P3A North Island (KNZY) to San Clemente (KNUC)

[BillD22]

A Lockheed P3A "Orion" makes the short flight from North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado, California (KNZY) out to the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) on San Clemente Island (KNUC).  

 

Lined up for takeoff.  The belly sonobuoy launch tubes on this Team FS KBT FSX model are features of the current day P3C but the white over gray mid-'60s paint scheme and the 150 series Bureau (Tail) number tell us this is an original "A" model.  A truly accurate "A/B" model would also show a searchlight under the right wing outboard of the #4 engine.  There's one of those floating around somewhere in the FS world that I used to have but haven't been able to relocate in my musty, dust-covered FSX files.  For our flight purposes today this one is "close enough for government work.!"    The #1 on the nose indicates this is the squadron CO's aircraft.

 

 

Take off,  gear up, and climb out over Point Loma.

 

 

 

 

Turning West towards the coast the runways of NAS (now MCAS) Miramar are visible in the distance.

 

Heading out over the Pacific San Clemente is visible on the horizon off the left nose and Santa Catalina off the right wing.

 

 

En route, we do some crew engine management training by practicing shutting down, feathering, and restarting the #1 engine.   This is a routine P3 fuel-saving measure on long-duration missions.

 

 

 

Approaching KNUC with #1 restarted we enter a downwind for Runway 05.

 

 

On the ground turn off the active, shut down, and park on the ramp.  Welcome to San Clemente!

 

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Nicely done, what a surprise, a P-3! lol

Nice paint scheme, which base model is this?

As you know I also love North Island, always a fun stopover flying around SoCal.

Like the engine out practice, good thing it feathered, those are huge paddles out there.

Fun and informative, thanks Bill.

[BillD22]

11 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

 

Nice paint scheme, which base model is this?

 

Thanks, Phrog.  The model is the Team FS KBT P3C Orion for FSX.  It's in the Library here:  

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

34 minutes ago, BillD22 said:

Team FS KBT P3C Orion for FSX.  It's in the Library here:  

Downloaded and installed, will fly a little later. One of my best flying buddies from collage flew P-3's out of Brunswick in the '80s. I ran into him at the Cubi O'club, wow was he a  long way from home. Truly the crossroads of Naval Aviation.

[Rupert]

Great series BillD22!  It reminds me of a RW ferry flight in mid 60's where we flew a P3B from North Island to the East Coast.  

 

Michael 

[BillD22]

23 hours ago, Rupert said:

Great series BillD22!  It reminds me of a RW ferry flight in mid 60's where we flew a P3B from North Island to the East Coast.  

 

Michael 

Thanks, Michael.  It's longer going West!

[BillD22]

On 5/29/2023 at 7:16 PM, PhrogPhlyer said:

 

Like the engine out practice, good thing it feathered, those are huge paddles out there.

 

Just for fun here are some shots of a RW P3 #1 engine loiter shutdown.  Unfortunately, the E handles in the FSX P3 don't work but they do in the Team FS KBT L188 Electra which has a virtually identical cockpit layout.

 

 

 

Here's the Team FS KBT L188 with working E handles.  These are P3D shots but it's the same model and works the same in FSX.

 

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Thanks Bill. Great comparison photos.

Hate to say you've got me digging into the NATOPS gouge, https://www.baseops.net/p3.

Once an ASO, always an ASO.

[darrenvox]

awesome bill