Flying home for christmas (?) - a new USA-Norway adventure.

[Medtner]

Very nice update, the rain and night in those first few look horrific, not sure I'd want to go up lol.

thanks,
Lewis

Haha, it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked - I think the darkness made it look worse. It took 5 minutes after departure to get out of it. Anyway - I had good help from ATC who guided me to the next island.

[Medtner]

Leg 16: Piarco International Airport (TTPP), Trinidad, to Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, French Guiana (SOCA).

I've started the longest legs of this trip, this one being 660nm. On Piarco airport I had both flaps tightened up a little, and added a quart or two of oil to the engine.

I've run out of paper charts, not finding any good sources for charts for South America. GPS is back in action. Boring as hell, but easy...


Early morning departure from Piarco, Trinidad. It was hot, before starting the engine the oil-temp was way above the peg - at 85F outside it's no surprise.


Climbing into the sunrise - always nice. I opted for a cruise climb to keep the engine cool.


Cruising along at 11.500 feet. Having initially aimed for Georgetown VOR in Guiana, I'm now about to pass over New Amsterdam.


Next country - they are passing by with regular 2 hour intervals it seems. This is Surinam, and its largest international airport, Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. It had my second VOR waypoint.


Finally reaching French Guiana, on a long left base for runway 8 at Cayenne...


... and a subsequent long final. I'm always careful not to shock cool. Though this may not be a problem in this heat?


At 5:40, the elapsed time is not too far from what my flight planner said it would be. Headwind was a constant factor, so I'm guessing I made good time. I used a bit over half my fuel, so I'm now confident that, winds being neutral, I can reach Ascention Island with no trouble.


An uneventful flight, and I hope it stays that way!

[TymK]

Hi Erik,

I bookmarked the topic earlier to keep an eye on your exploits, but then got swamped with work and stuff, so now I'm finally catching up. The shots are nothing short of spectacular, especially for someone who also has a strict policy of staying in the VC throughout the flight, and the narration is a nice touch on top of that

I hope you don't mind me asking about some technicalities. I understand you are using FTXG/Vector, but have you added any other sceneries, especially for the Bahamas? Plus, what sky textures are you using? I'm on a hunt for a good set of those...

Keep the shots coming

Tym

[EDIT: I've just located your post on the scenery add-ons, please ignore that question... ]

[CafeRacer500]

Looking good as always! Keep it up

[Medtner]

Hi Erik,

I bookmarked the topic earlier to keep an eye on your exploits, but then got swamped with work and stuff, so now I'm finally catching up. The shots are nothing short of spectacular, especially for someone who also has a strict policy of staying in the VC throughout the flight, and the narration is a nice touch on top of that

I hope you don't mind me asking about some technicalities. I understand you are using FTXG/Vector, but have you added any other sceneries, especially for the Bahamas? Plus, what sky textures are you using? I'm on a hunt for a good set of those...

Keep the shots coming

Tym

[EDIT: I've just located your post on the scenery add-ons, please ignore that question... ]

Good to hear that someone is reading! I'm trying to do this as realistically as I can do, with my current knowledge. I learn lots from it, and my landings have become really good and consistent. Therefore the outside shots are never (apart from the one exception in Florida) from flight - only when parked.

I'm using a landclass-upgrade for South America as well (From SceneryTech), and I'm sure it helps a lot. I am going to breeze through anyway to save time - I want to spend some time around Madeira and Tenerife and also not rush too much through Europe.

I'm using REX4, but don't remember the exact textures I use. I just chose one rather quickly and moved on. Active Sky Next is delivering wonderfully interesting weather.

I'm also using A2A Simulation's Accusim Cessna 182 Skylane, just to complete the picture. The Cessna is the most important thing here - I would never concider doing a trip like this in a, say, Carenado plane. The living machine and the wonderful flight dynamics of the Accusim-planes makes these trips feel organic and alive. Other addon-aircraft are static, stale and staggeringly boring.

I hope to reach Fortaleza on my next trip - a loooong leg indeed, just over 1000nm if I follow the coastline.

[CafeRacer500]

Have to take a look at that landclass product before I reach s-america thanks for the tip

[Medtner]

Leg 17: Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, French Guiana (SOCA), to Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (SBFZ), Brazil.

A fantastically long, and, as Stephen Fry would put it, "an arse-paralyzingly boring" trip.

1060nm in cruising altitude over a landscape that could use an Orbx-touch of magic is actually worse than being over the ocean... It is safer, but less interesting.

Anyway, here's a few shots from the highlights, as it were...

Lining up at Cayenne.


Crossing the VOR station at the airport in Belém. Using VORs in both outbound and inbound radials I managed to navigate purely by those, just keeping the GPS for reference.


Doing the same at the airport in São Luís. 2/3 of the way there...


After ages, my hair turning grey and my limbs creaking and unbendable like dry twigs, I arrive at Fortaleza. Large city with the airport smack in the middle - lovely...


The final approach took forever - I had a bit of tailwind during this trip (making a monstrously long trip become only semi-monstrous), and this made for a looooong approach. My groundspeed was about 45 kts, and I had to do a long downwind due to traffic.


PUH!!! It's over 30 degrees Celsius here, and after touching down I open up my window...


For the record... I had 49.4 hours on the tach when parking in Cayenne, and 56.0 hours when parking here in Fortaleza. Could have been worse. I hope I'm blessed with a tailwind out to Ascention Island too, as this will make for a not-so-much-pucker-factor, and save me some dreary flying.


Visited the tower at Pinto Martins, and snapped a picture of my Skylane.

[Medtner]

Leg 18: Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (SBFZ), Brazil, to Fernando De Noronha Airport (SBFN).

The crossing of the Atlantic Ocean has started. The winds these days are not very helpful - I had about 20 knots direct headwind this whole leg. Wonder what kind of calamities that will spring upon me when I'm headed for Ascension Island in my next leg...


After packing a newly bought life raft and some other survival gear for the crossing of the Atlantic, I'm preflighting my Skylane. As a bad omen, I saw this 4 engine plane taxiing to the runway. That doesn't look right, does it??


Having lifted off and climbing towards my 11500 feet cruising altitude, I'm headed directly towards the Earth's only natural satelite - The Moon. It is rising in the east, and will be of some significance later...


Dihydrogen monoxide as far as the eye can see...


The Moon might be rising, but the sun is setting. Atol das Rocas is just ahead - my only sighting of land during this leg.


Behind me the nuclear powerplant that is The Sun is setting wonderfully in the horizon.


Complete, mindboggling, horrific, sinister, and utter darkness. It's darker than inside a cow...


My only ray (pun intended) of visual hope is The Moon. It will come in handy when I'm descending, as I can see it's reflections on the ocean when I'm approaching sea level.


After an arse-seepingly scary approach in the darkness I spot the airport beacon and subsequently the runway lights.

I'm coming in hot so that I have some clearance over the terrain (which I can't see). The headwind comes in handy - my stalling speed is around 35 knots or so.


A trip of moderate length. I'm sure the headwind added a half hour.


Parked next to what looks like a Piper Cherokee Six.



Next leg - Ascension Island. That's 1100nm...
I need all the help from the weather I can get on my next leg - give me a high pressure day with lowish temps and an easterly wind and I'll be fine.
I'm getting nervous...

[Jacques]

That will be a tough leg! I guess you'll need to run through some calculations periodically to make sure you can still make your destination as you near your midpoint. Good luck! See you when you reach Ascension!

JP

[CafeRacer500]

Wow, that darkness is scary

[streichholz]

Good luck for the next leg. May the force be with you!

[swarovski]

Really enjoying reading these, thanks for posting.

[Medtner]

That will be a tough leg! I guess you'll need to run through some calculations periodically to make sure you can still make your destination as you near your midpoint. Good luck! See you when you reach Ascension!

JP

Update:

I'm holding off for a few days - I won't do this until the wind is more helpful. These days it has been crosswindy and I will have at least a calm day or some tailwind to do this safely.

I will update my little trip with the Spitfire in Alaska/Canada, so that I'm not completely inactive. Stay tuned.

[robert41]

good luck on your flight Erik.

[TymK]

Hi Erik,

Sorry about not replying sooner, work caught up with me quite badly...

Good to hear that someone is reading!

I'm pretty sure there are quite a few of us following your exploits. Thanks for the next installment, looking forward to more.

I'm using a landclass-upgrade for South America as well (From SceneryTech), and I'm sure it helps a lot. I am going to breeze through anyway to save time - I want to spend some time around Madeira and Tenerife and also not rush too much through Europe.

I'm using REX4, but don't remember the exact textures I use. I just chose one rather quickly and moved on. Active Sky Next is delivering wonderfully interesting weather.

Thanks, I'll keep experimenting with REX et al.

Tym