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Goondiwindi Flyaway Report
On the 23rd June the RAC held another Club Flyaway. Departing YRED Saturday afternoon at 1330, Stephen White and Ron Ennis in the C414 (FCZ), Bryan Galvin and Mike Butcher in the C172SP (SPP), Tom Hassall and Jeremy Rankin in the C182RG(NDP) and Rob Rey, James Redgrove and myself in the Bonanza (RMM), all set different tracks to Goondiwindi. The sky was 8/8ths blue as we headed almost south west, the countryside was looking magnificent after all the rain that has fallen recently.
As fairly new Instrument Rated pilots, Rob and I are enjoying the IFR flying as we get around all of the destinations for our flyaways as IFR Pilots. Particular mention now goes to PIC of the C182RG, Jeremy, on the outbound flight to Goondiwindi, when ATC is trying to give separation to 3 IFR aircraft all converging into Goondiwindi. It went something like this.....
ATC:(NDP, turn 30deg to the left for traffic separation, aircraft is a C414 and is converging on a similar track to you...) 2nd call...ATC: (NDP, turn 30deg to the left, C414 is at your 4 o’clock on a converging track...) ATC: (FCZ report sighting traffic NDP at your 10 o’clock.) FCZ (Looking for traffic). About 1 minute has passed....ATC: (FCZ you have now passed NDP: Break NDP resume flight planned route).
Jeremy assures us that he was on it and that he had a transmission problem....All we can say is “Push to Talk” mate.
We all landed without problems and quickly tied down all aircraft for the night. Stephen called for a maxi taxi but we had 2, to many people, so Tom thought that he would call the local ambos to come get us....but he didn’t know that Mike Butcher had a fall in securing the C172 and had a bit of a nasty gash on his forehead so the ambos were really needed. We all waited outside the Victoria Pub as Tom and Mike disembarked the ambo wagon.
Now booked into our resting place for the night, we all adjourned to the bar for well- earned drinks which turned into dinner and then some more well-earned drinks early into the morning. Brad Crompton joined us for dinner and it was great to meet up with him again and have a chat about all things aviation and more. We all wished Brad well with his new job in Perth. Also joining us for dinner was the ambo that helped Mike out earlier.
The night went on, stories got longer and more out of perspective...but one thing I do remember were the constant remarks by all of us to Jeremy “Pull up your jeans, we don’t have to see your Bonds” If it was said once it was said 100 times.
We all awoke to a beautiful crisp morning, walked to a small café for breakfast, back to the pub to pack up and out to the strip to return to YRED.
A great weekend away at a typical western country town, hospitality was great as usual, company was great and looking forward to doing it all again soon. Thanks to everyone for a great weekend. Special thanks to Jeremy for the entertainment.
L to R. Tom Hassall, James Redgrove, Rob Rey, Stephen White, Mike Butcher, Bryan Galvin, Ron Ennis, Jeremy Rankin, Mike Cahill.
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