Yorkshire Dales as Seen on TV and MSFS

[billstack]

 

My wife and I enjoy watching All Creatures Great and Small, which is filmed in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park in central England. Designated in 1954, the park is 95 percent privately owned, and 23,000 people live and farm 1,000 independent farms. Actors and crew rave about how much they love working there, and tourism has increased due to the TV show.

 

Source: Yorkshire Dales National Park

 

The real scenery is nostalgic and tranquil from every viewpoint. So I “flew” over to enjoy it from within Microsoft Flight Simulator ™ 2020. I departed Teesside International Airport (EGNV) in the Tees Valley about 10 miles east of Middlesborough and headed 240 degrees.

 

SkyVector

 

Teesside provides services from east-central England to Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Turkey in addition to England. It is also the general-aviation airport for the region.

 

MSFS 2020

 

A Cessna 172 reaches Yorkshire Dales in less than 15 minutes. After passing over lowland Yorkshire farmland at 4,500 feet altitude, the route traverses rugged hills, heaths, and valleys in central Yorkshire. Not much grows on these hills due to rocky and acidic soils. Their characteristic scrubs, grasses, and stones appear brown from aloft.

 

MSFS 2020

 

Then the lush Yorkshire Dales National Park appears. It can seem ordinary from aloft, but it is very beautiful indeed when considering how nostalgic and sanguine it is from the ground where All Creatures Great and Small is filmed.

 

MSFS 2020

 

The return flight is as interesting. Yorkshire’s rural terrain and rugged topography morph into low rolling farmlands followed by the urban area of Middlesborough and its suburbs.

 

MSFS 2020

 

The trick is to find Teesside Airport among the rural and urban terrain, which is always challenging for visual navigation. My C172 was not receiving Teesside NDB (TD), which made things more difficult. If you get lost, ask Teesside’s tower for directions, or use Direct-To in your GPS to plot a course from your current position.

MSFS 2020

Teesside is a controlled airport, so communication with its tower is required. Watch out for commercial and private traffic flying to, from, and around this busy regional airport.

 

MSFS 2020

 

A short and easy visual flight over beautiful terrain is always rewarding on any lovely day.

 

MSFS 2020

 

Bill Stack is author of books and videos for flight simmers who want truly realist simulations.