Lord Howe Island

The Tasman Sea is a 2500 km wide expanse of water that separates New Zealand from the continent of Australia. Islands in this southern ocean are few and far between and Lord Howe Island located about 500 km off the Australian eastern sea-board is exceptional. The remnant of a mighty shield volcano that erupted from the sea floor some seven million years ago. Lord Howe Island is so isolated that no human set foot here until 1788. It was a further 46 years before three British whalers settled on the island each accompanied by a Maori wife.

Today the island is administered by the State of New South Wales and enjoys World Heritage status. A small population of just 380 locals live on Lord Howe Island and the maximum number of visitors at any time is limited by law to 400 people. 

Apart from a small shipping service, locals and visitors alike rely on air transport for access and delivery of fresh supplies. For 32 years Lord Howe Island's air link was provided courtesy of flying boats. This service operated off the island's lagoon with a schedule that varied daily depending on local tides and fickle weather. An airstrip was built on the island in 1974. Nowadays, regular links to the Australian 'mainland' are no longer scheduled according to the tides, however, weather conditions still occasionally intervene. The most notable weather factor is winds that produce severe turbulence off the island's rugged terrain.

Lord Howe Island is also a Customs port and over the years Bazflyers have landed here when transiting the Tasman Sea for our necessary passport stamps required when arriving or departing Australia. In a wonderful way this service is uniquely delivered on Lord Howe Island by the same cheery lady who also runs the airport's small cafe. Where else in the world can you be processed through immigration and have a steaming hot coffee in hand....all served to you by the same friendly person? Long may it last....

 

Arriving overhead Lord Howe Island

Flying boats landed on the Lord Howe Island lagoon

BAZ and friends on Lord Howe Island

Special Privilege

Flying an aircraft is a privilege. Owning and flying one's own airplane is privilege at another level and in that sense the Bazflyers are especially privileged. 

Even after 46 years of flying aircraft the physics of controlled flight still never ceases to amaze. Then, as if this is not enough, there is that mixed emotion of freedom and responsibility as the takeoff surface falls behind and the machine is freed to do what it's designer envisaged. 

Aircraft come in all shapes and sizes. Some are are designed to operate using just the minimum of takeoff and landing surface. Other designs can be thrown around in the sky to perform seemingly impossible aerobatic manoeuvres. Our special privilege is a single engine Piper Comanche affectionally referred to by its unique registration of BAZ.

The Comanche airplane was originally designed in the late '50's with aerodynamics optimised for speed and long distance travel, features which makes it a perfect aircraft for the Bazflyers. Presently, BAZ and its Bazflyer crew are once again staying on Norfolk Island while transiting the Tasman Sea to Australia. This is our ninth arrival in BAZ on Norfolk Island so it could be an understatement to say we are known to the airport staff. 

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will again take responsibility for our special privilege and fly BAZ over 970 kms of ocean for a few days stopover on Lord Howe Island. We expect this flight to take a little more than 3 hours. No spectacular mountain scenery or places to visit along the way, however, an ever changing vista of sky and cloud formations are always a feast for the eyes.

Bazflyers

The view from 9000 feet