September 25 Day 4 The Flying Part

Our plan was to fly north along the edge of the Ranges to have a look at Siller's Lookout and the Beverley Uranium Mine. It was fine and pretty smooth and so we stayed relatively low at about 2500 to 3000 feet. We were following the A team and could just occasionally make them out a few miles ahead and we could hear them organising their position over the numbers. The junction between desert and range really was something to see. We got a good view of Beverley, which is owned and operated by the Americans. It is named after the wife of Bill Siller of Siller's lookout fame. Bill was the geologist who predicted that uranium would be found out on the plain and not in the mountains. Canny bloke.

We got a good look at the mine from the lookout the day before and I lined it up with the rivers on either side so we could find it from the air. It was pretty rugged country and we didn't want to spend too much time flying low looking for it. So we overflew Bev Yellowcake and then turned and made a run down the line of the range looking for the valley. It was difficult to spot as it was on the right hand side of the aircraft and I couldn't get much of a view. We failed on the first attempt and pulled around for another circuit with ISB now behind us repeating its run.

Majella spotted the lookout on this second run and we turned west down the valley to make a pass for the photographers. The morning tour was on the summit and it was great to see the two trucks perched on the little flat on top of the knoll with all the tourists gathered around them.

From Siller's we turned north once again to overfly Moolawatana station on the north-east corner of the ranges. Andrew was a few miles in front and Anthony a few behind. From there we tracked west along the northern edge of the ranges enjoying the low rugged hills that gradually spill out of the larger peaks further to the south. Andrew was now tracking direct to Leigh creek for gas and Anthony called that he was cutting the corner to join him so we swung south and joined the race. We were surprised to see quite a lot of water in some of the creeks draining the western side of the ranges and we overflew some beautiful gorges.

Soon we had Andrew in sight and we were descending into Leigh Creek which is dominated by a massive open cut coal mine called Telford to the northwest. We got a pretty good view of it on the way in though the town itself wasn't much to look at. We landed no 2 to Andrew at 11:30 with a flying time of an hour and 48 minutes.

It was still pretty early and Nat was not feeling very well. The morning had had so many moments it had taken a lot out of us all. So we watered the horses and had a light lunch. Then we lay around under the wings of the planes on the tarmac chatting and reading and generally kicking back. Andrew rang Wilpena Sound our next destination and they were'nt very happy about our plan to land at their strip. Their chief pilot reckoned the strip was too short for the Cherokee and he advised the use of a longer strip further to the south. Always best to take local advice except on matters of politics, religion and love. So we did as suggested.

Blasted off around 1300 no 2 to Andrew bound for Rawnsley Park Station. It was now quite hot and bumpy and with full fuel we had a heavy load. So it was a sluggish old climb up to 6500 feet so we could be well clear of the Heysen Range and the Pound beyond it to the south. It was spectacular country and ISB made a fine sight scooting low and to our left; its white outline starkly contrasting with the magnificent tans of the hungry landscape. Mountains below included Samuel (2560), Falkland (2560), Hayward (2328) and Rupert.

Andrew made his descent call past the range and we could see the forbidden Wilpena strip and the resort where we were staying the night.  Rawnsley Park was hidden by the wonderful bluff of the Pound. It really is an impressive piece of geology and it reminded me of Gosse's Bluff in the McDonnell ranges far to the northwest. We descended to 3500 but held our height there as we flew east along the escarpment. Dustin sighted the Emerald Hippie low and skirting another little range to the east, tracking south. Andrew called crosswind for the Park and so I decided to follow him in. The strip soon appeared from behind the bluff and now we were on descent and maintaining no 2 position to RCN.

Rawnsley Park was a long, nice looking strip running up hill to the north. It was nestled in a small valley and with a bit of a westerly blowing it was greeting us with quite a bit of turbulence. I joined crosswind as Andrew was on short final and Anthony called long downwind. It was all happening. In the end Andrew called a go round and it caught me in a pretty awkward position. I knew he couldn't see me and there was the potential for conflict. Anthony called himself clear 500 feet above the circuit and so I asked Andrew if he could extend his crosswind leg and allow me to switch to no 1 in the circuit. That posed no problems for him and although we encountered quite a lot of turbulence on the turn for final we alighted on the strip with the gentlest of touches. It is a great thing to fly as a team and to have complete confidence in each other. Anthony followed no 2 and I got some nice shots of the Hippie landing no 3. Hoorah! just how good is this!