Comments on: Lake Eyre Flooding

By: Bruce Thomas

Bruce Thomas — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:41:10 +0000

I flew over the lake in early June , I took the precaution of ringing Terry White, William Creek flights, before going there. He recommended
Clockwise flight at a declaired altitude with a stated entry point.
the comments about 126.7 are correct perhaps 119.1 dedicated to the area down to Maree Man would be helpfull but CASA must make a notam
asap then publish in ersa the procedure, as ayers rock is.
This does’nt need 32 bureaucrats just speak to the local operatots and it can be done by tuesday

By: Scott Philiben

Scott Philiben — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:40:11 +0000

This might help

http://www.youtube.com/user/preciseflightOR

By: Maurice Waugh

Maurice Waugh — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:33:58 +0000

Paul and readers.

I was up there on the long weekend in June. The biggest problem is that everyone in using 126.7. Arkaroola, William Creek, Lake Eyre, Anna Creek Station, Marree … Everyone is over-transmitting each other and there is a heck of a lot of screeching going on. I shut the multicom down and stayed on area because it was worthless listening to it anyway! The people in the north don’t know that the people in the south are transmitting because they are out of range, but the poor sods in the centre can hear both and the frequency becomes unusable. When in flood, Lake Eyre needs a dedicated frequency to cut out all the multicom traffic and vice-versa.

Maurice Waugh

By: Scott Philiben

Scott Philiben — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:25:18 +0000

I still don’t get the logic of using the lights sparingly. The best use of the lights is to make the aircraft more visible and daylight tour operation is not going to encounter much in the way of a night landing. There could be a bit of humor here and possible a cheaper method for making money – “The air is so smooth at night it is almost like we are on the ground”
The not using the landing lights reminds me of sailing and right of way with a large vessel – I was right dead right in the way

Anyway the landing lights are 18 times brighter than the aircraft anti collision lighting aside from the strobes and the strobes are 3 times as bright but for a short period of time.

By pulsing the landing lights – you can actually extend the time they are viable into the 50 hour range and a consistent scheduled maintenance plan would then remove and replace the lights at that time. This is present technology

Pulsed or modulated HID (not turned on and off) can extend that margin by a factor of 50. If you are looking at a system that turns a HID on and off – your results and lamp life will not be as good – see http://www.youtube.com – preciseflightor for an example of the former.

Tour Operators in the US use this system for the same reason
and it seems to work effectively – it is worth a shot

By: Gerry Dick

Gerry Dick — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:57:36 +0000

Regarding “light on”, did you know that the landing lights are designed to last for only 15 hours? If you fly around with them on all the time they probably will not be available when needed most, such as in the circuit are? I just put the strobes and rotating beacon on, and use the landing light sparingly.

By: Peter Reardon

Peter Reardon — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:50:21 +0000

Is this not a good case for the application of ‘OPERATION LIGHTS ON’ for these scenic flights?

See the information on the Airservices Australia web at:

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/flying/specopinfo/docs/lightson.pdf

Perhaps a reminder in the NOTAM may help in the short term and occassional broadcasts of this reminder by ATS on all the relevant FIA frequencies say ‘on the hour’ every daylight hour?

Just a few immediate thoughts that may help ‘seen and avoid’ situational awareness.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:23:43 +0000

I hope somethimg is agreed to soon as I am leading a group from my 4WD club in WA to come to Wiliam Creek, where 8 of us will be booking a flight over the lake. I did the flight back in 2004 when there was a bit of water at the north east edge of the lake. There wasn’t any congestion then of course.