The Next Challenge...

[jgf]

4 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

and everything went black - frustrating, after 1,900 miles!

 

And always at the end of a flight.  The autosave mod can help, IF the issue isn't one of those inexplicable cases where a certain aircraft and certain scenery will always crash.

[jgf]

4 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

Now if there was a way to separate the Throttle and Collective controls...

 

I've had a couple of helicopters like that, even had governor and clutch controls.  What they didn't have was any documentation on how to use them. 

[defaid]

I feel this should really go in Airbasil_1's new thread but the first leg is already in this one and the BTS aspect was in response to ViperPilot2's post concerning the plan and the practical approach to procedures. I might open the pdf and re-upload both into AB1's thread.

 

A night flight

 

"... and everything went black... "

 

We're at Pearson at 2130 hrs and ready for the next hop over to Ottawa. Departure is scheduled for 2210 and Air Canada's A321 would arrive in Ottawa at 2311. I'm following the Flight1 2003 commercial flight timetables that make up my AI schedule. The flight from TTPP to CYYZ was recorded in the previous attachment. The shortest, quickest and least complex trip from Piarco, my current RtW location, to Billy Bishop is 

 

 

I cheated on the first leg, departing in the morning so I could have a look at Toronto while approaching. It was cloudy... Back to fltplan.com for CYYZ departure plates and anything for CYOW.

 

LOAD & BALANCE

 

I still have 10700 kg useable fuel but I'm carrying twenty new Titan Adventure 155 snowmobiles over to Ottawa. At $16000 each the next landing had better be as smooth as the last... The crates are labelled with a tare weight of 30 kg. A bit odd - I suppose they fit several models. The snowmobile spec states an empty weight of 658 lbs. Metric and bananas...

 

20 × ((658/2.2) + 30) = 6582 kg

 

Trial and error over the years has established that an evenly spread load with any extra weight placed towards the tail works best so...

 

Station weights, crew & cargo.

 

I don't need any extra fuel, and arrival time is not critical. I'll just use the GPU to run crossfeed pumps to empty the auxilliary tanks into the mains. A short leg at low altitude and I'm expecting to burn around 9 kg per nm over a 200 nm journey.

 

V SPEEDS

 

The wind at CYYZ has shifted from 320@6 to 020@3 since I arrived and runways 05 & 06L are in use.  I guess we'll use 05. It's a looong taxi ride. It's also a long runway and we're not exactly heavily laden so flaps 20% and 4.5° nose up trim. V-S(20) is 92 kt. We'll rotate at 114 and climb out at 139.

 

 

Calculated V-speeds.

 

DEPARTURE

 

There are no suitable fixes/intersections in FS9 so our departure will be Toronto Four: fly runway heading to 1000 feet then a climbing left turn on to 047° to 3000 feet and maintain until vectored to the assigned route.

 

 

 

Bits of charts from Nav Canada & Garmin.

 

I will tell Radar Contact that I am flying a departure with 'No Altitude Restrictions'. That's not intuitive because the departure procedure does include specific altitudes. What it means is that RC should not apply restrictions, at least until 30 nm from departure.

 

Radar Contact controller setup.

 

I personally will want to be at cruise altitude before RC takes a hand so have added NUBAV intersection, where I will start the climb from 3000 to 13000 feet.

 

CRUISE

 

Our en route heading will be between 55° and 65° so odd flight levels and I'm intending to fly at 13000 feet. A bit low, perhaps, but it's a novelty and with RC taking the first and last 40 nm for its procedures, that leaves a cruise of only 120 miles. Little point in going higher.

 

I have fuel to spare so, as we'll be below the critical altitude, will simply aim for around 240 kias.

 

ARRIVAL

 

On arriving, we'll be around 1800 kg lighter. Speed restrictions notwithstanding, V-REF will be 120 kt so our approach speed will be 140 and short final 130. We'll have 20% flap again and our stall speed will be 91 kt.

 

The only peculiarity I've found in this plane is that stall speeds with 40% flaps are higher than stall speeds with 20%.

 

Weather at Ottawa is 300@11 with broken cloud at 2100 feet and 15 miles visibility. FS9's CYOW has two runways with ILS: 07 and 32. Runway 07 will have a tailwind so I'm guessing that AI will be using RY32. It's not much of a tailwind though so I may be wrong. I'm hoping for 32 -- there's less taxiing and it's probably the one the real world would use.

 

 

ILS 32 is 110.30 on 306°

ILS 07 is 109.50 on 056°

Threshold elevation is 374 feet

 

Decision height will be 200 feet and the missed approach for both is simply to fly runway heading to 3000 feet and wait for instructions.

 

It's a relatively low and short flight. I will accept Approach & Tower's vectors to intercept the localiser. It's nearly midnight and the cargo is valuable: I won't request an early turn. Accepting vectors means that after I reach 40 nm from Ottawa, RC will dictate my heading and altitude. My last waypoint, LANRK, is within the terminal area at 36 nm but it's close to the boundary and on a straight line so RC is unlikely to cause me to miss it.

 

All other things being equal, I expect a 55 minute flight plus ten or so for the approach.

 

Let's see what happens.

 

***     ***     ***

 

The Air Canada flight is scheduled for a 22:10 local time departure. I'm ready early. At 0240Z, twenty to ten local, we're rolling off the apron for the long drive to 05. There's a lot of traffic here: everyone from Air Canada to Transat.

 

At 0244Z (having taxied at up to 50 kt) we're accelerating down runway 05, clearing the way for an Air Canada 767 from Vancouver, who'd been cleared to land almost in the same breath as I'd been cleared to enter the runway.

 

I was stressed.

 

Perspiration dried but I never heard him ordered around.

 

Little to report concerning the cruise. It was so dark I could barely see the clouds that kept thumping the keel. Did spot a Caravan at one point and I didn't use the autopilot, doing the whole flight by hand, which was quite engrossing. For whatever reason, the plane flew like a heavy Mosquito, inclined to accelerate away with whatever instability I'd introduced. I even had to pause to take screenshots. Happily RC, like FS9, will tune radios for me so while flying I didn't have to look away for too long.

 

Dark up 'ere, innit?

 

On arrival I nearly messed up the turn onto 140° while maintaining 9000. Spot the VSI. Lucky I had a few feet in hand...

 

Oops.

 

Immediately on completing the turn, "Descend and maintain 4000". CYOW appeared as a dot of light abeam at around 10 miles. Then "Descend and maintain 3000. Fly heading 050." The flying, like the scenery, was getting more interesting.

 

Turning off what would normally be the downwind leg.

 

I did wallow onto the localiser, and was rather too high (another dodgy turn) so was glad of the good visibility. Still, it was another greaser. I've had to get good at soft landings in this plane -- you lose Air Hauler income for damaging cargo.

 

Decision height.

Land.

 

I parked up and shut down at 0344Z. it only later occurred to me that Air Canada would possibly have been relatively low too on the short flight so would have been subject to the same speed restriction, making our flights about the same duration.

 

Offloading.

 

As it happened, I failed to set RC up for a full departure procedure and it sent me first to 5000' and then almost immediately up to cruise. I also used rather less fuel than estimated and parked up with 9260 kg useable in the tanks, a burn of 1440 kg in 200 nm equating to 7.2 kg/nm and enough to get me to CYTZ in the morning.

 

Flight analysis. All crafted from the finest hand-flying, just for the practice..

 

D
 

[jgf]

Much as I like the Do-27 I think I'll forego it on the Australia flight.  It is slow (cruise 90kts) and requires a lot of attention.  Did a "quick" 100 mile flight in Japan, took over an hour and a half as I reacquainted myself with its idiosyncracies;  such as constantly having to switch back and forth between the fuel tanks, the least imbalance and she wants to fly in circles.

 

Maintenance before take-off

 

 

Two minutes to repair and we're ready to go, copilot constantly scans the instruments (you can boot her via the config menu)

 

Plane is easy to fly from the VC, everything is functional, even the circuit breakers

 

Still a favorite, I just don't relish 2000 miles across Australia in it

[Sirrus]

Somebody once stole G-BMFH, a Dornier Do 27 on Dec 7th 1987, from an airfield in Southern England!

 

He/she/they were never caught. 

BTW this FS9 model will hit a top speed of 151 knots and cruise at 111 knots. 

[PhrogPhlyer]

7 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

I hold you totally responsible for sending me down this bloody Gopher hole...

I take full responsibility, and with the sim, you can have a 6-pack (not the flight instruments) in the cockpit with you!

[ViperPilot2]

8 minutes ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

I take full responsibility, and with the sim, you can have a 6-pack (not the flight instruments) in the cockpit with you!

 

Heh heh heh... not a bad suggestion! I might subscribe to that idea... if I still drank, that is.

 

I'll put the sixer in the esky and bring it along on the Rally for those that imbibe. 

[PhrogPhlyer]

43 minutes ago, ViperPilot2 said:

bring it along on the Rally for those that imbibe

Such a gentleman.

[Airbasil_1]

10 hours ago, defaid said:

I feel this should really go in Airbasil_1's new thread but the first leg is already in this one and the BTS aspect was in response to ViperPilot2's post concerning the plan and the practical approach to procedures. I might open the pdf and re-upload both into AB1's thread.

 

Turns out; My Challenge to fly to Toronto is actually getting more and more interesting. Very much appreciate that you guys kept on following that trajectory of my proposal… 

 

Thanks a ton for that. Love to follow your postings. 

[Airbasil_1]

9 hours ago, jgf said:

Much as I like the Do-27 I think I'll forego it on the Australia flight. 

 

Truly an interesting little jewel of Aviation History. 

[jgf]

1 hour ago, Airbasil_1 said:

My Challenge to fly to Toronto is actually getting more and more interesting

 

You got many of us to try different aircraft than we usually fly.  I will probably do that flight again, maybe a 737 or, more in keeping with the destination, a Dash-8 (don't recall the last time I flew one of those, but I'm a bit more experienced now ...as I discovered with the Citation).

[Sirrus]

It is late Monday morning and I'm sitting in my office on Herengracht, thinking about lunch, when the intercom buzzes.

"Ya, wie is het" I ask - I rarely get the chance to use what little Dutch I have as Amsterdammers love to show off their English - "Can we come in please, Cirrus?" asks a voice I recognize. I push the button to open the door and they come on up the stairs.

 

Connie Bruton comes in first, followed by Sean Beckett. These two used to be part of a sales team that included yours truly, and the pair of them could probably sell ice to Eskimos. They have coffee and we talk of the "old days" for a while until I ask "Well guys, it is nice to see you but why are you here?" A look passes between them and Sean asks "How was Australia?"

 

I start " I'm thinking of entering this Trans-Australia Rally that should happen in the New Year and I went to have a look at the proposed course, to find something suitable to fly it in, and to see what was for sale." "And what did you decide?" asks Connie. I tell them I looked at several twins including a KingAir 250...

a Piper Chieftain...

a P68...

as well as some singles, like this Cessna 185...

a Diamond DA40...

and a Jabiru 170

 

"And...?" Sean again. I say " I haven't decided anything yet. So far there is no start date, no finishing date, and folks are still flinging ideas into the pot. They could even turn it into a tour around Oz. These guys aren't indecisive, they just haven't made up their minds about what's best, what will get as many entrants as possible into the event. These events aren't just thrown together overnight. If you remember the old King's Cup races, the organizers started to organize the next year's race a week after this years race finished!"

They nod and look at each other again, Sean starts "We'd like you to fly this for us in the rally when, or if, it happens.." Connie pushes a folder across the desk and chips in " We want to push sales in Australia, to feeder airlines, charter guys, maybe even the Coastal Patrol and you've had some flights with them." I shake my head and respond "I've been up with AMSA and the Customs, so I know a couple of guys that might be useful."

"So you could help?" Connie again. I lean forward "I won't make a decision until after Christmas and then only after the organizers have a definite route, and a start and finish date. Leave this lot with me..." I gesture at the folder on the desk, "...and I'll let you know. Now, how about lunch?"

[jgf]

The "official" entry list for the Australian event, as far as I know, is

 

https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php?event_id=357&search_mode=1&page=1&sid=1701026279

 

the aircraft which actually participated.

[PhrogPhlyer]

56 minutes ago, jgf said:

The "official" entry list for the Australian event,

Very interesting mix.

Maybe repaint time?

Hmmm, slow and accurate or fast and fictional.

Back to '76?

Decisions, decisions...

[Airbasil_1]

5 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Maybe repaint time?

Definitely... I would love to get a few more real world Repaints for the Carenado King Air C-90 or the Aeroworx King Air B200. 

[TomPenDragon]

1 hour ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Decisions, decisions...

A hard one, for sure.  It's Summer down under and something open cockpit - maybe a WACO CTO might be nice.  I still have a hankerin' to race my Mooney.  The airhistory.net list mentions a Mixmaster - er, Skymaster, which seems oddly appropriate for Australia.  Then again, if someone's bringing a Vampire, maybe something whose name starts with F.  And Rey passed his oral and checkride over the weekend and is CE-500-rated, and he now needs 25 hours for his Single Pilot Exemption.  And, do I look up Sirrus' friends and buy something in Australia for the race, or do I fly whatever I'm planning on flying from either Mexico or New York?  Decisions, decisions...

[ViperPilot2]

3 hours ago, jgf said:

The "official" entry list for the Australian event, as far as I know, is

 

https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php?event_id=357&search_mode=1&page=1&sid=1701026279

 

the aircraft which actually participated.

Morning, everyone!

 

By the by... has anyone found any Documentation as to how the Event was actually run? I haven't been able to find anything save for an Article about the Winner...

 

EDIT 1557z... I just found this on the Bay; Rally Description and Entrant List (from the Commemorative Program for the Rally; Link below...)

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/313921562737

 

 

I am wholeheartedly up for a "Literary Rally"; anyone interested in participating flies the Route, writing about their Adventures along the way. No Winners or Losers... we're here for the Fun of it, for the Flying, and the Writing!

 

What do you all think?  

[TomPenDragon]

1 hour ago, ViperPilot2 said:

What do you all think?  

"Bring your planes, bring your pens."

 

I blew up the article and read it; IMHO the rules described are far too restrictive for our group - not being able to tape the wing roots for streamlining?  But according to the rules, I could drop a Merlin into my Mooney...

 

The stories just keep on getting better and better - keep it up, folks!!  We're stretching the forum software to its limits and beyond.  I love the, "Wanna Challenge Me," concept, but we're just writing so much these days that each individual Challenge deserves its own sub-forum.  The CYTZ Fly-In, should the administrators grant AirBasil's request and move all of its stories to their own thread, would easily be 7-8 pages right there (and I don't think we're even close to done yet, either).  It seems some people are starting to write in a proper word processor and copying-pasting into a post - I did this with the Route 66; what a difference!  Spell-check and Undo, Yoo Hoo!

 

One last thing: I finally got the Citation X from Cuernavaca to CYTZ (seems tuning the ATIS was causing the problem, although it's not a hard fail).  The ILS for Runway 08 lined up perfectly on approach.  The only scenery I have for that area are the default and CalClassic.  Weird.

[Bossspecops]

2 hours ago, TomPenDragon said:

 

 The airhistory.net list mentions a Mixmaster...........................

 

 

A MIXMASTER? Oh yes, that'd be t he official USAF Team entry would it? 

 

I LOVE something weird and wonderful, and if the RAF can enter Canberra's for the race out to Oz......

[taoftedal]

2 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

By the by... has anyone found any Documentation as to how the Event was actually run? I haven't been able to find anything save for an Article about the Winner ...

 

Good stuff ... found the same when I searched early on ... nothing on the winner though ... must be a article archived somewhere.

[TomPenDragon]

21 minutes ago, Bossspecops said:

the race out to Oz.

A Challenge to get to the Challenge?  Sounds challenging!

[ViperPilot2]

8 minutes ago, taoftedal said:

 

Good stuff ... found the same when I searched early on ... nothing on the winner though ... must be a article archived somewhere.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-race-pilot-picked-right-winds-20190927-p52vlw.html

[taoftedal]

Yes … what to fly?  After Route 66 my sponsors were all pretty happy and asked about another event.  Piper was a bit concerned about those ‘British machines’ but after I reminded them that their Cherokee won the thing those kids in marketing quieted down.  Lycoming also was more than willing to offer their support … and I get a real hat this time.  Shell was thrilled (they just loved that gas guzzling British trio) … and I don’t even have to hand out stickers!

 

I wasn’t thinking about another Piper but who am I to turn down a gift horse … and they are even willing to give the TomP team a factory M-Class to fly if desired.  So … into the hanger to see what I might find … I carefully put my ear to the wing of the Comanche and I hear a soft voice whispering … ‘Twinkie ... Twinkie’ … and the Arrow smiled.  Interesting ... I recall Suzanne saying the same thing ...

 

 

[ViperPilot2]

24 minutes ago, TomPenDragon said:

A Challenge to get to the Challenge?  Sounds challenging!

 

Received a phone call from our "Sponsor", an American multi Billionaire who bankrolls several Humanitarian NGO's where they provide Emergency Cargo/Medical resources all over the World. He got wind of the AU Air Rally and TPD's 'Challenge within a Challenge' and offered a novel option; the use of a C-17 to transport my Aircraft to the Start Line, along with all of the necessary Resources to complete the Rally...

 

Given the fact that in the coming Weeks there's either gonna be a slam on the AU Aircraft Market by potential Participants or an exodus of many small A/C making the long journey Down Under, this might be the best Alternative...

 

I'm not keen on spending 20 hours straight staring at the screen simming a Globemaster III flight Down Under, or flying using Time Compression, so I've gotta hash this one out; if I commit, I'll have to install a Refuel gauge to simulate Air Refueling or else I'm gonna hafta plan Stops along the way... Yikes!

[Sirrus]

Summer in Australia and ...

...the last flyable Shorts Belfast gets its feet wet along with

at least one of the Navajos I looked at.

Cairns Airport under flood water. Now who suggested an East Coast Rally, or was it meant for seaplanes?