Our second sanctioned multiplayer event takes us to snowy peaks of Nepal. On July 11, we will meet at Lukla Airport (VNLK) high on a cliff in northeastern Nepal and then head for a valley 20 nm away in the shadow of Mt. Everest. In the valley is a large bulls-eye target and during the afternoon, we will engage in some friendly competition to hit that target using gliders off of the top of Mt. Everest and using parafoils off the side of a nearby peak. Mt. Everest stands 29,000 feet above sea level.

Because of the snow, we suggest you download and fly the DeHavilland DHC6 Twin Otter aircraft to the target area. This aircraft is specially fitted with both wheels and snow skis. The skis offer greatly improved control on the snow covered slopes.

ABOUT LUKLA

Lukla has been carved into the side of a mountain and there is very little room for error in getting in and out. Your departure roll will carry you over the edge of a steep cliff and an immediate hard right turn is necessary to avoid hitting the wall on the other side. This is one of the few times you will be asked to join a session directly on the runway. (Be sure crash detection is turned off before joining the session. Select Aircraft/Realism Settings and then tic “Ignore Crashes and Damage”.) Once you arrive, slew immediately away from the entry point to make room for others joining the session. There is not much room at Lukla, so park your aircraft in tight with the others to provide as much taxi space as possible for everyone. Runway 25 will be the active runway for the event.

Lukla is a default airport. Simply enter VNLK in your "Go to Airport" dropdown menu, select Runway 25, and you will be in the right starting place.

PREPARING FOR THE EVENT

To participate in this event, you will have to download and install a few things (all freeware). At most, it should take about 20 – 30 minutes to prepare and you will be all set for a great afternoon of fun on July 11.

SCENERY ADDITION

Download and install "everglid.zip" by Paul Harmon from the FlightSim.com library. This excellent scenery will add the target area, a visual guide beacon, and a runway surface on the top of Mt. Everest. Activate the scenery in the usual way. The scenery provides a situation file called "Mt Everest Glider Competition" that will place you in a default glider at the top of Mt. Everest. Instructions for flying to the target area are included in the scenery package.

To depart the mountain smoothly, press your Num 8 key while in slew to adequately clear the mountain. Then release the slew and pull back on the stick to set the glider's attitude correctly.

PARAFOIL ADDITION

Download and install "parafoil.zip" by Tom Goodrick from the FlightSim.com library. This is an aircraft file and Tom has done a great job with the aerodynamics. Install it as you would any other plane. As you register for this event, Geoff will send you a similar situation file called "Mt Everest Parafoil Competition" to put into your My Documents\Flight Simulator Files folder. Selecting this file in the "Choose a Flight" menu will place you in the parafoil on the side of a mountain high above the target. Simply release the slew and off you go.

THE TWIN OTTER

This is a remarkable aircraft and this version is one of the very few equipped with skis in the entire FS world. This plane will allow you to land in snowy places that you would never dream of landing a wheeled aircraft. The engine reverse feature (F2) provides much greater stopping power than just the brakes and will allow you to maneuver on steep slopes. It's still slippery on the snow, but you will be in much better control. This is a great addition to your FS9 aircraft file. We will be using it in the future to get into some places that we otherwise could not access.

For FS2004, the aircraft is "d6_ani24.zip" by Udo Lemmob, Barry Blaisdell, and Bob May, of Premier Aircraft Design. It is available in the FlightSim.com library. Before you can install it, you must first install "d6skyb42.zip", because the plane we are using requires some of its files. d6skyb42.zip is available in the AvSim library. Don't let the double install concern you. It's very easy to get them in and running.

There is a separate install for FS2002. Check the file source announcements for information on the correct file names to use if you are running FS2002.

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The event will begin promptly at 2100 GMT on July 11. Plan to arrive early so that everyone is present when we begin our departure at 2100. We will depart VNLK in succession and fly to the target area. LJ922 will lead the flight and be the first to land and park. Please park wingtip to wingtip beside him. Like Lukla, there is not much room available and we will have both gliders and parafoils in the air above us at the same time in fairly close quarters. Use your slew control if necessary to get into proper position.

Once all are parked, you will be asked to save your situation file, so that you can return to the exact same parking spot. Then, Geoff will call for the first two pilots to take their places in the competition. One will select the situation file called "Mt Everest Glider Competition" and the other will select the situation file called "Mt Everest Parafoil Competition". When both are ready, they will begin their roll to the target. During their decent, Geoff will call the next two pilots and they will take their respective places in their glider and parafoil and begin their decents.

When you have completed your run, Geoff will take a screenshot of your position on the target. Your finishing position is the point of first impact. When you are finished, simply select your parked situation file and return to your aircraft.

Each participant will compete once in the glider competition and once in the parafoil competition and the winners of each will be announced before all depart the target area.

After the competition is concluded, we will fly on to Tribhuvan International Airport (VNKT) in nearby Kathmandu, about 85 nm away. A flight plan for will be sent out to each pilot during the event through the public flight plan capability of FSNavigator.

PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS

If you have problems installing any of the components for this adventure or you have questions, simply post a message on the Multiplayer Adventures forum and one of the moderators will respond promptly. You may also send a private forum message to Geoff or Ed or email them at either Capn_sonic@flightsim.com or LJ922@flightsim.com.

EVENT SERVERS

The flight server IP for this event will be 82.152.80.185. The TeamSpeak server will be 82.152.80.185:8767. Backup servers will be in place should they be needed. The servers will be online the day before the event from 2100 – 2300 GMT to provide an opportunity to test your connections prior to joining the event. Forum moderators will be online at that time to provide assistance, if needed.

EVENT REGISTRATION

An advance registration is required to participate in this event and participation is limited to twenty pilots. To register for this event, simply send an email to Geoff at Capn_Sonic@flightsim.com. Your registration will be immediately confirmed and reconfirmed a day or two before the event. The session password will be sent to you as part of the final confirmation packet. Be sure to check the Multiplayer Adventures forum for any last minute information or changes prior to the event.

We look forward to seeing you in Nepal on July 11.