10/5/14: Cross Country Navigation #4 (Dual): Kingaroy, Jimbour and Gympie (diversion to Dayboro)

Pre-flight planning all done, I was looking forward to my 4th cross-country navigation dual flight.

My route today is Archerfield (YBAF) - DBO (Dayboro) - Kingaroy (YKRY) - Jimbour (YJBR) - Gympie (YGYM) - Archerfield (YBAF).  This flight will see me take a Northern departure from Archerfield and a Northern arrival to Archerfield via Dayboro.

Nav #4: YBAF - DBO - YKRY - YJBR - YGYM (divert to DBO) - YBAF

Today I'm flying with Dave, the Senior Instructor who will be looking to see I can demonstrate competent and safe navigation flight as the next one will be my first cross-country solo!  :-)

Ground gave me taxi instructions to runway 10L for a Northern departure.  After take-off, I turned onto left crosswind, then onto downwind, taking up my track towards the Indro bridge to the right of the Mount Cootha TV towers.  I then tracked towards the dam wall at Lake Samsonvale before heading to Dayboro.

From Dayboro, I took up my first leg to Kingaroy.  Arriving at Kingaroy, a call come over the CTAF frequency of another aircraft in the vicinity joining the circuit, so we stayed well wide of the runway and extended the downwind leg until the traffic was sighted (as you can see on the GPS tracking on Google maps).

Touch-and-go at Kingaroy

After a touch-and-go at Kingaroy, Dave asked me to do a low-level (500ft AGL) leg to Jimbour.  Arriving at Jimbour, I had some difficulty sighting the airstrip.  After doing a 180 degree turning and lifting my wing, there it appeared!  Apparently I had arrived on a perfect downwind leg not realising it :-)  The Jimbour airstrip is privately owned and is simply a strip without any markings, so looked like a road to me. 

I did a precautionary search and landing to check for obstacles and check the condition of the airstrip.  All looked fine, so I completed a full stop landing and Dave and I hopped out for lunch and a look around.

Precautionary search and landing at Jimbour

Right next to the airstrip is the Jimbour House.  Today heritage-listed Jimbour House remains a private residence with its interior open only for special events. Visitors are welcome to tour the grounds and magnificent gardens which are open daily for a donation upon entry. The grounds and Chapel (circa 1868) provide a stunning setting for weddings and the venue also caters for a wide range of functions and corporate events.

Jimbour (YJBR) airstrip next to Jimbour house

In its early days Jimbour was one of the great properties of the Darling Downs, stretching over 300,000 acres from the Bunya Mountains to the Condamine River and from the present site of Dalby to Jandowae.  It was the property from which Ludwig Leichhardt commenced his famous trek across western Queensland to eventually arrive at Port Essington in the Northern Territory.

After a bite to eat and a tour of the Jimbour house gardens, Dave and I took off tracking to Gympie.  Not far out of Jimbour, Dave asked me to divert to Dayboro.

A quick heading estimate of 095 degrees and I turned onto that heading noting my position (over the town of Bell) and the time.  I then calculated the distance and ETI to Dayboro based on known ground speed.  I then worked out a more accurate heading and made the slight adjustment.

From this point it was map to ground and ground to map checks.  As I picked up positive fixes along the way, I checked this against the required track to Dayboro.  Crossing a mountain range, Dayboro appeared out my left window.  From here, it's a visual arrival into Archerfield keeping the TV towers to my left (Western side of the TV Towers).

I made my inbound call and reported at Centenary Bridge with Tower giving me join base runway 10L.  Full stop landing, taxi back to the apron, another fun cross-country flight completed  :-)

My next flight will be my first cross-country solo... Archerfield - Wondai - Maryborough - Archerfield.

However I'll need to pass my RA-Aus navigation & meteorology exam before I do my first solo, so I'll be busy hitting the books.

Until next time, have fun and fly safe!