[ Club Chachapoya ] Meigs Or Bust

[ViperPilot2]

There's a great Helo Training Scenery for Nine that has a Tower with lots of elevated Platforms, Trailers on the Tarmac to land on, and various Helipads all over the area, along with the Hana Airport (PHHN) in Hawai'i. The folks at the now defunct HoverControl site created this Scenery for their Training program. 

 

 

[Bossspecops]

This one's files are 2007, but your description fits it exactly. 

[PhrogPhlyer]

13 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

There's a great Helo Training Scenery for Nine that has a Tower with lots of elevated Platforms, Trailers on the Tarmac to land on, and various Helipads all over the area, along with the Hana Airport (PHHN) in Hawai'i. The folks at the now defunct HoverControl site created this Scenery for their Training program. 

I do remember having this loaded when I was running FS9.

It is a good add-on for helicopter training.

 

To all aspiring sim helicopter pilots, a word of caution, don't get ahead of yourself.

Consistency with basics, hovering, landing from a hover, small positional adjustments in the hover, air taxi, turns and side slides at low speed, all these mundane repetitive tasks are essential to be able to land with minimal visual cues.

Please, don't rush this critical part of your skill set.

Landing on various objects and platforms, on pinnacles and slopes, will make more sense and be much easier to master with these basic skills solidified.

Periodically I still go to Spence NOLF and fly basic ground maneuvers, hover turns, turns around the nose, turns around the tail, flying a square box taxi pattern, doing the same with constant heading, repeating the same IGO or OGE (in or out of ground effect). Without this practice, I can see my finer skills do diminish.

Flying a helicopter is more of a finessed art than flying a fixed-wing.

Remember, "Flying is heavenly, to hover divine."

[PhrogPhlyer]

Since there appears to be some interest in helicopter flying within this group, I started a [ Club Chachapoya ] Rotorhead thread.

Let's move rotor only discussions to that thread. 

 

 

[Rupert]

23 hours ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

 

It gave me flashbacks to my 9 years living in Orange Co, CA.

All good, thanks for asking!

 

Damned Straight!!  In Orange County as well as Frisco!!  My first experience of one, I was driving a car!!  I had not a clue how to steer!  It felt a lot like flying in very heavy wind gusts!  But other objects such as guard rails and other vehicles were just feet or inches away!! Luckily I didn't get hit or hit something else!

 

We have tornadoes here in Kentucky fairly frequently.  In fact a Force 2 one came through just this last week less than three miles from where we live.  Both Molly's and my mother's homes, about five miles apart, were damaged by tornadoes in the 1960's.  (Before we met.) And we had some garage damage from one early1980's.  But they're usually somewhat predictable. 

 

Shakers!!  I don't ever want to live thorough another one of them! 

[MAD1]

Chachapoya Chronicle. News from your Aviation Correspondent, Tim Bowlachili.

Saturday 6 April 2024. Meigs Airport, Chicago.

 

Hello from that famous newspaper, the Chachapoya Chronicle. Thanks to the largesse of that media empire, the Chachapoya Media Group, the Chronicle is free and delivered to everyone's physical (these are hardly used these days it seems) and electronic mailboxes (via this Flightsim.com fraternity, i.e. this thread).

 

As a freelance aviation journalist of decades standing (but generally sitting and lying down), I've been casting about looking for a publication that'll take my copy. Tried the New York Times, Washington Post, Times of London, Sydney Morning Herald, and many others. Alas, all were less than keen. Of course, I approached first the Chachapoya group, but it was difficult to track down any staff. Chachapoya Radio has gone off-air. Anyhow, they finally contacted me and gave me a contract - they'd pay me (in Chachapoya dollars, a bit (pun intended) like bit-coin, the RW value fluctuates greatly it seems, but Chachapoya admin staff assured me that their dollars as as solid as Fort Knox!)

 

So, dear readers, here is the first report.

 

I've frequented the Meigs airfield for the last week or so, saw a lot of new activity, different types of aircraft flying in. Some had passengers, celebrities (or wanna-be celebs) even. I chatted to a few pilots and passengers as best I could, they weren't that friendly. Seems there has been some type of meeting here, about some club they're forming.

 

Now, one aircraft that arrived, a flashy Hawker Siddeley 125 800 (HS125-800) with bright red colour scheme, was apparently a Squitts Porridge Oats commercial flight from the United Kingdom. Some classy passengers! Later, I frequented the usual bars where the Meigs pilots hang out, had a few chats with some of the boys, not much of interest other than their flight stories (PIREPs etc.), but wow, this classy broad came up to me (I'd met her, or tried to when she got off the Squitts plane, but she snubbed me totally), Monique, she was the height of elegance and effusiveness, said she'd been told who I was and that she wanted to meet me - a world-class journo, reknowned by all the great papers worldwide, been in war zones, been nominated for journalism awards etc. etc.

 

My reponse of course was nonchalent '... of all the gin joints in the world, what's a classy dame like you doing in a place like this ...' (you know, Bogart style, I like to play it cool, especially with the ladies). She told me that Squitts is shooting a high-budget advertisement video in Chicago, and she's been flown in with the cast. And no, she doesn't know anything about the pilots of her plane, or anything about any club meeting, she said 'And frankly my dear, I don't give a damn, they're just the taxi drivers, we film celebs don't speak to them, I have my people who do that.'

 

So, dear readers, it seems there's two, or perhaps three, subplots here: the Squitts story; the flyin-in meeting; and I've got wind of some helicopter thing developing. Your investigative reporter, Tim Bowlachilli, will get to the bottom of all these stories ('Bowlachilli always gets the scoop, even if it's the last scoop'!)

[alanpugh]

On 4/6/2024 at 4:12 PM, MAD1 said:

Chachapoya Chronicle. News from your Aviation Correspondent, Tim Bowlachilli.

Saturday 6 April 2024. Meigs Airport, Chicago.

 

In journalism the ultimate put-down must be to have your name appear on a restaurant menu rather than on a byline from a respected news source.  I was wondering where I had heard Tim B's name mentioned.  Yes, several times on this thread but where else - the BBC? Reuters? hmmm.....I spent a sleepless night pondering this and finally deferred until tomorrow.  

[alanpugh]

RETURN TRIP FROM THE MEIGS RALLY 

 

Another terrible day with low ceilings as we pre-flighted the Beech 18 on the ramp at Meigs.

 

 

 

Holding short R-18. Wind 074@13, 1500 overcast, temp/dewpoint 07/10

 

Wild crosswind, lower nose 

 

Climb 30 mp, 2300 rpm, 140 kts

 

First waypoint, Gipper Niles Vortac.  Interesting cloud layers, turn right 79 deg

 

Still over MI, clouds breaking 

 

Divert to Lorain Co OH for fuel 

 

Depart Lorain Co 

 

Bradford Co, PA, very cloudy with occasional breaks 

 

 

 

 

High country in upstate NY 

 

Berkshire hills in Western MA 

 

BAF Westfield-Barnes Regional and ANG Base.  F-15's are based here.  They were moved from Otis on Cape Cod.  

 

CEF Westover ARB.  C-5's are based here.  

 

KOWD Norwood Memorial 1st approach to R-17 

 

Go-around to R-10 after checking the wind sock.  

 

R-10 high and hot but we squeaked it on anyway. 

 

OWD North Ramp.  The ground crew has been instructed to tow the AC to a hanger with wider doors.  

 

That was a great experience for me who has participated in other rallys over the years.  Glad to meet all my fellow pilots and looking forward to exploring more of our FS world.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ViperPilot2]

3 hours ago, alanpugh said:

In journalism the ultimate put-down must be to have your name appear on a restaurant menu rather than on a byline from a respected news source.  I was wondering where I had heard Tim B's name mentioned.  Yes, several times on this thread but where else - the BBC? Reuters? hmmm.....I spent a sleepless night pondering this and finally deferred until tomorrow.  

 

The 'origins' of the name "Bowlachili" are [CLASSIFIED] and are known only to the Originator of the Name... [REDACTED].

[Nels_Anderson]

9 hours ago, alanpugh said:

OWD North Ramp.  The ground crew has been instructed to tow the AC to a hanger with wider doors.  

 

That was a great experience for me who has participated in other rallys over the years.  Glad to meet all my fellow pilots and looking forward to exploring more of our FS world.  

 

Thanks for sharing your flight! Doubly interesting for me, as KOWD would also be my destination for a return to home flight from Meigs...I should go and actually do it...

[PhrogPhlyer]

1 hour ago, Nels_Anderson said:

I should go and actually do it...

We're waiting! 

[Melo965]

19 hours ago, alanpugh said:

RETURN TRIP FROM THE MEIGS RALLY

 

Good flight and great pictures! 

You made better progress than me.  I am still in South Dakota and headed west toward Washington state.

 

[MAD1]

alanpugh. Lovely pics, enjoyed reading about your flight.

[MAD1]

17 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

 

The 'origins' of the name "Bowlachili" are [CLASSIFIED] and are known only to the Originator of the Name... [REDACTED].

 

Re Bowlachili.

1. Clearly, VP2's lips are sealed.

 

2. First mention of Bowlachili. As a stickler for good, accurate data, and for the posterity record, I've been trying to find the original posts (harder than expected) but found them just now.

 

2.1 Thread ‘The 2024 Australian Air Rally - The FBO’.Page 45, 4 March 2024.

 

2.1.1 ViperPilot2: “There's another guy that's much better suited for the Role; he's over at the trattoria down the street. Ask for Timofeo Bowlachili; he'll be the bloke over in the corner embracing the bottle of grappa... “.

 

2.1.2. MAD1: “As VP2 indicated, yes, in future events, a few, short newspaper articles by that celubrious guy, not Giorgio Bianchi [who TPD said Elias of Radio Chachapoya fame recommended] who paints bicycles during the day, but Timofeo Bowlachili. Ah yes, Tim, Timmy! That's my man. (Visions appear from old movies: airports in the fog, Bogart and Bacal, "Of all the gin joints ....", yes, that's Timmy's persona, a Bogart character). AC has asked me, MAD1, to pass onto the Media Group that he'd like to pal up with Elias, sometime in the future, for the next event, no longer as AC, but as TB (unfortunate acronym). I, MAD1, have invited TB to accompany him on future adventures, MAD1 does the flying, TB as a passenger will experience the joy of the event and can write the occasional article for the Chachapoya Chronicle. Given that MAD1 and TB will be in foreign climes, not Oz, then they'll be just another pair of foreign tourists in a foreign land, or skies, etc.”.

 

Current status. Tim is still an unknown quantity, seems he might have a drinking problem. I, MAD1, have only met him once. Have yet to have him fly with me as a passenger. He might be pleasant or unpleasant company. We'll see, time will tell!

 

[ViperPilot2]

3 hours ago, MAD1 said:

 

Re Bowlachili.

1. Clearly, VP2's lips are sealed.

 

2. First mention of Bowlachili. As a stickler for good, accurate data, and for the posterity record, I've been trying to find the original posts (harder than expected) but found them just now.

 

2.1 Thread ‘The 2024 Australian Air Rally - The FBO’.Page 45, 4 March 2024.

 

2.1.1 ViperPilot2: “There's another guy that's much better suited for the Role; he's over at the trattoria down the street. Ask for Timofeo Bowlachili; he'll be the bloke over in the corner embracing the bottle of grappa... “.

 

2.1.2. MAD1: “As VP2 indicated, yes, in future events, a few, short newspaper articles by that celubrious guy, not Giorgio Bianchi [who TPD said Elias of Radio Chachapoya fame recommended] who paints bicycles during the day, but Timofeo Bowlachili. Ah yes, Tim, Timmy! That's my man. (Visions appear from old movies: airports in the fog, Bogart and Bacal, "Of all the gin joints ....", yes, that's Timmy's persona, a Bogart character). AC has asked me, MAD1, to pass onto the Media Group that he'd like to pal up with Elias, sometime in the future, for the next event, no longer as AC, but as TB (unfortunate acronym). I, MAD1, have invited TB to accompany him on future adventures, MAD1 does the flying, TB as a passenger will experience the joy of the event and can write the occasional article for the Chachapoya Chronicle. Given that MAD1 and TB will be in foreign climes, not Oz, then they'll be just another pair of foreign tourists in a foreign land, or skies, etc.”.

 

Current status. Tim is still an unknown quantity, seems he might have a drinking problem. I, MAD1, have only met him once. Have yet to have him fly with me as a passenger. He might be pleasant or unpleasant company. We'll see, time will tell!

 

 

Like I said... I'll never tell. It was two score ago and in another life.

[MAD1]

'The business case for non-human exploration of the solar system'. Community participation.

 

Real Space virtual reality / sim / visualisation. Community engagement.

 

A 'left field' comment/enquiry.

 

Been a good weekend for me, weather is 'at the turn', being our Aussie Autumn, so those beautiful days that we get in Autumn and Spring, for us here in the subtropics, not too hot and humid (we've had an unusually wet summer, and our summers are always wet, being the subtropics and our natural environment is 'subtropical rainforest' (there's a clue 'rain forest', 'rain' get it?)

Was able to finally get on top of the mowing, and some weeds, nature had taken over during the summer. Enjoyed 'sunset drinks' with my wife, sitting on the mown lawn, enjoying the kaleidescope of landscape - blue sky with cumulo clouds, setting sun, hills of green with black cattle and white cattle grazing, balmy weather, crescent moon appearing in the twilight etc etc. Pure bliss, especially given I got off my bum at the computer and got outside and did something, could enjoy the fruits of my labours.
 

Anyhow, being a lifelong amateur astronomer and space nut (as a kid I followed all the Apollo Moon landings, at 14 years old saw Apollo 11's moonwalk on black and white TV). So, had a thought! (Always a dangerous thing!):

 

'The business case for non-human exploration of the solar system'. Community participation.

 

Now, we all know (or should) that anywhere other than Earth is a shithole. Not hospitable to humans. The Moon, no, a vacuum, and the solar radiation will kill you. Mars? No, hardly any atmosphere, and also the solar radiation will kill you. Contrary to popular ignorance, people think that astronauts going to the Moon to live, or to Mars, with at least Mars having 'nice' pics as provided by NASA, at least it has a sky hue. The Moon is out. At Mars you can't take off your helmet and feel the breeze and smell the air.

 

So, the only place that is pleasant is here, Earth. And, the cost and technical challenges of sending people to other worlds is astronomical (pun intended). But, with technology advancing greatly (including 'machine learning' ('artificial intelligence' is a misnomer, there isn't and never will be any such thing) but 'machine learning' is real and has been here for decades.

 

So, the business case can be mounted very strongly that investment is best placed into having humans on Earth experiencing 'as real as it gets' (my, that sounds familiar!), a virtual reality experience of places outside Earth.

 

Now, why am I posting this sermon here, well, over the third glass of red wine, on a halycon afternoon outdoors, and seeing the new Moon, got me thinking, 'What about community access to virtual reality of off-Earth places, who might be the communities who have experience of such things'? Well, I've never dabbled in space sim stuff, but am aware that such groups exist. But I do know about aviation sim worlds, this one.

 

So (yes, I've put a lot of 'so's in this post), why couldn't we, the community, perhaps this FlightSim community, dabble into that world? After all, there is a phallanx of very experienced aviation simmers, and their sim environments can be very realistic, especially the latest software of Flight Simulator 2020 etc.

 

So (final 'so') what might all this mean? Don't know. Has anyone in this fraternity dabbled with space stuff? Is there a way that we, humble citizens, might get access to data feeds, scenery, that is realistic, or based on real, that we could then input into our sim environments and explore the Moon and Mars? I know such setups exist, have seen them referenced on the NASA website and elsewhere. But have hardly ever delved into them, never got involved, just a cursory look see.

 

Reference: just came across this article:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-well-never-live-in-space

 

E.g. of an existing app https://eyes.nasa.gov/curiosity. This is very good, will explore it further.

 

But, I'm not talking about what may exist currently, I'm talking about taking a quantum leap further. It's all possible technically. Your thoughts?

 

[ScottishMike]

It had turned overcast and dark, wind and occasional rain blowing through. The “creative” from Happy Days was explaining the story with a large picture story board, Monique and her advert character Dimitry meet in Scotland. She has inherited her recently deceased grandmothers' cottage in Fife Scotland. Dimitry happens to be coming down the farm lane in his tractor towing a trailer full of oats destined for the Squitts oats processing plant. Her hire car outside the cottage won't start so Dimitry stops and gives her a lift in the tractor to the “farm kitchen”, never call it a factory or processing plant admonishes Frank, the “creative”.

We are sitting in a hired suite at Meigs where the next scenes will be filmed, and Frank is trying to explain the demographic they are aiming for: B1a and C1, and the target ages and incomes. I lose what interest I had in his figures as outside a stunning vintage blue and white Beech 18 powers its twin radials into life, one after the other smoke erupts with a deep growl. A brave pilot risking such a machine in the dodgy weather. I wonder if he is just testing the engines or if he is going to take off.

Frank is droning on. “Where do the aircraft come in?” I interrupt. I am, after all, supposed to be the Aircraft Consultant.

Outside the Beech switches lights on then starts to move. That pilot IS going to take off.

“If you concentrate it would help” admonished Frank.

Monique is obviously attracted to Dimitry, they flirt in his tractor, but she considers him just a backwater farmer. The surprise comes here in Chicago” ... “Excuse me a sec I need to see this.” I go to the full size window to watch the Beech taxi to Rwy 18 and take off:

 

“Sorry it's not every day you see a Beech 18 take off.” I apologise to Frank “You have my undivided attention.”.

Frank continues; “Monique is mooring her yacht and comes ashore here just as Dimitry lands his plane. She recognises him and realises he is not just a bit of Scottish backwater beefcake.”

We need you to decide what plane Dimitry would be flying and source it for the shoot.”.

“OK I see...” still a bit at sea as to what is required.

“Dimitry, or his advert persona, is clearly successful and independent, so the plane has got to match that. He pilots it, not a run of the mill plane, it has to look different, stand out, and not a corporate gas guzzler, Dimitry is ecologically concerned, not a vintage craft either, he is modern and not a military killing machine.”

I power up my lap top and scan through possibilities for Frank:

“This is modern, cutting edge and different:”

“No, took big, this guy is an individual not a bus driver.” Frank comments.

“Ok, so something smaller, two or four seats.”

“The story line has the two taking off together in the last ad so it has to accommodate at least two.” adds Frank.

“Well what about something small and intimate?”:

“NO! Our character likes speed, is that powered by a rubber band?”

“This has power, speed and charm.”:

“Too old fashioned looking, our guy is in his early thirties not sixties. Totally wrong demographic”

“Well this is totally modern in design, very individualistic”:

Frank looked more interested but: “Too odd, it has to appeal to non aircraft people, that looks a bit fragile. Our guy is not a weirdo, he has to have mass appeal. The plane has to say, speed, money, individualism but also security and appeal across men AND women in our chosen market.”

I was beginning to feel a little frustrated.

“What about this then?

 

It's amphibious, the Guy could land next to Monique's yacht. It's Italian, fast and expensive reminiscent of the Cote D'Azur and the Costa Smeralda in Italy.

Frank seemed impressed, thought about it for a few seconds then: “No, still too odd looking, would your average successful woman feel safe getting in it?”

So he wanted conventional and unusual. I brought four pictures up on screen:

 

“There! Fast, expensive but conventional looking. Take your pick”

“That last one! It looks just right, the cockpit like a fighter, easy to get both in shot, it looks fast.

We'll go with that.

Thank goodness a decision. Now I had to locate one and an experienced pilot to go with it and get both to Meigs.

 

AlanPugh apologies for not asking permission to re-use your pics but they are just too good to not use!

[ViperPilot2]

6 hours ago, MAD1 said:

'The business case for non-human exploration of the solar system'. Community participation.

 

Real Space virtual reality / sim / visualisation. Community engagement.

 

A 'left field' comment/enquiry.

 

Been a good weekend for me, weather is 'at the turn', being our Aussie Autumn, so those beautiful days that we get in Autumn and Spring, for us here in the subtropics, not too hot and humid (we've had an unusually wet summer, and our summers are always wet, being the subtropics and our natural environment is 'subtropical rainforest' (there's a clue 'rain forest', 'rain' get it?)

Was able to finally get on top of the mowing, and some weeds, nature had taken over during the summer. Enjoyed 'sunset drinks' with my wife, sitting on the mown lawn, enjoying the kaleidescope of landscape - blue sky with cumulo clouds, setting sun, hills of green with black cattle and white cattle grazing, balmy weather, crescent moon appearing in the twilight etc etc. Pure bliss, especially given I got off my bum at the computer and got outside and did something, could enjoy the fruits of my labours.
 

Anyhow, being a lifelong amateur astronomer and space nut (as a kid I followed all the Apollo Moon landings, at 14 years old saw Apollo 11's moonwalk on black and white TV). So, had a thought! (Always a dangerous thing!):

 

'The business case for non-human exploration of the solar system'. Community participation.

 

Now, we all know (or should) that anywhere other than Earth is a shithole. Not hospitable to humans. The Moon, no, a vacuum, and the solar radiation will kill you. Mars? No, hardly any atmosphere, and also the solar radiation will kill you. Contrary to popular ignorance, people think that astronauts going to the Moon to live, or to Mars, with at least Mars having 'nice' pics as provided by NASA, at least it has a sky hue. The Moon is out. At Mars you can't take off your helmet and feel the breeze and smell the air.

 

So, the only place that is pleasant is here, Earth. And, the cost and technical challenges of sending people to other worlds is astronomical (pun intended). But, with technology advancing greatly (including 'machine learning' ('artificial intelligence' is a misnomer, there isn't and never will be any such thing) but 'machine learning' is real and has been here for decades.

 

So, the business case can be mounted very strongly that investment is best placed into having humans on Earth experiencing 'as real as it gets' (my, that sounds familiar!), a virtual reality experience of places outside Earth.

 

Now, why am I posting this sermon here, well, over the third glass of red wine, on a halycon afternoon outdoors, and seeing the new Moon, got me thinking, 'What about community access to virtual reality of off-Earth places, who might be the communities who have experience of such things'? Well, I've never dabbled in space sim stuff, but am aware that such groups exist. But I do know about aviation sim worlds, this one.

 

So (yes, I've put a lot of 'so's in this post), why couldn't we, the community, perhaps this FlightSim community, dabble into that world? After all, there is a phallanx of very experienced aviation simmers, and their sim environments can be very realistic, especially the latest software of Flight Simulator 2020 etc.

 

So (final 'so') what might all this mean? Don't know. Has anyone in this fraternity dabbled with space stuff? Is there a way that we, humble citizens, might get access to data feeds, scenery, that is realistic, or based on real, that we could then input into our sim environments and explore the Moon and Mars? I know such setups exist, have seen them referenced on the NASA website and elsewhere. But have hardly ever delved into them, never got involved, just a cursory look see.

 

Reference: just came across this article:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-well-never-live-in-space

 

E.g. of an existing app https://eyes.nasa.gov/curiosity. This is very good, will explore it further.

 

But, I'm not talking about what may exist currently, I'm talking about taking a quantum leap further. It's all possible technically. Your thoughts?

 

 

There was Orbiter, and the Kerbal Space Program (?) that was once available but I don't think it is anymore.

 

You could do all kinds of Space oriented stuff; Apollo CSM/LM docking, STS Flights/Re-entry, etc.

 

Musk man and his Rocket company put out an ISS Docking Simulator to play with...

 

https://iss-sim.spacex.com/

 

h. Sapiens going to Mars? Not until the Shielding thing is figured out. Can't complete the Mission if Astros/Cosmos are too sick to work or their junk keeps falling off! Nope, we ain't ready to take that next step... yet.

[Melo965]

5 hours ago, ViperPilot2 said:

Kerbal Space Program

 

This one is available still on Steam for the PC at least.  My Son-In-Law bought it for me.  I have dabbled with the program, but not given it a real college try yet.

 

[MAD1]

Thanks VP2 and Melo for your responses. I forgot to mention that yes, of course, there is (or was), as an accompaniment to Google Earth - Google Moon and Google Mars (something is still available, https://www.google.com/mars). That might be all that is needed. I dabbled (quick look see) with both back in the day (can't remember how many years ago). So (doh, another 'so'!) whether anything is 2024 'hip', 'on the money', 'best of breed' I don't know, and don't have the time or energy to explore any of that. But, as our little, local, community-of-interest, perhaps we could/should. Ah, some many fun things to do, I need another lifetime. But at 69 years next month, the clock is ticking, and 'it ain't gonna happen buddy'! Also, I have a little 16 foot trailer-sailer sailboat (Hartely 16) in the backyard, needing some TLC, and should get that out on our local river, 'gone sailin'! So (oh dear, yet another one), need to get outside and live real life in the sailboat before I waste yet more hours in the sim, in a extra-terrestrial sim. Oh dear, I need a few extra lifetimes!!!

[MAD1]

Chachapoya Chronicle. Aviation news by your correspondent Tim Bowlachili. Tuesday 16 April 2024.

 

There is interesting activity at and near Meigs Airport, Chicago. The Squitts Oats company's advertising commercial is in lock-down to public enquiries (including this loyal correspondent) but the 'scoop' is that the advert cast is in development mode. Celebrities - Monique and Dimitry, have leading roles of course. The setting is Scotland initially, then transposing to the French Riveria. Very classy. An aircraft is involved in one of the final scenes of the ad.

Meanwhile, at Meigs, a beautiful, classic aircraft, the Beech 18, was seen to take off. It's part of the Squitts Oat entourage.

 

(Bowlachili always gets the scoop, even if it's the last scoop!)

[TomPenDragon]

Very quickly: Orbiter still does exist, and can be found at http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/ .  The latest version on that site is 2016.  In 2021, Martin Schweiger, the developer, put the source code out on GITHub, as time constraints kept him from developing the program further (makes him ACES in my book).  There are a ton of add-ons.  Orbiter is a true, Newtonian physics space flight simulator.  If you think helicopters are hard...  But the views...

 

I don't know Kerbal, but from the website https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/ , it seems more like a Sim City for space than a spaceflight simulator.

 

For exploring the cosmos with feet on terra firma, there's Stellarium http://stellarium.org/  .  Within 5 minutes, I discovered that I've been looking for Pons-Brooks in the wrong place.  There now is a web-based version, so nothing to install.

 

And a quick apology for being so quiet lately - the RW has been encroaching - in a good way; our blood work came out good, and my wife just celebrated a big birthday.  More things to do, though, so gotta boogie...  Will check in when I can.

 

Peace. Out.

[alanpugh]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:19 AM, ScottishMike said:

“Sorry it's not every day you see a Beech 18 take off.” 

 

AlanPugh apologies for not asking permission to re-use your pics but they are just too good to not use!

I'm happy to see them being shared.  For some real Beech 18 videos, search Youtube Bob Trinque 

Bob sold his C-45 but I had several breakfast flights in it and even got 30 min stick time.  Flights from KPYM to KMVY or KACK for $45/seat

[jgf]

It's been several years since I dabbled with Kerbal but, fwiw, the physics behind it are quite good;  I assume they attired it in the cartoonish graphics to broaden the appeal.

[MAD1]

Just watched Part 1 and 2 of this very good series 'The Flying Carriers' about the airship era e.g. Acron.