01AUG21 | Mount Hotham to Essendon

Simulation Date/Time: Current date set to daylight.

Weather: Real World / Fair weather if real world is unsuitable for VFR operations.
If not using live weather, please be mindful of others who are using live weather and will be taking off and landing into the wind.

Distance: 160 nm

Est Flight Time: approx 80 mins

Aircraft: Any GA aircraft capable of 130 kias.

Altitude: Remain in class G airspace until Melbourne CTR. See waypoint notes below.

Flight plan
File as: YHOT YMFD YMEO YMNG BDF KIM WAN KAO CGB YMEN

GPS flight plan is available for FSX/P3D .pln, MFS2020 .pln, X-Plane .fms and Little Navmap. This package includes high resolution charts.

Navigation: Pilots are encouraged to navigate visually. For those less familiar the accompanying GPS flight plan is the recommended method of navigation.

Communications

Australia uses CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) for radio comms at uncontrolled airfields. During an event, Pilots are requested to broadcast intentions on the published CTAF. Pilots should also be aware that it is a VATSIM CoC (Code of Conduct) requirement that all pilots at uncontrolled airfields should monitor UNICOM on 122.800. Pilots should ensure that at least one of their radios (COM 2 being the most likely) is tuned to receive UNICOM transmissions in addition to transmitting and receiving on the published CTAF.

Pilots also should read this post regarding the implications of using VATSIM UNICOM for CTAF. It provides some insight into potential pitfalls for the unwary when monitoring 122.80 in a CTAF environment.

Scenery

Due to the plethora of simulation platforms now being used, scenery is left to the discretion of each pilot.

Flight details

• MOUNT HOTHAM [YHOT] Takeoff
  elev: 4260
  rwy: 11/29 asphalt
  CTAF: 126.75
  
  Tune DME to Melbourne VOR/DME (ML 114.1)
   
• MOUNT HOTHAM VILLAGE [YMHM] overfly not above FL125 - visual along Great Alpine Road
   
• MOUNT SUGARLOAF overfly not above FL125 - H-253° D-4.3 nm
   
• MOUNT SELWYN overfly not above FL125 - H-233° D-8.1 nm
  
  Not above 8500 ft within 90 DME ML.
   
• MOUNT COBBLER overfly not above 8500 ft - H-258° D-14.8 nm
   
• THE PINNACLE overfly not above 8500 ft - H-241° D-8.8 nm
   
• SAWMILL SETTLEMENT overfly not above 8500 ft - H-230° D-2.8 nm
   
• MANSFIELD [YMFD] T&G - visual along Mount Buller Road
  elev: 1050
  rwy: 13/31 grass
  CTAF: 126.7
   
• MERTON [YMEO] T&G - visual along Maroondah Highway
  elev: 1104
  rwy: 13/31 grass
  CTAF: 126.7
   
• GRANITE HILL overfly not above 8500 ft - H-265° D-11.1 nm
   
• MANGALORE [YMNG] T&G - H-272° D-14.5 nm
  elev: 467
  rwy: 05/23 18/36 asphalt
  CTAF: 121.1
  VOR: MNG 113.2
  
  Not above 7500 ft within 45 DME ML
  Not above 4500 ft within 30 DME ML
   
• BROADFORD [BDF] overfly not above 4500 ft - visual along the Hume Freeway
  *** Inbound reporting point if Melbourne APP is active ***
  
  Contact Melbourne APP (132.0) if active to arrange clearance into Melbourne CTR. Essendon TWR will issue the clearance closer to Melbourne.
  If Melbourne APP is not active, check if Melbourne (Snowy) Centre (124.0) is providing top down ATC for Melbourne.
  If there is no ATC, use UNICOM 122.8 to broadcast intentions.
   
• KILMORE [KIM] overfly not above 4500 ft - visual along the Broadford-Kilmore Road
  
  Not above 3500 ft within 20 DME ML
   
• WALLAN [WAN] overfly not above 3500 ft - visual along Northern Highway
  
  Not above 2500 ft within 15 DME ML
  
  Not above 1500 ft by Kalkallo or as directed by ATC.
   
• KALKALLO [KAO] overfly not above 1500 ft or as directed by ATC - visual along the Northern Highway and Hume Freeway
  *** Inbound reporting point ***
  If Melbourne APP is not active, contact Essendon TWR (125.1) approaching Kalkallo to obtain clearance into Melbourne CTR. Do not proceed until given clearance.
  If there is no ATC, use UNICOM 122.8 to broadcast intentions. There is no CTAF for Essendon.
   
• CRAIGIEBURN OVERPASS [CGB] overfly not above 1500 ft or as directed by ATC - visual along the Hume Freeway.
   
• ESSENDON [YMEN] Land - follow tracking instructions as directed by ATC. If no ATC, track 180° from Craigieburn Overpass until visual.
  elev: 282
  rwy: 08/26 17/35 asphalt
  TWR: 125.1

Charts
Note: Due to image size limitations, only low resolution charts are shown below. High res charts are included in the GPS flight plan package.