In the summer of 2009/10, a small group of Autogyro pilots conducted a trial of an aerial coast watch that covered sections of the coastline between South West Rocks just north of Port Macquarie up to the beaches of Byron Bay.
Armed with the knowledge and experience gained over those 5 months, a group of volunteers is again running an aerial coast watch, this time focusing their attention on a smaller area around the Clarence Valley.
From the 18th Dec through the school holiday period until the 30th January, an Autogyro MTO Sport will provide surf clubs of the area with a platform they can use to gather aerial information about the beaches they are patrolling.
Each morning at 10am, and again at 12pm on the weekends, the MTO Sport aircraft will do a sweep of the beaches between Wooli south of Yamba, and Woody Head to the north.
It is hoped that this volunteer based initiative will help raise awareness that there is another alternative when it comes to aerial observation and support of both our coastal and rural areas.
Traditionally this sort of aerial platform can only come from either a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft, both of which have their disadvantages.
In the case of the helicopter it is their prohibitive cost – while they are perfect for aerial work, they are extremely expensive to run and maintain, limiting their usefulness to many organisations.
And while a fixed wing aircraft may run a little cheaper, they cannot provide the same level of operational capability.
An Autogyro is both extremely cost effective and at the same time provides most of the functionality of a helicopter making them ideal for any aerial observation and support role such as this coast watch initiative.
To book a flight for yourself or someone you know who would enjoy it, simply click here now to get the details.
