I am not the first nor the last to do this trip. You can glean information from a couple of others that have done it. First one is Lloyd Shepherd's flight across the Nullabor in an Acro11 and
also
Ken Caithness's flight across the Nullabor in an Jodel.
AOPA had an "
Airfield Directory" (but I cannot locate that now, check your local
library), and another set of publications (by State), called
"Country Airstrip Guide" published by Windsock Productions Pty Ltd.
The first one I picked up, SA, didn't have Minnipa in it,
so immediatedly, and probably wrongly disregarded the publication).
Would have saved a lot of heartburn if I had found these
books earlier.
Phone numbers have changed since I first wrote this, so I will leave it to the reader to find
the numbers, try
Yellow Pages
and using "Roadhouse and Motel as references for the Postcode. I also tried various search engines including The Web Wombat Search Engine but they did not turn up much for flyers.
Overflew Penong, the strip abutts the town and it is about half a kilometer to the local service station. Back to the top of the page
Overflew Nundaroo, there are several strips to the north of the roadhouse and it appeared that you could taxi up to the bowsers. I could not find a telephone number for this place in the Yellow Pages , and Nundaroo doesn't appear in the Postcode listing.
Overflew Yalata. A large airstrip, to the West of a large settlement,
but quite a long way to the
Roadhouse. Could not find this place in the Yellow Pages.
Subsequently advised that this is an Aboriginal Mission.
......... Mogas only, but check with the owners.
Nullabor has a bitumen north-South runway from which you can taxi to the bowsers. There is also a dirt East-West runway.
...........Avgas and Mogas available.
This strip is not shown on my 1992 (tenth edition) map.
It is on the border, marked as BP Travellers' Village,
the locals call it Border Village, and if you search
the Telstra Yellow Pages, it is at Eyre. Take
your pick!
There is at least one gravel/stoney
runway that leads to the Avgas refuelling point. Mogas can be obtained
from the Service station, this is about a 70 metre walk.
Although selling Avgas, they do not carry W100 oil, "it only lasts
a year".
Overflew this strip which is 2-3 Km from the Motel. It is a fairly large strip by Nullabor standards. Check with the owner if you need to get Mogas.
............No Avgas, Mogas only.
There is a Mundabilla Station, further west, this is the Motel
Two public phones, one takes phonecard.
The airstrip is about 1K South of the Eyre Highway. It is not marked on my
1992 (tenth edition) map. There is a main East-West runway,
and a North-South runway or
track that leads up to the Motel come Roadhouse. Before crossing the
highway, there is a cattle or camel grid that the Cessna front wheel took
without any problems.
The owner said he "had applied for a windsock, and hoped to have it
advertised soon"
You can taxi up preety close to the pumps.
Large strips, but unfortunately, a few kilometres north of the Roadhouse. If you ring here, they will suggest you go to Cocklebiddy to refuel.
.............Mogas only.
The airfield is not marked on the tenth edition of the map. Two fairly rough clay strips but one leads up to the petrol bowsers.
..............Avgas and Mogas
Four public phones, one at least takes Phonecard.
Quite a large strip, and very long track to the Avgas pump. If you want Mogas, then it is only a 40 metre walk.
The airfield is not marked on the tenth edition of the map.
It is at "Ballodonia Hotel", (there is a Balladonia Station to the East)
A fairly large East-West strip. Coming in from the western side,
the strip is down hill. If you are not aware of this, it makes for
a difficult landing.
There is a taxi-way to the Roadhouse, but did not go up to it.
The strip shown on the twelth edition of this map is a small dirt strip. On lading here we were greeted within a couple of minutes and told we had landed at the wrong strip. There is a new, and what appeared from the air, a faily large new strip to the North of the town. This new strip is about 2 Km from the local service station.
This is listed in the ERSA. I mention it as it is a 3 Km walk, if you can't hitch a ride, to the Service station.
This is also listed in the ERSA. If you ring the Shell, you will be told that fuel is supplied in 200 litre drums. Best to go to the next strip down the road at Meridian, also listed in ERSA.
These are on separate pages.
Another pilots story Lloyd Shepherd flew the Nullabor in an Acro11
Another one Ken Caithness flies across the Nullabor in an Jodel
Some lessons learnt
or what may be called "reinventing the wheel".
Notes on the GPS Some
comments on the Gammin GPS.(Technology has changed a lot since)
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