The route for the GAAR 2012 starts from where the GAAR 2011 finished, Cairns (YBCS).  It weaves a course up through the remote and often dangerous Cape York Peninsula, passing over the northern most point of Australia, before crossing Torres Strait to Papua New Guinea.  The Flight Legs will then take us up through some of the most rugged parts of the New Guinea Highlands before dropping back down to the coastal plains.  After crossing Torres Strait again, we finish with a leisurely flight to Cooktown in Far North Queensland and another well earned rest.

Once an administered Territory of Australia, Papua New Guinea is the world's fifty-fourth largest country.  It's geography is very diverse and, in places, extremely rugged.  A spine of mountains, the New Guinea Highlands, runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region mostly covered with tropical rainforest.  Along with the dense rainforests in the lowland and coastal areas as well as very large wetland areas surrounding the Sepik and Fly rivers, this terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure.  In a lot of these areas, airplanes are the only mode of transport and flying can be treacherous, particularly in the mountains with the highest peak being Mount Wilhelm at 14,793 ft.

Surrounded by coral reefs, Papua New Guinea is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the point of collision of several tectonic plates.  There are a number of active volcanoes, and eruptions are frequent.  Earthquakes are relatively common, and are sometimes accompanied by tsunamis.  Papua New Guinea is also one of the few regions close to the equator that experience snowfall, which occurs in the most elevated parts of the mainland.

The Flight Schedule and Reporting Dates for each Flight Leg are detailed in the table below.  PIREPs for each Flight Leg must be received by 2359 hrs UTC on the date indicated.  Any late PIREPs will result in a "Withdrawn" being recorded against the entrant.  PIREPs can be submitted in advance of the required Reporting date.  All details regarding PIREP submission are under the "PIREPs" link.