Planning

The day started at Camden Airport (YSCN), a familiar place where I’ve done most of my training. Camden is a beautiful general aviation field southwest of Sydney. It has two runways—one paved and one grass—and it’s surrounded by rolling countryside. Historically, it served as a training base during WWII and continues to be a major hub for general aviation in NSW.

I had spent a lot of time preparing for this flight. My original plan was to fly a triangular route: Camden → Shellharbour (YSHL) → Goulburn (YGLB) → Mittagong → Camden. I had carefully plotted the route on my VTC, calculated fuel requirements, altitudes, headings, and wind drift using the BOM forecast and NOTAMs. It was a comprehensive plan.

But as aviation teaches us, weather always gets a vote.

The Weather Has Other Plans

When I got to Camden in the morning, the winds were stronger than forecast—up to 15 knots, gusting 20, but aligned with runway 24, so still manageable. However, Shellharbour was getting gusts up to 26 knots, with a significant crosswind component. Goulburn was worse, with low scattered cloud at 1,500 feet AGL—not good for VFR, especially for a first navigation flight.

My instructor Peter (not me—different Peter!) made a few phone calls, including to a friend down at Shellharbour, who confirmed the winds were pretty harsh. We waited a while. I did the pre-flight checks, and we discovered the plane already had a full fuel load—perfect.

Eventually, conditions stabilized enough that we felt confident about flying part of the route: Camden to Shellharbour and back. Not the full triangle, but still an excellent chance to log time and practice navigation, radio work, and circuits.

Departure: Camden to Shellharbour

This was my first time requesting a departure climb clearance from Camden Tower after takeoff, instead of leveling at circuit height until exiting the control zone. I was cleared for a climb straight out, which gave me more time and mental bandwidth to focus on navigation early in the flight.

From Camden, I turned southeast toward the coast, staying clear of Wilton, which hosts parachuting operations, and Wedderburn Aerodrome, an uncontrolled airfield with active circuits. I used Appin township and the nearby Cataract Dam as prominent VFR waypoints. The dam, especially, is a striking landmark visible from miles away—an excellent visual reference.

Passing over the scout campgrounds near Cataract and crossing the final ridge, the coastal plain opened up and I could see Shellharbour Airport in the distance.

Arrival at Shellharbour Airport (YSHL)

Shellharbour (also known as Albion Park) is a coastal airport serving the Illawarra region. It’s home to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), and on a clearer day, you might even spot a Connie or Caribou parked on the apron.

I tuned into the AWIS and got current weather—light winds and good visibility. We listened on the CTAF but heard no traffic. Peter made a call requesting a radio check; no response. That confirmed we had the place to ourselves, though we still remained vigilant for any inbound aircraft.

We planned a simulated landing on Runway 26, entering overhead at 1,500 feet and descending on the dead side to 1,000 feet circuit altitude. This was my first circuit entry at Shellharbour, and the right-seat view made orientation slightly tricky. Still, I used ground features and map prep to plan my turns.

Peter handled the flaps on final—something I could’ve done myself, but I was grateful for the reduced workload. I executed a stable approach, but we didn’t land. Instead, we performed a go-around, climbed out at 80 knots, and decided to extend the flight with a scenic coastal leg.

Scenic Detour Over Wollongong

From Shellharbour, we turned north, skirting the edge of Wollongong. I flew over the steelworks, tracked the beach, and enjoyed unlimited visibility across the Tasman. I could even make out the curvature of the Earth—a stunning perspective.

This detour wasn’t just for sightseeing; it gave me more opportunities to practice trimming, altitude control, and orientation while soaking in a gorgeous view.

Return to Camden via Menangle

On the way back, I retraced my outbound route: over Cataract Dam, Appin, and skirting Wilton’s drop zone. Originally, I had planned to re-enter Camden via The Oaks, but our new position made Menangle a more logical inbound point.

This was my first time entering via Menangle, and Camden Tower cleared us to join a left base for Runway 24—another first. I had only ever flown right-hand circuits into 24. As I turned in, I couldn’t immediately see the sealed runway—just the grass runway and hills in the distance. That brief disorientation cleared up as I aligned with final.

On short final, I pulled the throttle to idle—at least I thought I did. But the throttle offered some resistance, and I inadvertently left a bit of power in. As a result, the landing roll was longer than usual, and I exited via the grass taxiway—also a first for me.

Peter later confirmed that the throttle friction had tripped up others before, so it wasn’t just me.

Final Thoughts

This flight taught me a lot—not just about navigation and radio work, but about flexibility, decision-making, and trusting the process. I didn’t fly the full triangle I had meticulously planned, but I flew a safe, productive, and enjoyable sortie. I exercised my skills and sharpened my judgement.

It was also a valuable chance for Peter (the instructor!) and me to get to know each other in the cockpit. That rapport will be essential as I continue my training toward the PPL.

Flying that Cessna 172S—so stable and forgiving—reminded me why I love this journey. I’m proud of this milestone and excited for what’s next.

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