Melo965

I did notice as soon as I looked, been busy flying. Pretty impressive to get that high.

FSX Scenery-- Meigs Field June 11, 2013 filename = KMGS_JD.ZIP

The Meigs Field file here in the library with over 3,000 downloads looks pretty good in FSX. Only issue is if you ask to start on the active runway, you start on the taxiway beside the runway instead.

AWESOME! Congratulations!

Hello Kit, thanks but I just got it sorted out. Did a quick brake upgrade, then a test flight and landed and stopped before the taxiway turnoff. All set now.

Flying general aviation I almost always stay below 12,500 ft, hence no need to worry about oxygen requirements. Flying warbirds, I tend to fly up to about 30,000 ft, although my Spitfire Mk XI has been up above her usual service ceiling of 44,000 ft. Flying Big Iron (which I rarely do) tend to fly between 30,000 (FL300) and 40,000 ft (FL400). I have also been known on occasion to be up over 70,000 ft in a U-2, SR-71, or something even more exotic! In a very old Chuck Yeager simulator I did manage to get a X-15 up over 314,000 feet routinely!

RAAF Darwin International (YPDN) to Sutan Sjahrir Air Force Base (WIMG) formerly Tabing Airport. Engine started at RAAF Darwin. In the rain. Ready for takeoff. Raining pretty hard. Lucky to be flying IFR. Leaving Darwin behind. It was a very enjoyable time in Australia. Lots of fun flying and very good company too! Cruise altitude of 50,000 ft. It took the Canberra 7 minutes to get up here. There is a consistent 200 feet oscillation in pitch up here though. I tried disengaging autopilot and adjusting elevator trim, but with marginal improvement. Not much to see down below with all the cloud cover. You can faintly see Australia behind us now. Shortly after this point I made a huge blunder and completely trusted George to fly the aircraft. Came back to check on the Canberra only to find her way off course and at about 12,000 ft altitude. While I was away there was a problem with the fuel transfer switch - switching from an empty fuel tank to the next full one, and the left engine quit altogether! Causing us to swerve off course pretty drastically and lose a bunch of altitude. I very quickly got to work getting both engines running smoothly and made a gradual climb up to 20,000 ft. Also adjusted my heading and got back on course. (After TPD's excellent tutorial on extending range, at the beginning of the flight I made the rather rash decision to try to skip WIMG and make it all the way to OOMA in one go.) My multiple in flight problems put that crazy idea firmly to bed. I also adjusted the flight plan to more sensibly point toward WIMG. Here is my flight track for this flight. You can clearly see where the left engine cut out! Recovered and stable again at 20,000 ft and on course for WIMG. Passing Belitung Island just east of Sumatra. Down to 27% fuel remaining after 3 hours of flight. Veiw from the cockpit. Three and a half hours of flight time so far. Only 5% fuel remaining. Because of the previous issues during this flight I was also coming to realize that my fuel state was getting critically low. Eased back on the throttle to conserve more fuel. 1 percent fuel remaining. Airport is ahead above the red arrow on the coast. Short final for runway 34. Going to make it after all! Brakes definitely not strong enough. The ONLY reason why I stopped before running out of runway is that the engines both quit from fuel starvation! Calling for a tow over to the terminal. Sigh . . . Parked in the rain at Sutan Sjahrir Air Force Base (WIMG) Next stop RAF Masirah (OOMA). But before that I am going to stop here for a bit and get a mechanic to fix the fuel transfer pump and do a full inspection on those brakes!

MAD1, no worries at all. After you see my latest flight report later today, you definitely won't ask me to fly the Concorde.

Great flight, and thanks for the fuel and endurance lesson too.

Hi MAD1, I am the one flying the PR9 Canberra. Hope to get a few legs done today. Best regards, Melo

My Route home. I will be flying Canberra PR9 Marham Rose first. Darwin International Airport (YPDN) in Australia Sutan Sjahrir Air Force Base (WIMG) in Sumatra RAF Masirah (OOMA) in Oman RAF Akrotiri (LCRA) in Cyprus Tain Airfield (EGQA) in Scotland, UK Then flying CMC Leopard G-KITS Tain Airfield (EGQA) in Scotland, UK Dean Forest Regional (EGDF) UK Then flying Supermarine Spitfire XI PL965 Dean Forest Regional (EGDF) UK Tain Airfield (EGQA) in Scotland, UK And then on northward and westward. The Mk XI Spitfire has leading edge wing tanks so the Gander route etc. will not pose any problems. Final destination is Bremerton National (KPWT) Washington, USA

WOW! Very cool! Look forward to the flight report.

Nice descriptions and great pictures!

That was my shortest Rally flight ever. Less than 30 minutes in my usual Spitfire from Burbank (KBUR).

I use FSX Acceleration mostly. Occasionally MSFS 2020.

I did download the version you mentioned, I will check it out, Thanks! I started out with the default F-18 from FSX Acceleration. Had huge problems multiple times part way into the flight. So I did some searching and found this: The original team that created the F-18 for FSX Acceleration have made HUGE improvements in the Hornet. A totally new and much better version is out now and it is freeware. "FS Dream Team FSX Blue Angels F/A-18C" Here is the link: https://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,16514.msg117675.html#msg117675 "2018 FSX BLUE ANGELS F/A-18C HORNET" "LATEST FSX VERSION DOWNLOAD LINK: FSXBA F/A-18C Hornet ver. 18.3 link (as of 5 MAY 2018)" Much more exceptional than the default F-18, and it was a bonus that there was a good RAAF livery. A very big download though. There is a lot to learn to fly this accurately, but it was great fun to fly it from Darwin to Cairns.

I second Kit's thoughts on the Event. I enjoyed both the Southern and Eastern route flights, but doing the Combined as well was just too much for my schedule, even though I am retired now. 3 to 4 main events per year sounds great!

You did an exceptional job throughout, Great Work!

He does look similar, but you would never catch me wearing shorts. The only carriers I have been on were the HMS Ark Royal (R09), my grandfather took me on a tour. And the other one was the USS Midway where she is still docked in San Diego. On neither carrier did they offer that I get in the cockpit of an aircraft. The F-18 was sure fun to fly!

In the Canberra it took 2 hours and 11 minutes so an average speed of 530 miles per hour. In the F-18 going the other way it took 1 hour and 16 minutes so an average speed of 914 miles per hour. Must have had a hefty tailwind!

Can I have two burgers please. No beets or ketchup, hope that is not sacrilege. And a couple of root beers if you have them please. That is the only kind of beer I drink these days. I will have to pay for it myself this time. Not on the RAAF dime anymore now that all of my Australia flights are completed! I was very glad that they paid for all the tanker fuel for the F-18 flight, in particular.

AWESOME! Wish I was there to see that!

Oops! Sorry about that!

Thanks, sounds like a good plan. And I will try to route through the places you suggested as well.

RAAF Darwin (YPDN) to Cairns (YBCS) After talking to the pilot parked next to me the other day, he put me in touch with the RAAF. They needed someone to ferry one of their aircraft East to Cairns, and they were wondering if I was interested? YES!!! Ready to start engine in the rain. Ready for takeoff. Advancing throttle on runway 29. Climbing out. Another view of the climb out. Leaving Darwin and the clouds and rain behind. Flying East over Gove (YPGV) Turning South over Weipa (YBWP) Some weather on this route. Getting close to Cairns. 248 kts at 600 ft. Still legal, right? Runway in sight. High final for runway 15. Full stop. Now to taxi over to the party. Parked and ready to party. The Beechcraft next to me just fuelled up and left. There is room for another Gaggle participant to park here now. My thanks to everyone! This is a wonderful event to participate in!