Thanks to owner Phil Ward, who sent these pictures of Sydney Harbour, taken from around 500 feet in his A22LS Foxbat Amphibian. Only helicopters and float planes can fly around the harbour like this…time to put some floats on your Foxbat!
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Hi Peter, I don’t wish to be putting any cold water on your story of Phil Ward however one doesn’t have to own a float plane nor a helicopter to fly in Sydney Harbour. I draw your attention to the Sydney General Flying Guide which incorporates the VFR Coastal Route Victor 1. This is an excellent document and sets out precisely the North and South bounds routs with full directions on reporting points etc, I have flown this scenic route on a couple of occasions and it is a great experience, in fact I did one of the flights in a Foxbat, without floats. Best regards, Peter Lefrancke.
Hi Peter – you are quite right about Victor 1, indeed I have flown it myself many times in a Foxbat. However, flying inside Sydney Harbour (designated ‘R405A and B’) – rather than north/south past the heads – has much more stringent limitations and as I understand it, only float planes and helicopters are allowed inside these restricted areas.
For PL’s info….anyone can fly Victor 1 but then you have to get clearance from ATC to do Harbour orbits (which is a lap of the harbour east of the bridge at 1500 ft) but you cant fly west of the Harbour Bridge at all. Seaplanes and helicopters can fly from Ryde Bridge along Parra river and over the southern pilon at 500 ft and then fly over the Harbour at 1000ft, pretty special I reckon.Give Pete Foxbat a call and order a Foxbat float plane and then you will not only get to enjoy an incredibly wonderfull little machine but you can share this amazing flying experience. Phil