The Next Challenge...

[ViperPilot2]

Greetings!

 

After our first "simple Challenge" in the "Squitts Porridge Oats Air Carnival/Extravaganza", I've been toying around with the Idea I have for our next 'challenge', but I thought it'd be a good idea to ask everyone a question; what do you guys want to see or do?

 

A timed Event with a 'historical' flair like the Bendix we just completed? Maybe a Transcon or TransOcean flight in an old 4 engine job like a Connie or DC-7? Or perhaps following the Air Mail Route in a biplane of your choice, or a C-172 if it makes it easier. A Route 66 Flight?

 

So please... let me hear your ideas, comments, or anything you want to say. Let's continue the Dialog we started in the previous Thread and the 'spirit' of the Event; looks like all that participated and followed had a good time. We got some interest and a couple of awesome participants from a fellow FlightSim site and that's a real plus, too. I want to hear from you lurkers and watchers or even better, come along for the ride! We might have an X'er or two thinking about it!

 

Thanks!

 

VP² 

 

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Perhaps trace the first trans-pacific flight flown by the Southern Cross.

Oakland to Hawaii to Fiji to Brisbane.

I'd say any vintage 2 or 3 engine aircraft would be appropriate.

We would keep track of the three leg times and overall flight time (no nonstops allowed).

Post each leg as they are completed, with appropriate tales of daring that go with them.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_(aircraft)

[JSMR]

Just now, PhrogPhlyer said:

Perhaps trace the first trans-pacific flight flown by the Southern Cross.

Oakland to Hawaii to Fiji to Brisbane.

I'd say any vintage 2 or 3 engine aircraft would be appropriate.

We would keep track of the three leg times and overall flight time.

Post each leg as they are completed, with appropriate tales of daring that go with them.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_(aircraft)

Ha!!! I was just about to post the same thing. In real time. No autopilots. Haha. If you can’t stay awake for 30+ hours, you lose.

 

It’s been a goal of mine to complete it. Disabling ctrl-s, no zoom, external views disabled, no autopilot. Bubble sextant only. Real time. No pausing. No slewing. No 8x speed. 
 

My wife thinks I’m crazy. Struggling to have a comeback to that…

[Rupert]

I agree with the challenge concept.  I advise requiring accurate aircraft fuel windows for each leg of any Challenge. I'd also suggest using downloaded RW Weather, and certainly a pledge of no Autopilot. 

 

That's quite similar to the "Around The world In Eighty Days" challenge held a few years ago on a different site than this.  The object of which was to visit all of the locales visited by Phinias Phog in the book.  However the choice of vehicle, as long as it was a known sim vehicle such as aircraft, ship, train, etc. was allowed.  And yes, most of us changed "Horses For Courses" along the trip.  We started out with several hundred entries and ended up with a very small percentage of finishers. 

[ViperPilot2]

15 minutes ago, JSMR said:

Ha!!! I was just about to post the same thing. In real time. No autopilots. Haha. If you can’t stay awake for 30+ hours, you lose.

 

It’s been a goal of mine to complete it. Disabling ctrl-s, no zoom, external views disabled, no autopilot. Bubble sextant only. Real time. No pausing. No slewing. No 8x speed. 
 

My wife thinks I’m crazy. Struggling to have a comeback to that…

 

That would be a really interesting flight to take! I would presume on journeys such as these that 'time' isn't a factor in the sense that the Event itself could go for a couple months or so, and that there could be long stretches in the Sim. Cool!

 

Personally, I've always wanted to do the Pacific Clipper flight in the Boeing 314 all the way around the World to New York... looks like I'd better get familiar with that Sextant!

 

Keep 'em coming! 

[jgf]

Not proposing this, but it is interesting. (Heard polar flights were impossible in FS2004.)

 

"At 3:29 p.m. on November 28, 1929, Byrd, the pilot Bernt Balchen, and two others took off from Little America in the Floyd Bennett, headed for the South Pole. Magnetic compasses were useless so near the pole, so the explorers were forced to rely on sun compasses and Byrd’s skill as a navigator. At 8:15 p.m., they dropped supplies for a geological party near the Queen Maud Mountains and then continued on. The most challenging phase of the journey came an hour later, when the Floyd Bennett struggled to gain enough altitude to fly safely above the Polar Plateau. They cleared the 11,000-foot pass between Mount Fridtjof Nansen and Mount Fisher by a few hundred yards and then flew on to the South Pole, reaching it at around 1 a.m. on November 29. They flew a few miles beyond the pole and then to the right and the left to compensate for any navigational errors. Byrd dropped a small American flag on the pole, and the explorers headed for home, safely landing at Little America at 10:11 a.m."

 

The Floyd Bennett was a Ford Trimotor.

[PhrogPhlyer]

30 minutes ago, ViperPilot2 said:

Pacific Clipper flight in the Boeing 314 all the way around the World to New York.

Spoiler alert, this is the next article I've been working on.

This one is taking a while to research, fly, screen shot, and make sense of.

But I hope it will be enjoyable to read when complete.

[ViperPilot2]

So it sounds like long distance, point to point Flights is the early front runner, in period specific Aircraft, no AP, FMC, INS, etc.

 

May I cast an affirmative vote for the GPS, only for use as a 'moving map', and no programming in the Magenta Line to follow?

 

What about Flight Time? Do you guys prefer shorter Legs like the Bendix, or are longer Legs acceptable? If over water for long stretches, Time Compression would be up for consideration (like last time), for example. I know it's A valid concern...

 

I'll be honest; I'm glad I posed this question because the initial idea I had (and have been testing) seems to be quickly fading, and from this initial convo a new one is emerging...

[JSMR]

Or....

 

Perhaps a short flight challenge from the Vintage era? Not sure if everyone has Golden Wings installed. Maybe a leg in a DH60 etc using the US mail route or between some of those Ford Trimotor Indian fields? 

Head over the side stuff. :D

[ViperPilot2]

3 minutes ago, JSMR said:

Or....

 

Perhaps a short flight challenge from the Vintage era? Not sure if everyone has Golden Wings installed. Maybe a leg in a DH60 etc using the US mail route or between some of those Ford Trimotor Indian fields? 

Head over the side stuff. :D

 

We could do it in Vintage airplanes with Modern Scenery; not everyone has GW or SW on their rigs. I want to, though!

[jgf]

[jgf]

53 minutes ago, leuen said:

Have you ever tried?

 

No.  From what I read the FS2004 world is a cylinder that essentially ends at the 80th parallel (FSX being the first sim to present the world as a globe);  if you flew due north towards the pole, at, or just beyond, the 80th you would "transport" to the other side of the cylinder and be heading south from the pole (you wouldn't notice this other than you go from heading north to heading south).  But I've never tried it.

[taoftedal]

Here's a thought … we fly the Mississippi, that’s right, the actual course of the river, no cutoffs, from KNEW to KSTP, a distance of around 1500 (river) nautical miles.  Say two (2) fuel stops minimum of your own choosing, in any weather but, no higher than 3,500 feet?  Not sure about the aircraft.  Feel free to make suggestions.  Thinking about restricting HP and perhaps specifying a minimum number of passengers?  Anyway, just a suggestion for further development or we could put it in the mix for a future challenge.

 

                                                                              

[jgf]

59 minutes ago, taoftedal said:

fly the Mississippi

 

That would depend on the scenery.  I've tried following FS2004 rivers (Hudson, Amazon, Nile...) and found them more a series of elongated lakes than actual rivers.

[taoftedal]

10 minutes ago, jgf said:

That would depend on the scenery.  I've tried following FS2004 rivers (Hudson, Amazon, Nile...) and found them more a series of elongated lakes than actual rivers.

 

Agree, a discovery flight would need to be undertaken ... unless someone has already taken the trip in FS9.  Let us know ...   

[ViperPilot2]

I've done part of this one...

 

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

7 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

I've done part of this one... Fly Historic Route 66

Great Idea!

This one has a nice appeal. Route 66 was built following much of the same stops as the original transcontinental air route for TAT.

I was not aware of this until I was researching for the Hughes HR-1 transcontinental record article.

Recommend that we fly it East to West, as this is the direction driven most often when you people in the '50s and '60s were getting their "kicks on Route 66."

Maybe stick with '40s, 50's and 60's General Aviation single engine? There are a LOT of interesting options.

I would suggest we pick certain mandatory stops (Winslow AZ is a MUST) that have to me flown to (with landing).

Akron and Wichita also due to their aviation history.

Then, based on the aircraft, there may be other stops for fuel.

Perhaps limit ground speed to 300kt or less.

Two categories in the race, up to 200 KT, and 200-300.

 

 

 

 

[jgf]

"Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see"

[jgf]

2 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Maybe stick with '40s, 50's and 60's General Aviation single engine?

 

Ah, a chance to roll this one out again

 

[ViperPilot2]

2 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Great Idea!

This one has a nice appeal. Route 66 was built following much of the same stops as the original transcontinental air route for TAT.

I was not aware of this until I was researching for the Hughes HR-1 transcontinental record article.

Recommend that we fly it East to West, as this is the direction driven most often when you people in the '50s and '60s were getting their "kicks on Route 66."

Maybe stick with '40s, 50's and 60's General Aviation single engine? There are a LOT of interesting options.

I would suggest we pick certain mandatory stops (Winslow AZ is a MUST) that have to me flown to (with landing).

Akron and Wichita also due to their aviation history.

Then, based on the aircraft, there may be other stops for fuel.

Perhaps limit ground speed to 300kt or less.

Two categories in the race, up to 200 KT, and 200-300.

 

 

 

 

 

I like that idea! Think of it like a 'real' Trip; since most of the Legs are between an Hour to two Hours long, one could stop for a late Breakfast, fly a bit, have Lunch somewhere else along the Route, fly some more until you're tired, then let down for the Evening. Do as many or few Legs as you want; the Time is just used as a Marker to track your Progress. One prerequisite is to post a Screenie or two of each Leg and a Historical or Social bit about each town and its relationship to Route 66. Perhaps a Menu of the Restaurant where you ate, or the Motel/Inn you stayed at for the Night.

 

I also like the idea of 'period specific' Airplanes as well; like you said, there are lots of potential choices. Personally, I'd prefer to eschew the 'speed/time' deal for the 'journey' aspect of the Flights, but I guess we need some sort of "competition" in there... it would be nice to incorporate each stop on the Route as well, if nothing more than for Landing and Takeoff practice. Treat it like IRL; Taxi to Parking, etc. I can always use the practice lining up and Landing!

 

What say everyone else? This have some appeal to youse guys? Sound off at your Leisure! 

[taoftedal]

1 hour ago, ViperPilot2 said:

 

I like that idea! Think of it like a 'real' Trip; since most of the Legs are between an Hour to two Hours long, one could stop ... and a Historical or Social bit about each town and its relationship to Route 66. Perhaps a Menu of the Restaurant where you ate, or the Motel/Inn you stayed at for the Night.

 

I also like the idea of 'period specific' Airplanes as well; like you said, there are lots of potential choices ... it would be nice to incorporate each stop on the Route as well, if nothing more than for Landing and Takeoff practice. Treat it like IRL; Taxi to Parking, etc. I can always use the practice lining up and Landing!

 

What say everyone else?

 

Sounds good to me! ... cubflounder and I did the trip several years back and wrote a little feature that Nels published (RonTom: On the Mother Road - FSX - FlightSim.Com) at the time.  More of a Wikipedia history lesson and teaser than a flying adventure but we had fun putting it together.  We captured only the tip of the iceberg though ... lots to explore and experience along the 'Mother Road'.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

2 hours ago, jgf said:

Ah, a chance to roll this one out again

Sweet Ride!

[PhrogPhlyer]

2 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

I'd prefer to eschew the 'speed/time' deal for the 'journey' aspect of the Flights, but I guess we need some sort of "competition" in there... it would be nice to incorporate each stop on the Route as well, if nothing more than for Landing and Takeoff practice. Treat it like IRL; Taxi to Parking, etc. I can always use the practice lining up and Landing!

I like the idea of let's enjoy the trip, with pics and tall tales.

But we still need some form of competition/challenge (who eats the most hamburgers or dinks the most coffee will be a multi-pilot tie).

Besides without a competition, how can I ensure my solid last place?

[ScottishMike]

I like the idea of Route 66.

Just twenty four hours from Tulsa, but do you know the way to Amarillo? Maybe the Wichita linesman can help.

Would this be allowed?

[Airbasil_1]

21 hours ago, leuen said:

 Have you ever tried?  Here Lincoln Ellsworth landing at Little America during is 1935 Antarctic Expedition (with AI aircraft):

 

 

But i's right, that f.e. McMurdo isn't suitable, as long as objects or a visible runway are used.

Why not? 

I'd be totaly up for a ride from EDTQ Pattonville (Germany) to the Antarctic...
but not to Little America but to Marambio Airbase (Argentinian Antarctic) with the Beautiful Three-Mot.