Our Aircraft
Australian Air Safaris is based at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne, Victoria.
In 1972, Tony Kirkhope purchased his first aircraft with the desire to travel into Australia's outback, a small single engine aircraft. We have since progressed to 7-10 seat aircraft and our most recent addition, a Cessna Grand Caravan EX.
Our aircraft are certified for flight in all weather conditions, and are equipped well above minimum standards with modern avionics, including traffic avoidance, weather radar and satellite navigation systems. We will get you to your destination on time, in comfort and above all safely.
Beechcraft King Air B200
Cruise Speed: 270 kt | 550 km/h
Max Cruising Altitude: 35,000 ft | 10,670m
Seats: 9 passengers
Air Conditioning: Yes
Pressurised: Yes
Toilet: Yes, for emergency use.
Cessna Grand Caravan EX
Cruise Speed: 180 kt | 330 km/h
Max Cruising Altitude: 10,000 ft | 3,048m
Seats: 9 passengers
Air Conditioning: Yes
Pressurised: No
Toilet: No
Piper Chieftain
Cruise Speed: 175 kt | 325 km/h
Max Cruising Altitude: 10,000 ft | 3,048m
Seats: 9 passengers
Air Conditioning: Yes
Pressurised: No
Toilet: No
Piper Navajo
Cruise Speed: 175 kt | 325 km/h
Max Cruising Altitude: 10,000 ft | 3,048m
Seats: 7 passengers
Air Conditioning: Yes
Pressurised: No
Toilet: No
Questions about our Aircraft
What size, is/are the aircraft?
Varies from 6 passenger to 10 passenger but typically the maximum is 8-9 passengers due to weight capacity.
What is the seating configuration?
Single rows of seats with a centre aisle, every seat is the window seat.
Is the aircraft low wing?
The Piper Chieftain, Navajo and Beechcraft King Air are low wing. Our Cessna Grand Caravan EX is a high wing aircraft. In all aircraft we encourage clients not to sit in the same seat. We rotate the seating after each sector so everyone gets a different view throughout the tour.
Is it hard to get in and out of the aircraft?
No, there are steps with hand holds so you don’t have to scramble in. We also carry a small step to help some people who may have trouble reaching the first stair.
What altitude will we fly at?
Depending on weather we fly between 3,000 and 10,000 feet on the Chieftain, Navajo and Grand Caravan EX. The King Air will fly generally at higher levels of around 25,000 feet although it can come lower for short “flightseeing” experiences.
Is there a toilet on board?
No, except for the KingAir. However there are always toilets immediately before takeoff and straight after landing. The longest sector across all of our tours is 2.5 hours.
What sort of aircraft will we be in?
We have a Beechcraft King Air, Cessna Grand Caravan EX, Piper Chieftain and Navajo in our fleet. These have rear stair entry, club seating and an aisle in the centre. They have big windows and great performance capabilities on short airstrips. The King Air is a multi engine turbine aircraft that is pressurised so it can climb to higher altitudes. The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is a single engine turbine aircraft and cruises at a maximum of 10,000ft. The Navajo and Chieftains are multi engine piston aircraft that are unpressurised and cruises at a maximum of 10,000 feet.
