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trav
21-12-2005, 08:18 PM
Hi all,

Wow, first post time. Hope I get this right...

I've had the idea for a while of taking a few people and some equiptment to a country location for a one night only viewing. Trick is that I'm a pilot and my idea is to jump in a plane at Essendon after work or early afternoon on a weekend and head out to a smallish airport somewhere north of the range and set up at the airport. Most airports are not lit unless a plane turns them on and they're also usually a fair distance from whatever town they're near. Also, most have horizion to horizon views as a bonus.

Typically I can get about 130-140nm (240-260km) in an hour in the plane and this costs about $220 each way. Between 4 people thats about $110. Not cheap I know, but you get to leave late afternoon and come back whenever you want (2-3am?).

Equiptment would be limited to SCT's, refractors and smaller reflectors due to space / weight limits in the plane, but the sky's be dark and the trip short...

Would anyone be interested in coming with me one night in the new year?
:ship2:

Cheers,

iceman
22-12-2005, 05:47 AM
Hi Trav.

:welcome: to the forum. I did get your email, sorry I didn't get a chance to reply. But you've done the right thing and posted it here for general comment :)

How did you hear about us?

trav
22-12-2005, 09:10 AM
Cheers,

Found you eventually in AS&T from your article. I'd been looking for ages for a decent Australian based site.

xstream
22-12-2005, 11:51 AM
Pick somewhere like Mt Hotham Trav and you'll even get in altitude viewing.

Oh, and welcome to the house of horrors. :)

fringe_dweller
23-12-2005, 12:45 AM
wow your actually going live my astro fantasy! except it was a helicopter not a plane in my dream :reindeer:

ballaratdragons
23-12-2005, 02:36 AM
Don't bother using Ballarat Airport. Too many lights aroung coz it's only about 2k out of the town.

trav
23-12-2005, 03:20 PM
Mt Hotham is on my list of possible sites, so yeah the height advantage can be acheived:-)

At this stage the most likley candidate sites are:
Hamilton in western Vic (6km from town but it's over a rise, no nearby highway (like Shepparton) either. No lights for about 5km and only a small town then;
Echuca;
Mt Hotham, but the landing fees are high and I think they run 24x7 security lighting;
Anywhere north of Bendigo :confuse3: ;

xstream
23-12-2005, 04:37 PM
Corowa, would be worth a thought.
Reasonable skies there also.