach to Townsville

As I arrive in Townsville, the sun has set and it's just to dark for me to continue to fly VFR. I didn't find any other jobs so I'm technically done for the day. So, I'm going to stop here for the night!

Total Profit: v$8,541.90

Flight #3

With this posting, I'll be all caught up to "real time".

After spending a few days enjoying Brisbane, I took off this morning and continued my northward journey. After an extremely quick hop to Redcliffe (YRED), I stopped in Maroochydore (YBMC), Hervey Bay (YHBA), Bundaberg (YBUD), and finally Rockhampton (YBRK). Another enjoyable 4 hour day.

Approaching Redcliffe (YRED); hard to focus with that gorgeous water view!

I get to go first!

The town and airport of Rockhampton (YBRK)

Total Profit: v$6,878.70