11/16/2000 -- Cairns, Australia
World Flight 2000 touches down in Cairns. We left Darwin this morning at about 11:30 am on our first VFR flight since we left the US. VFR is a pilot term for flying under Visual Flight Rules which means that navigating the plane is done primarily by looking out the window at the ground. IFR or Instrument Flight Rules require that the pilot be instrument rated and navigation is done strictly by looking at the gauges inside the aircraft. For international flying it is helpful to fly IFR because it makes it easier on the air traffic controllers and the pilots. The problem with IFR flying is that it is usually at high altitudes and the pilot cannot deviate off course which isn't very good for sight seeing. Today we were able to fly across Australia VFR flying low to get a good view of the terrain and the coast. After being briefed by local pilots on the rules and regulations of flying we found them to be very similar to the regulations in the US.
We started the flight out by heading directly to Jabiru Airport near Kakadu National Park. Unfortunately the wet season is just beginning in this area so none of the streams were flowing but by the end of the wet season the entire area is filled with magnificent waterfalls. Looking out my window could see were the water had craved away the land leaving beautiful lush canyons in an otherwise arid desert. The streams had been reduced to little more than a few standing pools of water leading up to the sides of cliffs, which will in the following months become raging water falls.
After spending the first several hours down around 500 ft above the ground meandering along towards the east the afternoon thunderstorms began to build and the temperatures in the outback of Australia began to rise. We climbed to higher altitudes in order to reach cooler temperatures and smoother air. During the flight I took the opportunity to climb to the back of the aircraft and adjust the voltage regulators for the generator that I had fixed in Darwin. In order to get the generators paralleled most accurately it is important for them to be warmed up and is best done in flight. Let me take a second to explain what a generator is and why they need to be paralleled. The generator bolted on to the engine when the engine turns it spins the generator, which works exactly the opposite of a direct current electric motor. When electricity is applied to an electric motor it spins. When an electric motor is spun it produces electricity. The generators on our plane are just like the generators on older cars and similar to the alternators found on newer cars. The major difference on the plane is that she has two engines and each one has a generator. If necessary either generator can supply the power for the lights and the instruments. This level of redundancy greatly increases the safety of the plane. A part can break with out affecting the safety of the flight and then can be repaired after landing. When both generators are working together they need to be paralleled so that they share the work equally.
The flight ended up being longer than planned because afternoon thunderstorms forced us deviate far off course. If we dared to get to close we got a quick reminder of their strength as they tossed the airplane around like a little toy. After almost seven hours we reached Cairns international airport. Everything was pretty quite and most of the businesses were closed. We took a walk down the tarmac looking for the infamous AeroCommander Maintenance shop that we had heard about. At the very last hanger we finally found the shop with four of the newer AeroCommanders parked out front. I pulled a flashlight out of my pocket to give them a quick look over. It seems that almost every plane has something a little unique to them. These had been fitted with bubble windows allowing passengers to get a much better view. It would also be great for taking pictures.
Starved for food as we are after almost every flight we first attempted to call a taxi, but the pay phone was out of service at the small pilots' lounge. We decided to start walking in to town figuring that a cab might pass or we might find something to eat near by. Well it turned out to be a good walk to get to the nearest place to eat, which turned out to be Subway. A security guard at the airport recommended the Flying Horseshoe Motel, as a cheap place to stay which was just a little further down the road. We settled in for the night and made a few calls just to make sure that everything is still going smoothly back in New York. I hope to be asleep shortly. If technology will be friendly tonight, I will be able to send this journal back through AOL. Now how can I get the phone jack to fit into our computer?
Off to Dreamland...
