The Outback Air Race 2025: Day 1 – Nowra to Broken Hill

The Adventure Begins: Outback Air Race 2025 – Team Charlie A. Foxtrot Launches from Nowra

Yesterday, the wheels lifted off from home base — Nowra — and with that, the long‑anticipated journey toward the start line of the Outback Air Race officially began. The Piper Cherokee hummed under Vince’s steady hand as we tracked west, first to Griffith for fuel, and then onwards to the vivid reds and tough skies of Broken Hill.

Lift-off for Team Charlie A. Foxtrot from Nowra, NSW, enroute to Broken Hill via Griffith.

There’s something sobering about a trip like this. It’s not all big grins and postcard views — hours of hand‑flying through summer thermals, navigating the haze over long stretches of farmland, watching fuel burn tick down while the next strip still lies over the horizon. There’s grit in the cockpit air, a mix of dust and determination. But that same grit is what makes the Outback so magnetic.

Menindee Lakes, NSW. lit up by the afternoon sky through heavy rain showers.

“Cancel SAR Watch”. Arrival at Broken Hill.

Last night at Broken Hill, after 6.2 hours flying, we found ourselves absorbing a quintessential outback evening: with a terrific and a chance meeting with dear friends Moggs and Sandy M. who happened to be in town for the Mundi Mundi festival. A great night catching up, with a cold desert wind rattling, the weight of tomorrow starting to press—our departure for William Creek. That little dot on the map might look small, but it is gateway country; from there, the wide desert really opens.

This journey is about more than air miles—it’s for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Every outlying community we’ll pass relies on them, some daily. Flying this race is both privilege and responsibility. That’s why we’ll be sharing not just the shiny moments but the raw ones too, because the RFDS flies through both.

Tonight, though, I just want to pause and thank those who put wind in our sails before we even took off. To our family and friends who came out to the tarmac at Nowra, cheering us off with big hugs and bigger laughter, and to our sponsors and generous donors who’ve already backed Team Charlie A. Foxtrot — thank you. That farewell photo we snapped is proof: this isn’t just our journey, it’s ours together.

Looking ahead: Tomorrow it’s Broken Hill to William Creek, where the desert dust itself feels like part of aviation history. Give it 24 hours and we’ll be landing on the edge of Lake Eyre’s vast nothingness. In 72 hours, Yulara will come into focus — race start, and the beating heart of this adventure.

Follow Us: Track our progress live at https://outbackairrace.com.au/live-tracking/

Your turn: What do you want to see through my lens at William Creek? Is it the clapboard pub, the galaxy of stars spilling over the airstrip, or maybe the cockpit work behind the long legs? Drop me a comment or message — I’ll do my best to capture it in frame.

For now, here’s to day one and two. Dust in our boots, the horizon pulling us west, and every mile bringing us closer to why we’re really here — giving something back via the RFDS.

Please support Team 35 – and donate to the RFDS https://royal-flying-doctor-service-western-operations.grassrootz.com/outbackairrace25/team-35-charlie-a-foxtrot/donate