Refueling at Cessnock has its own delightful experience. Its a Skyfuel outlet, but you can only buy out of hours from the automated bowser if you have a "Cessnock Skyfuel Canet". The alternative is suppossed to be a credit card machine, but when I used it it would only deliver 5 litres for each different card, I know Mooneys are efficient, but 10 litres was not going to get me very far at all.
You can however purchase fuel from Hunter Valley Aviation, you walk to them from the bowser, you then walk back to your aircraft and refuel, then you walk back to the office and pay (they accept credit cards) ($1.75/litre) then walk back to your aircraft (probably still near the bowser after the other people waiting to use the bowser have moved it. It delayed me by about 30 minutes. NWF is now asleep in a nice hangar there, but be aware that you have to buy fuel from Hunter Valley Aviation (or get a Cessnock Skyfuel Carnet card)

Hope this may save some time on the AGM trip.

Geoff
NWF

Ah-hah Geoff.

So they you are! NWF suddenly disapeared from your next door parking place at Jandakot, only now to re-appear at Cessnock!

MZG and NWF will once again be (not so near) neighbours later this year, when I return to my homebase of Maitland, when I'll probably continue with my portable hangar - a cockpit cover - it's easy then to travel between Maitland, Tamworth or BAF as I did last week before returning to Jandakot - you can always get avgas with BP Carnet, and there is oodles of open-air hangar space for just a few dollars a night at each of those airports!

Incidentally, return trip on Monday was 9.6 hours @ F180 - the first time I've had a tailwind component all the way travelling west (although after Norseman I lost the tailwind component).

Derby and the Fitzroy in 10 days, and then the east coast for April - may see you at Cessnock - call me.

Regards,

Tony

9.6 hours on nasal prongs ..!

I get a good cardio workout at Cessnock buying fuel myself!I like the airport because its busy and lots of aviation people to talk to - a jet or two , a few warbirds and so on. Its a nice airfield to fly in to at night also.

Garry Fraser is the CFI at Avondale Aviation - a very knowledgeable and respected pilot and the main regional Testing Officer/examiner. Also there is Reg Liszter I think (theory guru!)- I'm doing my Irex and ME Instrument rating with them on the Duchess over the next year ( very gradually!).Their teaching material is first class.


Down at Hunter Valley aviation quite a few instructors , but in particular Kathryn Harding, Stewart Hudson, and Dan Rogers (IFR instructor)are all very helpfull.

I find the airstrip one of the best. I am hangared in the most luxurious hangar I have ever seen. Flood lighting, showers, toilet, water, painted floor, vermin proofed, insulated roof and hangar doors that glide with a single touch. The other part of the building houses a pristine Boeing Stearman, its hangar has an old radio, old phone, old furniture, you would believe that you were in the first half of the 20th Century. The next hangar is equally salubrious, housing Tiger Moths and similar aircraft in pristine condition.

The hangars are surrounded by vineyards and beautiful mountains. It was at Cooranbong, just nearby, that I learned to fly with Avondale College, they are now at Cessnock and are the calmest and nicest bunch of guys that you could hope to meet (yes even when I was ICUS).

Its truly a beautiful airstrip, night flying is certainly great (but make sure you get a Cessnock Skyfuel Card if you need fuel at night). There is a NOTAM out that circuits on 35 are now Right hand day and night), but the new ERSA in use in 2 days time contains this change.

Geoff
NWF

Geoff I might catch up with you there some time - Cessnock is buzzing with aviation much of the time.

Im good friends with Trevor Corlett who owns the 1967 Cessna 182 ( he got me into flying) - he's probably housed in a hangar next to you by the sound of it. Trevor learnt at Avondale/Cooranbong also, and took me up there.

My dear wife and the other partner in our practice down ny Lake Macquarrie, is very tardy about me wasting all my money on flying, & wont budge on an aircraft purchase!!! I tell her the lights of Sydney are very beautifull at night etc but no......

Current project is taking a Piper Saratoga all over NT and Kimberlies May/June.

Mark,

You need to get my wife talking to your wife. Our aircraft is used to get to medical conferences all over Ausralia, along with CME weekends. It is therefore an essential business tool with the associated benefits. That is not to say she doesnt shudder when she sees the LAME accounts coming in and I have to admit the line about the cost of this or that being for our safety is wearing thin. However, I am very lucky, she enjoys flying and feels much safer in the air than on the roads.

Regards

That was my strategy from the start - conferences, family visits and (future) locums are the best excuse for a really interesting outing in an aircraft. Mrs ..... is still getting used to it all!

Hi Mark,

I hope you and your wife will be able to join us for dinner on either next Wed or Thur at YCNK. Email me or ph: 0421 485 850.