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KSNA to KPBI in the 737


stvn

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A west to east coast flight from KSNA John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, CA to KPBI Palm Beach Intl., West Palm Beach, FL in the default FSX 737-800, painted in the American Airlines livery.

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f0_zpsjhfeezr5.jpg

 

Looking online, it appears that many flights like this originating from KLAX to the east coast have a stopover, usually in places like Chicago, Dallas, Houston or Atlanta. I did find some that were nonstop, so I wanted to see if I could do it myself in the 737.

A slight technicality: I started from John Wayne instead. I figured I would save a little gas on taxi'ing and waiting in line for takeoff (and to avoid the dreaded FSX fps hit I usually get these days at LAX...).

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f1_zpsd6vlgfrw.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f1a_zpshnhy6jdi.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f2_zpstl8dtira.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f3_zps8kzw9dzx.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f4_zpseqttfyau.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f4a_zpse9zrnq1b.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f5_zps2ezno4cg.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f6_zpsr8ux1cku.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f7_zpssfrjcwez.jpg

 

Part one of two...

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my flight simming system: Windows 10 CyberPower PC i5 6600k 3.5 gHz, Gigabyte NVidia GTX 970 graphics, with FSX, FSXSE and P3D all installed side-by-side on a Crucial 525 SSD. Dual monitors, with a Saitek X52 joystick w/ rudder pedals for controls. It's all powered by a Thermaltake TR2 Gold 700W power supply sitting in a Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 case.

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KSNA KPBI, in the 737. Part two, continued:

 

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f8_zps51mkkrxv.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f8a_zpscghbssho.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f9a_zpsursniqzm.jpg

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f9b_zpsmvett5f6.jpg

 

 

I did get there in one piece. I was a bit low on the glideslope on final, and having 5% gas left in the tanks was a bit scary also.

Next time, I might want to consider doing a stopover. Or slow down. That, and/or emptying the jet of most passengers and cargo and luggage.

Or, go the easy route: hit Ctrl-X... :D

 

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx241/stvn6165/ksna%20kpbi%20f10_zpszkxcqv9d.jpg

 

Thanks for viewing.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

my flight simming system: Windows 10 CyberPower PC i5 6600k 3.5 gHz, Gigabyte NVidia GTX 970 graphics, with FSX, FSXSE and P3D all installed side-by-side on a Crucial 525 SSD. Dual monitors, with a Saitek X52 joystick w/ rudder pedals for controls. It's all powered by a Thermaltake TR2 Gold 700W power supply sitting in a Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 case.

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Thank you for the kind words gents ;)

 

Thank you Alex, I do like sunsets very much. They never get old for me and hopefully, they don't get old for you guys either. It's my favorite time of the day to fly.

 

Stvn, great accomplishment. The screenies are nicely done. I use to live near SNA I moved away to above Scottsdale Az up in the hills.

 

Thanks Kenny.

Santa Ana and Scottsdale. Awesome. Sounds like my kind of turf to live in if I ever hit the lottery:rolleyes:...those are definitely great areas to fly over while flight simming no doubt... :cool:

 

I always wanted to do a long flight like that, but I cannot imagine doing it without 4x times the spd. How long was the flight?

 

This flight took me five, almost six hours to complete, with some time compression used. By the FSX in-game book, it was a seven-plus hour flight:

 

time elapsed.jpg

 

Looking at some flights here, I guess I was close with what's going on currently as far as departure/arrival times goes. The only difference is they are all doing stops, which obviously pads the time. I can see why they do stops now, and thank goodness I'm in flight sim, and not in a real cockpit. Those pilots must have the patience of Job to sit still that long in their seat, because I certainly don't... :D

 

I can't ever see myself doing a full 7+ hour flight anywhere without time compression either. Even with that, I knew it was going to be a long stint.

I only used 2X here a couple of times: once I got towards 30,000, I went to 2X, simply because there isn't much to see at night up in the clouds, nor am I into cloud gazing to begin with.

But I always went back to straight time once below the clouds, as I like to check out the scenery, which shows up quite decent even at 10-15,000 on my old jalopy of a pc, thanks to UTX/GEX and things like that. Not photoreal in quality by any standards, but I like it very much.

 

Here I attached a pirep of the flight, courtesy of FS Inventions' FS Flying School:

 

Boeing 737-800 AMERICAN AIRLINES N860NN.txt

 

Like the Duenna, FSFS is a good way to know exactly how long you're up in the air, and it has good mapping of the flight.

Unfortunately for me, using the time compression kills the flight and landing scores though. A small price to pay for using 2x imo, no biggie.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

my flight simming system: Windows 10 CyberPower PC i5 6600k 3.5 gHz, Gigabyte NVidia GTX 970 graphics, with FSX, FSXSE and P3D all installed side-by-side on a Crucial 525 SSD. Dual monitors, with a Saitek X52 joystick w/ rudder pedals for controls. It's all powered by a Thermaltake TR2 Gold 700W power supply sitting in a Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 case.

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Great pictures. I like the sunset one's particulary myself. Thanks for a great post!

Just a note: A lot of airlines, like shipping companies (which they are, really), make stops at certain places because they are "hubs". Central locations into and out of which they can make the most efficient flights. A lot also use them for maintennance, also. Watch something like FedEx, or UPS sometime. You order item X, to be delivered to Medford, Oregon. It may start out in Phoenix, go to Denver, then Seattle, then Portland, then Medford. Much shorter to go from Phoenix to SFO to Portland, but their HUB is Denver, with a sub-hub in Seattle. Etc.

Memphis Tenn is a central hub for a lot of ground shipping companies. Trucks in and out of there by the ton. UAL used to use Des Moines, when I was around but I don't know about now. Most companies pick their Hubs for it's geographic centality to their particualr delivery areas, and size. Better to move the cargo (or people) in and out of a big place like Denver than little Podunktown Airport, Nowhere'sville.

 

Sorry, I babble. Thanks again for some great pics!

Pat☺

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Had a thought...then there was the smell of something burning, and sparks, and then a big fire, and then the lights went out! I guess I better not do that again!

Sgt, USMC, 10 years proud service, Inactive reserve now :D

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Thanks jan!

 

Great pictures. I like the sunset one's particulary myself. Thanks for a great post!

Just a note: A lot of airlines, like shipping companies (which they are, really), make stops at certain places because they are "hubs". Central locations into and out of which they can make the most efficient flights. A lot also use them for maintennance, also. Watch something like FedEx, or UPS sometime. You order item X, to be delivered to Medford, Oregon. It may start out in Phoenix, go to Denver, then Seattle, then Portland, then Medford. Much shorter to go from Phoenix to SFO to Portland, but their HUB is Denver, with a sub-hub in Seattle. Etc.

Memphis Tenn is a central hub for a lot of ground shipping companies. Trucks in and out of there by the ton. UAL used to use Des Moines, when I was around but I don't know about now. Most companies pick their Hubs for it's geographic centality to their particualr delivery areas, and size. Better to move the cargo (or people) in and out of a big place like Denver than little Podunktown Airport, Nowhere'sville.

 

Sorry, I babble. Thanks again for some great pics!

Pat☺

 

Thanks Pat!

 

No need to apologize for any babbling, I find your posts most interesting and they are always enlightening.

 

And you ain't-a kidding, as far the hubs go. AA's US hubs, for instance:

 

aa hubs etc.jpg

 

Being now is the time of giving (meaning the x-mas present purchasing machine has kicked into full gear now:D), and after reading your reply tonight, I went and pulled a package out of the gift stash/hiding place in my garage, and loaded up the tracking code on the UPS site.

Wow, talk about some frequent flier miles...they definitely cover some airspace. It's amazing that these shipping companies can handle the volume they do, especially this time of year.

 

It's only gonna get busier for companies of FedEx and the like. My wife does all the xmas shopping for the kids online anymore. That seems to be the trend anymore for lots of people. She could never see the point in going out on Black Friday (or should I say it's now Black Thursday -stores opening at 5 on Thanksgiving? :rolleyes:) and getting into a shoving match to save a few bucks on something on sale online already.

That said, I gotta admit it's sort of hilarious to watch the news and see all those in-store fights, and watching people run into those stores when the doors open, it always looks like the running of the bulls at Pamplona :D

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

my flight simming system: Windows 10 CyberPower PC i5 6600k 3.5 gHz, Gigabyte NVidia GTX 970 graphics, with FSX, FSXSE and P3D all installed side-by-side on a Crucial 525 SSD. Dual monitors, with a Saitek X52 joystick w/ rudder pedals for controls. It's all powered by a Thermaltake TR2 Gold 700W power supply sitting in a Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 case.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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That said, I gotta admit it's sort of hilarious to watch the news and see all those in-store fights, and watching people run into those stores when the doors open, it always looks like the running of the bulls at Pamplona

That's one of the best metaphors for Black Friday I've heard! :D :D :D

Personally, I think it's absurd, in this day and age, to go fight idiots for a few bucks savings, too. And try and drive amidst them, in bad weather and road conditions, etc etc.

I just do it all on-line myself, as does the loveley wife. MUCH physically safer, in my opinion. And I let the companies wrap, and deliver for me. I go flying :D

 

It's amazing that these shipping companies can handle the volume they do, especially this time of year.

They normally hire a bunch of drivers, handlers, etc, probably even charter more planes or at least schedule more runs, I am sure.

I hate to think what happens to maintenance, though. Most companies seem to kinda skimp a bit on scheduled/preventative maintenance these days, prefering to make schedule instead. Scary, to me. I'm just glad most planes a over-engineered a bit.

 

Anywho.

Have fun, and enjoy some great flights!

Pat☺

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Had a thought...then there was the smell of something burning, and sparks, and then a big fire, and then the lights went out! I guess I better not do that again!

Sgt, USMC, 10 years proud service, Inactive reserve now :D

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I'm just glad most planes a over-engineered a bit.

 

No doubt about that Pat :)

 

Thanks Peter!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

my flight simming system: Windows 10 CyberPower PC i5 6600k 3.5 gHz, Gigabyte NVidia GTX 970 graphics, with FSX, FSXSE and P3D all installed side-by-side on a Crucial 525 SSD. Dual monitors, with a Saitek X52 joystick w/ rudder pedals for controls. It's all powered by a Thermaltake TR2 Gold 700W power supply sitting in a Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 case.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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