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gmurray56

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  1. gmurray56
    Two years had passed since my move to Washington. The Cherokee 140 had reached TBO and my family had grown, so I had persuaded my wife to buy a bigger airplane. After much research, I decided on a Piper Saratoga. It was very similar to the Cherokee, but with six seats and an engine twice as powerful. I had taken instruction in a Piper Arrow (a more powerful, retractable gear Cherokee) and in a retractable Saratoga to learn the constant propeller and the moving landing gear. Eventually, I found a fixed gear Saratoga and flew it from Aurora, Illinois, to Bremerton. After a couple of local flights, I took the Saratoga on one of my favorite outings, along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula to the Northwest corner of the continental United States. The 300-hp engine easily pulled me up above the Olympics, and, as usual, the scenery was stunning. Alpine lakes, virgin forests, and glaciers to my left and the Puget Sound and inlets from the Pacific studded with islands to my right, with the Cascade Mountains in the distance and the snow capped volcanic peak of Mt. Baker. The beauty was exquisite, and I was alone in the air. I turned inland and flew back over the mountains toward home. I could not resist the urge to let down through the river valley back to the Hood Canal. It had a measure of risk, but so did all flying. It was selfish, it was wasteful, to fly alone with no real destination, but I was happy.
     
    I search the Internet for a fixed gear Saratoga and finally find one, but it is for FS2004. Luckily, I have that program as well as FSX. After some hassle, it finally is installed and I am anxious to fly. I start off at Tacoma Narrows, close to the Narrows Bridge. It is another beautiful simulation, but the virtual cockpit’s instruments are just dummies. That’s okay, I just give it full throttle and take off. Once airborne, I pull back on the throttle and the prop just a little, and it seems to work. I cruise along the Puget Sound, and below me I see ferries! The earlier program appears to have better scenery on this computer. I head northwest along the Olympic Peninsula, and discover that instruments are available with the “W†key, so it gives me a little more precise control. This aircraft certainly climbs better than the virtual Cherokee. I see Mt. Olympus, and in this version, the glacier is visible. I turn back toward Bremerton, and Mt. Rainier is standing there in the distance, with an almost full moon beside it. Beautiful! I pull back on the throttle and descend between the mountain ridges on both sides. I can certainly see why someone would prefer this to flying over the featureless expanse of Central Texas. Even though I know I don’t have to, I fly the pattern at Bremerton and land. The new virtual plane has its drawbacks, and I have gone out of sequence in my recreations, but this is fun, and it has only cost me some electricity and some time.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    Olympic Peninsula Piper Saratoga
    PA32-301 N18ST (FS2004/FS9)
    From: KTIW (Tacoma Narrows, Washington)
    To: KPWT (Bremerton, Washington)
    Landings: 1
    SEL: 0.4 hours
     
    LOGBOOK
    Olympic Peninsula Piper Saratoga
    May 25, 1996
    PA32-301 N8213Z
    From: PWT (Bremerton, Washington)
    To: local
    Landings: 1
    SEL: 1.6 hours
  2. gmurray56
    We had moved from Austin, Texas, to Port Orchard, Washington. I had made the drive to get the cars to our new state, but debated whether to sell the Cherokee and get a new one or to fly it across the country. I finally decided to fly: 22.4 hours solo over four days. I arrived on March 28. Almost two weeks later, I had a chance to fly around and get the lay of the land. The long cross-country had been an adventure, but now I wanted just to fly for fun.
     
    I configure the simulator for Bremerton and materialize on Runway 1. Looking around, the topography is just as I remember, even to the big hill just north of the airport. I take off and fly over Bremerton. All around me are the waterways and mountains, so different from the scenery in Texas. Across the Puget Sound is Seattle, and I can see the white glint of the Space Needle. Below me are the shipyards, complete with docks, but I see no ships. I turn to cross to Port Orchard, and there is Mt. Rainier, white and regal. I circle over the Port Orchard area, then head back to Bremerton International after spotting the beacon. I land a little hot and a little above the glideslope, but I don’t crash. I am still amazed at the fidelity of the simulation. I am getting used to flying the Cherokee, but I am wondering if it will be possible to fly on instruments. I found that there is no F10 instrument panel, just a bird’s eye view without any cockpit. That makes for some thrilling scenery, but I can only fly by instinct, not instruments.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    Bremerton 1st Flight
    PA28-140 OY-DHD (FSX)
    From: KPWT (Bremerton, Washington)
    To: local
    Landings: 1
    SEL: 0.4 hours
     
    LOGBOOK
    New Home Base: Bremerton
    April 9, 1994
    PA28-140 N55633
    From: PWT (Bremerton, Washington)
    To: local
    Landings: 3
    SEL: 0.4 hours
  3. gmurray56
    I have downloaded a plane like the first one I owned: a Piper Cherokee 140. This is a recreation of the first flight after taking delivery in San Marcos and flying to my tie-down at Austin Mueller. From the outside, it looks much like my Cherokee, except mine had wheel pants on the front gear as well as the mains. The paint scheme, of course, is different, too, but I am excited to fly my old plane on the computer. The interior looks much like I remember, except for a manifold pressure gauge. The bowtie yokes seem a little older style than the ones I had. Overall, it is a remarkable simulation. The view from the cockpit is very familiar. The take-off roll seems to be long, with almost 80 mph IAS before rotation, and the tachometer is way over the red line, but the performance seems fine. I plan to follow the freeway north to Austin, and find it without too much trouble. I occasionally lose it in the green fields, but soon I can see the river in Austin, and then the three yellow X’s of the runways at Mueller. I overfly the airport and make a left downwind for 13 Left. It is not too hard to look out the left window to know when to turn, but I lose concentration working the flaps and let my airspeed drop too quickly. I crash on short final! The flight analysis shows a nice rectangular pattern, and after the simulation resets, I take off again. This time I fly straight out and turn around to land on the big, wide, long parallel runway. The sight picture sits a little lower than the C172, and I hold a lot of power for a fast approach, but this time I land successfully. This will clearly take some getting used to.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    Piper Cherokee 140
    PA28-140 OY-DHD
    From: KHYI (San Marcos, Texas)
    To: KATT (Austin Mueller, Texas)
    Landings: 2
    SEL: 0.7 hours
     
    LOGBOOK
    Purchase: Piper Cherokee 140
    June 13, 1990
    PA28-140 N55633
    From: T98 (San Marcos, Texas)
    To: AUS (Austin Mueller)
    Landings: 1
    SEL (Single Engine Land): .7 hours
    Remarks: Purchased Cherokee 140 in San Marcos, flew to Austin
    Total to Date: 93.8 hours
  4. gmurray56
    In January 1990, I earned my private license. The flight school in San Marcos had closed, so I had been forced to finish in Austin. It was different, with a control tower and commercial flights landing on the parallel runway, but it was closer to home. About two weeks after my private pilot checkride, I rented a Cessna 172 and got checked out. This is a recreation of that flight.
     
    This was not my first flight in the FSX Cessna 172. I have flown it at home with my CH Products yoke, and I have flown the FS2004 version many times. This summer, I flew the FSX 172 with the Saitek yoke, throttle quadrant, and rudder pedals at Phoenix Arising Aviation Academy in Austin. Phoenix Arising is an aviation-themed summer camp/after school program founded by Zay Collier. I taught boys and girls ages 7-15 how to fly the simulator. Although they mostly wanted to fly the F-18, I insisted they practice with the C172 in preparation for time in the Redbird FSX full-motion simulator. The Redbird is very realistic. I sat in the right seat and had them practice landings before showing off on a flight with their parents on the last day of camp.
     
    I want to recreate that first flight from Austin in a C172, but it is not easy. For one thing, the FSX Austin Mueller airport has big yellow X’s painted on the runways. In 2000, the city’s major airport was moved from downtown to the re-purposed Bergstrom Air Force base. (I was actually visiting Austin at the time. I flew in on a commercial flight to Mueller and flew out from Bergstrom.) At least FSX still has the runways. In real life, the airport property has been converted to housing, retail, and a children’s hospital, but the control tower still stands.
     
    I appear on the taxiway between the parallel 13-31 runways. I taxi to the general aviation side of the field and prepare for take-off. Looking around inside the plane, everything looks familiar. Outside, the plane looks just as it should: a bigger and boxier version of the 152. Looking around the airport, the control tower is still there, and the aprons and runways are in the right place, but there are no hangars or terminals.
     
    The sight view from the cockpit seems slightly higher than the 152, sort of like sitting in a truck. I depart to the southeast and fly a very decent left hand pattern to a nice landing. I take off again to look around the city of Austin. Maybe it is my old, slow computer, but the scenery details are not what I expected. At Phoenix Arising, I have seen the downtown area with skyscrapers and even an attempt at the state capitol, but the only building I see is a factory where the capitol should be. At least the topography is right, down to the river bisecting the city and the cluster of transmission towers in the hills to the west.
     
    I find my way back to Mueller (no controllers to talk to), and make a direct approach to 13 Left (no airliners to worry about.) Another decent landing at the airport that was my home base for over two years.
     
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    C172 G-BAFM (FSX)
    From: KATT (Austin Mueller, Texas)
    To: KATT (Austin Mueller, Texas)
    Landings: 2
    SEL: 1.1 hours
     
    LOGBOOK
    February 12, 1990
    C172 N4908D
    From: AUS (Robert Mueller Airport, Austin, Texas)
    To: 3R3-AUS (Austin Executive-Austin Mueller)
    Landings: 3
    SEL (Single Engine Land): 1.3 hours
    Remarks: AC systems, climbs, descents, level off, sim forced landing, traffic pattern, take-off, landing, cross-wind landing
    Dual: 1.3 hours
  5. gmurray56
    Instead of recreating all the touch-and-go's and staying in the local area, I have decided to skip ahead to my first cross-country flight. I start in San Marcos on runway 35 with the engine running. The Flight Planner has told me to fly a heading of 042 degrees, so off I go. I find it hard to maintain my desired altitude of 2500 feet and the heading at the same time, but eventually it settles down.
     
    I find myself flying through the Austin Bergstrom airspace, which was not an issue in 1989. (Bergstrom was a closed Air Force base at the time.) I watch the airport pass by out the window, one of the few identifiable landmarks for me today. The scenery below is mostly green patches, with an occasional lake or radio tower.
     
    The Map function on the simulator comes in handy, verifying my course. Once the heading and altitude are set, I have some time to play around with views and zooming in and out. I find a virtual cockpit view that lets me see all the instruments and out the windscreen at once, but I do have to change to the other cockpit view to see the instruments better. Again I appreciate the ability to get outside and look at the airplane in flight.
     
    I experiment with the navigation radio, and find that I can tune in the College Station VOR, and I can twist the knob on the indicator to confirm my bearing from the station. The faithfulness of the simulation still amazes me.
     
    It is a long trip, about 45 minutes, and I don’t want to mess with the yoke too much. I realize that I can get up and walk around! The plane keeps flying, and I can get a drink of water or go to the restroom, unlike in a real Cessna 150. (I do not use the autopilot feature because I never did, but most planes are steady and stable.)
     
    Eventually, I can see from the map that I am approaching Hearne. I pull back on the throttle and descend to pattern altitude. I have a little better view of the runway with my zoomed out virtual cockpit, but I pause the simulator on base to confirm my location. Another advantage of flying the computer!
    I land and shut down, and walk away from the desk; I don’t even have to fly back to San Marcos to get my car.
     
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK​
    First Virtual Cross Country
    C150 SX-BDG (FSX)
    From: KHYI (San Marcos, Texas)
    To: KLHB (Hearne, Texas)
    Landings: 1
    SEL: 0.7 hours
     
    LOGBOOK: March 12, 1989
    First Cross Country
    C152 N5323P
    From: T98 (San Marcos, TX)
    To: T98
    Landings: 3
    SEL: 3.2 hrs/ Dual: 3.2/ Sim.Inst: 0.4
    Remarks: Dual x/c, hood time, pilotage, VOR, T98-Hearne-LNW-T98
  6. gmurray56

    1st Night Recreation

    By gmurray56,

    Even though it is broad daylight, I am taking a night flight in San Marcos in the Cessna 150. I change the settings appropriately, and soon I am on the runway and ready to roll. I have done night flight on the various simulator platforms, but not very often. I take a turn around the pattern, and everything goes reasonably well. It is still not natural to change the view instead of turning my head to look out the window, especially when turning from downwind to base, and base to final. After a somewhat sloppy touch-and-go, I want to take a look around, so I fly away from the airport.
     
    The sight picture seems more generic than during the daytime, and more boring than I remember from really flying. I decide to fly over the town, and things get surreal. A jumble of lights, a glow in the sky, no discernible highways: this does not seem real. I decide to go back to the airport, and with a little difficulty, navigate my way back. I attempt to set up for a regular pattern, but become a little disoriented and a little distracted. On short final, I crash! Oh, well. Flying a real plane at night is a lot more visually stimulating and a lot more scary, but the danger keeps a pilot from becoming complacent.
     
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    Night Recreation
    C150 SX-BDG
    From: KHYI (San Marcos, Texas)
    To: Local
    Landings: 1
    SEL: 0.5 hours
     
     
    LOGBOOK
    1st Night Flight
    C152 N5389B
    From: T98 (San Marcos, TX)
    To: Local
    Landings: 1
    Remarks: Night orientation, 2 go-arounds
    Dual: 1.1 hours
  7. gmurray56
    This was probably my favorite airplane to fly. Turning off the engine after climbing to altitude is a real thrill. I found a file for FS2004 from a site in England and installed it on my “new†refurbished computer.
     
    I start on the ground in Georgetown, Texas (KGTU). While not the most beautiful plane of all, the Grob 109B has a certain look, with the long, long wings and tiny tailwheel. The cockpit looks familiar and functional. I start down the runway, and there is no dancing on the rudders like the real plane. (Auto rudder engaged.) Soon I notice the slight forward tilt as the tailwheel lifts off, and then I am airborne. The plane has a tendency to shake while the engine is running, but it smooths out while gliding. I turn toward Lake Georgetown, and at 3000 feet I turn off the magnetos and feather the prop. The only sound is the wind. I circle around looking for some lift, but there is none to be found. I practice a stall, and the airspeed is practically nothing before the stall warning sounds. I realize that the vacuum instruments are not working with the motor off. Slowly I descend to 1500 feet and start the engine after unfeathering the prop. The shaking starts again as I make my way back to the airport. I don’t use the spoilers this time, but come in for a nice 3-point landing (verified by replay.) It’s nice to have another plane in my virtual hangar.
     
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK:
    Grob109B ZH268
    From: KGTU To: Local
    Georgetown, Texas
     
    LOGBOOK:
    August 23, 1999
    Grob109B N309BG
    From: GTU To: Local
    Glider 1.1 hrs
  8. gmurray56
    I started this journey in Aurora, Illinois, six years ago. (See blog entry “PA32 XC: Illinois to Washington†from 6/17/2015.) I recreated my trips in a real plane from Aurora to Seattle to California to Texas, where I sold my beloved Saratoga and eventually stopped flying. When I moved to Florida, I imagined what it would be like to fly from Texas. Then, I decided to close the loop of the continental U.S. This is the final leg.
     
    South Bend,IN-Chicago-Aurora: I spawned on the active runway in South Bend, but decided to taxi to the other runway to take off in the direction of the route. Instead of straight to Aurora, I cut across Lake Michigan, bound for Meigs Field. (The airport was closed in 2003, but it was still on my FS2004. I had flown out of there many, many times in FS98.) I turned final when I hit the shore and did a touch-n-go for old times’ sake. I could see the stadium out the left window. Then I turned to downtown and flew between skyscrapers and around the Sears/Hancock building before heading for O’Hare. I set up for a touch-n-go, then decided to buzz the tower. What fun! I was a mad man! I paused the program to savor the view from multiple angles.
     
    Finally, I headed to Aurora. Thank goodness for the map and GPS. On the way, I even turned on my strobe lights, something I had neglected to do (like leaning the mixture or using flaps) in the sim that I always did in real life. After landing, I taxied to parking, leaned to kill the engine, and turned off the master switch. I was a little sad.
     
    I am happy to see much of the USA I have never seen in person, and get a feel for the varied topography. I feel accomplishment in planning a flight and flying the plan, but it’s also fun to just follow the shoreline and find an airport. I am still amazed by the program, now almost 20 years old, especially because the entire world is on my computer, unconnected from the internet.
  9. gmurray56
    Berlin,NH-New Bremen,NY: Continuing my journey around the perimeter of the contiguous U.S., I planned to see Niagara Falls. Departing KBML, I turned the PA-32 west, heading 274. I had to climb rapidly to clear the 3000 ft. mountains, but soon settled in at 4500 ft. Across New Hampshire and Vermont, the woods and hills rolled by in monotony, with occasional higher ridges. I saw a Cessna Skylane, and later, a Beech Baron in the distance. Crossing into New York, Lake Champlain was a huge swath of blue before the Adirondacks rose up again.
    I had noticed the cloud bottoms were below my altitude, and then what appeared to be a cloud going all the way to the ground. Rain! I passed a rainstorm on my left, then a closer one to my right, then a whole line of storms on both sides. I don’t think I entered the clouds, but they were close enough to create quite a bit of turbulence. (The log entry showed .1 hours instrument. Ironically, it was raining outside my window in the real world, too.)
    The plentiful airports near the lake had disappeared behind me, with over an hour left to go, and my butt was getting tired, so I decided to land at the next airport. Duflo (NY10), was on my route, so I pushed on. I saw what looked like an airport beacon where it should be, so I started down. The white pixel turned out to be a factory, with no airport in sight. I flew around, searching, until I saw the private field (asphalt and grass runways, no beacon) below me. In a real plane, I would have flown a pattern, but I just tried to force it down. I bounced, then crashed. I’m sure the insurance company will have it ready for the next flight.
     
    New Bremen-Niagara Falls: Since I knew the route from the interrupted last flight, I did not make a flight plan. I spawned on the asphalt runway at Duflo, took off and turned to 274 degrees. The land was much flatter, and it looked like more fields and less forest. After a while, I was approaching Lake Ontario. From the map, it seemed I would be over the lake for most of the trip, so I turned toward shore and paralleled just to be safe. I spotted a cooling tower for a nuclear power plant. Approaching Rochester, I made landfall and noticed the land appeared more suburban/urban. There was even a skyline. I saw a de Havilland Dash 80 that had just taken off. From the map, I saw that I had to turn west toward Buffalo. There, I spotted a Boeing 737.
     
    I continued toward KIAG (Niagara Falls Intl.), but decided to sightsee before landing. I flew toward the river and the restricted area, slowly getting down to about 1000 feet. The falls were more dynamic than I had hoped, especially the Canadian side. The attention to detail was impressive. I turned back to KIAG, and managed to drag it in to Runway 10L, although I almost hit a house and a tree.
     
    I turned off left onto the taxiway and saw a fancy building with a domed roof. Swear to God, next to it was a GIANT CHICKEN on a pole! I taxied to a hangar and parked next to what looked like a Cessna Caravan.
  10. gmurray56

    Maine

    By gmurray56,

    Eastport-Houlton: To continue on my journey to the Northeast corner of the U.S., I left the Atlantic behind and headed 355 degrees. Even though the ocean was behind me, there was still plenty of water all around. At 2500 feet, I was higher than any terrain in my path, but I could see individual trees below. Much of my route was in Canada, as shown by the St. Stephen airport identifier (CCS3) when I flew over. Canada out the right window looks just like Maine out the left. The lakes began to be fewer and there was very little sign of humans apart from the occasional highway or railroad. After about 45 minutes, I found the isolated Houlton airport. It is so close to the border, the downwind landing pattern for Runway 23 looks to be in Canada.
     
    Houlton-Frenchville: Still in the Cherokee Six, I took a heading of 003. Interestingly, the woods thinned out and there were more fields, roads, and towns. Still at 2500 feet, I passed over Presque Isle and Caribou in my push North. More and more water began to appear, and there were even some seaplane bases. Eventually I saw the lights at Northern Aroostook Regional Airport. (What a cool name!) I had arrived at Frenchville at the top right corner of the United States. I tried for a smooth landing, but managed to scrape both wingtips. I hope no one was watching. I had made it to my fourth corner! Now to Illinois, to complete the circuit.
     
    Frenchville-Berlin, New Hampshire: From Northern Aroostook Regional I turned the PA-32 south and west, heading 237. At 3500 feet, the rugged ground was less than 2000 feet below. There were mountains on the horizon (to the left this time) and in front. I was amazed by the many big lakes, carved out by ancient glaciers. I was tracking the GPS route, hands free and stable, when I noticed the terrain was rising. Soon I was sandwiched between the bottoms of the scattered clouds and the tops of the hills, when I suddenly hit turbulence! My altitude and course had to be adjusted. I was definitely lower than some peaks. I hand flew the rest of the way, over Moosehead Lake and through the Condor One MOA, into New Hampshire for a landing (just short of the runway) at Berlin Municipal (KBML).
     
    I know for sure the turbulence was not due to my joystick, but to passing over ridges. The logbook function only works if I first change the date, then access the logbook function before flight. I have also found www.skyvector.com to be a helpful source for seamless sectional maps.
  11. gmurray56
    Long Island-Montauk-Block Island: My next flight was again in daytime. I departed Long Island McArthur airport in the Cherokee Six (PA32), leaving the New York City skyline behind. I continued along the island, all the way to Montauk. It is most certainly a long island, at around 100 miles. It was interesting to see green and brown below the plane, with blue on either side. From the tv show The Affair, I had gathered that Montauk is isolated. The view from the air confirmed it. I wasn’t quite ready to land, so I continued a short distance across the water to Block Island for a slightly bumpy landing on the relatively short runway.
     
    Block Island-Martha’s Vineyard: Since I was flying the PA32 to Martha’s Vineyard, I decided to recreate part of a famous ill-fated flight from 1999. I changed the day to night and took off. It was VERY dark, with few lights on shore or in the water. There was no visible horizon. I could see how easy it would be to become spatially disoriented. Eventually I saw the airport beacon and made a safe landing.
     
    Cape Cod-Boston: From Martha’s Vineyard I flew to Cape Cod (Provincetown), then on to Boston. Although I usually just flew at the default date and time (7/21/2003 at 10:15 a.m.), I had set the date to the real date to help with the bug on the logbook. I was pleasantly surprised to look up and see the same waning daytime moon I had seen in real life in my car.
    Most of both legs was over water. Coming in to Boston Harbor, I was struck by the number of fishing boats and sailboats, including one very large sailing ship. I took a tour of downtown but did not recognize anything before landing at Logan.
     
    Portsmouth-Portland-Eastport: The last push to the northeast corner took me along the coast with green turning to orange and brown. If anything, the coastline became even more ragged. No wonder so many towns had “port†in their name. The elevation continued to rise, and eventually I saw islands with distinct hills or small mountains. I finally landed at the small airport of Eastport, surrounded by forest with a final approach between two large trees. Any further and I would have been in Canada.
  12. gmurray56
    Washington D.C.:From Norfolk, Virginia, I flew the Cherokee Six to Reagan Airport in D.C. Once again, even though I knew there was a lot of water in the area, the extent of shoreline was surprising. The approach into Reagan follows the Potomac River, and the national monuments were easily visible, but I decided to land and go sightseeing the next flight.
    For my tour of the town, I thought something low and slow would be the way to go, so I opted for the Wright Flyer. (I don’t really have any time in a real Wright Flyer, but I do like flying the sim.) Bad choice. The take-off was good, but I crashed before reaching the end of the long runway. I tried again in the C172, and headed straight for the Washington Monument. It was hard to go slow enough to stay low, but I circled the obelisk then headed to Jefferson and Lincoln. I think I saw the White House, but didn’t know where to find the Pentagon. The Capitol building, though, was impossible to miss. I circled the dome, then set down in front. It is a very large building. I taxied around and took in the view before taking off again and continuing my journey, a short hop to Baltimore.
    Recently I saw on YouTube a channel where people all fly together in FS2020 and stream it. They followed almost the same route I had, except they did know where the Pentagon is. (Apparently there is some invisible dome preventing people from landing in the middle.) I must say, the 2020 buildings are infinitely better.
     
    Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York City: I flew the Cherokee Six from Baltimore, with a stop in Philadelphia on my way to NYC. I looked around Philly for a while, but I’ve never been there in real life, so none of the landmarks were familiar. From there, I flew to the coastline again, going up the Jersey Shore. Water, water, everywhere, with a lot more buildings than the southeast coast. I’m guessing they were hotels and casinos. Even though I had been flying for a long time, I could see that JFK International was not too much further, so I pressed on. The program was showing lots of traffic in the area. I landed on the runway, and saw there was a Boeing MD 88 on approach behind me. I pulled into the grass to watch it land. I expected to see it pass, but it pulled off on the intersection just before my location. I followed it on the taxiway to the terminal.
     
    New York City: I have flown the sim in NYC many times, but not so much in FS2004. I believe the previous MS version that I owned always started there. FS98 maybe? I remember it had the Twin Towers, and the Statue of Liberty looked like a 2-D picture with an easel like the back of a picture frame. (Or was that the sim that always started at Meigs Field in Chicago? Anyway…)
    I took off from JFK and headed for all the tall buildings. I soon saw a blinking green pixel in the water, and knew it was Lady Liberty. Keeping low, I saw that this statue definitely looked more 3-dimensional. I circled the island, then headed to the iconic Brooklyn Bridge before turning uptown. I flew between skyscrapers, then around the Empire State Building before landing on a street near the water. (There is a YouTube video of a flight on an Extra 300 in FS2020 zooming between the buildings that is fun to watch. My flight was nothing like that.)
    My next flight, I went on a very similar route, but I had changed the time to night to see all the lights. It was very pretty. I continued on to Long Island McArthur for a night landing.
  13. gmurray56
    After resigning myself to fly without my beloved CH yoke, I was determined to get to Miami. It did not take long to get used to using the joystick; I didn’t really use the mixture or prop controls that much, anyway. (Never worry about fuel price or engine damage on the computer.) The mouse could be used to adjust trim, and the C172 is very stable once trimmed out.
     
    Once again I spawned at Okeechobee heading north, but I back-taxied on the runway to take off to the south. (The twist rudder control on the joystick makes taxiing a lot easier.) I took off over the immense lake and settled in for nearly an hour to Miami. The route was in the GPS, so I just followed the line.
     
    When the coastline was tantalizingly close, I headed for the shore and flew along the Atlantic. At under 2000 feet, I could see waves on the beach. As I approached the city, I was surprised to see a number of cruise ships! I should not have been, I suppose, because I was used to seeing ferries in Seattle. Soon, I could see the PAPI (precision approach path indicator) lights at Miami International. I set up for a landing on the huge main runway, and once down saw that there were palm trees everywhere.
     
    Suddenly it occurred to me that I was so close to the bottom of the peninsula, that I might as well go for it. After all, I had flown from Chicago to Seattle to Southern California to Austin in the real Saratoga and in Microsoft’s world, then in the MSFS from Austin to Florida. A plan was hatching to circumnavigate the continental United States. Why not?
     
    I took off from Miami Intl. and headed to Key Largo. I followed the coast but checked my progress on the map. Again, it took longer than I had anticipated. Finally, a bit of over-water and I was at the key. However, I could not find the airport. I landed on what looked like a dirt strip and taxied up to a gas station, but the map said I was a couple of miles from the airport. Believe me, there is a very small and rustic gas station among the palms. Although I had not landed at the airport, I had made it to my 3rd corner of the U.S.
  14. gmurray56
    What started as a local flight around my Florida home turned into a trip to Disney World and beyond. I departed Ocala in the FS9 Cessna 172, trying to orient myself to local landmarks. I followed a familiar highway south at under 2000 feet. After about 30 minutes, I thought I would head to Orlando, knowing it was vaguely east and south. I didn’t have a flight plan or waypoints, but I was going in the right direction and I was sure I could find a big city.
    The monotonous green slid away below, with numerous blue lakes. Eventually I saw a blinking white light on the horizon and headed toward it. To my surprise, the beacon turned into a huge, white geodesic dome near a castle, a pointed white mountain, and a large trapezoid-shaped building. I had found Disney World!
    I flew low and slow around these strange and unexpected structures, and finally landed in front of the castle. I easily taxied around trees to get a better view. While not as realistic as FS2020 must be, it was nice to know that the FS2004 coders had gone to such trouble. I took off again and flew past the Epcot dome to Orlando International.
    My next flight, I decide to continue down the coast to Miami. Again, with just a vague sense of direction, I headed south and east. It was a lot farther than I had anticipated. I had been experiencing that my left wing felt heavy, causing me to keep right pressure on the yoke, and when I saw an airport near a very, very large lake in front of me, I decided to set down for the day. I had found Okeechobee.
    The C172 had been sort of boring, so the next flight I decided to take the Extra 300 and maybe do some rolls along the way to Miami. My CH yoke and Logitech joystick were both plugged in, so I used the joystick to fly. The Extra is not a stable platform (on purpose), but I had a terrible time controlling it. I wound up in the lake twice.
    Determined to go to Miami, I jumped into a Boeing 737, using the yoke. The active runway I spawned on was pointed north, so I had to make a right turn after take-off. (I have very little time in the FS9 737.) I was at 4500 feet before the turn was completed and had a heck of a time leveling off. Overspeed! My left wing was still heavy, causing me to use full deflection to go straight. Overspeed! I throttled back and headed for the airport in front of me. Gear down, throttle off. I landed in the grass about a mile from Palm Beach, but didn’t crash. Something was seriously wrong with my controls.
    I went through the calibration process a couple of times, and the cursor refused to stay centered, drifting to the left and up. I had been getting some weird messages, such as the logbook wasn’t working correctly, or that there wasn’t enough memory to run the FS9, so I uninstalled and reinstalled the whole program. Calibration was still wacky with both controllers plugged in, but unplugging the CH yoke allowed the Logitech joystick to work properly. Dang it, I liked that yoke! It’s what made my desk look like an airplane! Oh well, I guess that the coolest airplanes don’t have yokes, anyway. At least I could still fly.
  15. gmurray56
    For this leg of the trip, I'm taking the Cessna 172, the default plane for FS9. As such, it is beautifully rendered. The high wing will make it easier to look out the windows. I spawn on Runway 35 at Louis Armstrong airport. I see what appears to be the city of New Orleans on the horizon, so I decide to take a tour downtown before heading on course. What I find is more of those strange factories(?) with tall smokestacks, and one cubic building that looks about 10 stories high. A hotel/casino, perhaps? I can't wait to compare with FS2020 when I finally give in.
     
    I turn back toward the airport to intercept my course on the GPS, and to my surprise, realize that the GPS can be sized to cover less of the panel. Man, am I rusty! The ETA is about an hour and a half, so I realize I'm only going about 90 knots. I increase throttle to 2300 rpm, and finesse the trim control until I'm doing about 120 knots at 2000 ft., heading 080.
     
    I have mainly been flying over water since leaving downtown, with shoreline on either side. Slowly, the land gets farther apart, until I have the continent on the left, barrier islands on the near right and below, and the Gulf on the right horizon. Suddenly, the water turns a lighter shade of blue! Another glitch, or part of the programming? As I pass over islands, I see waves breaking on the shore below me. For much of the trip, it would be impossible to glide to land in case of engine failure, (and I didn't bring flotation devices.) I did pass one island with its own airstrip and what looked like a golf course. The Cessna 172 is amazingly stable.
     
    After I pass Mobile on the left horizon, the islands start to get closer together again. I let down to 1500 feet, and spot some hotels on the beach. Pensacola airport is ahead, but I decide to land at the Naval Air Station, hoping to see a Blue Angel. What are they going to do, arrest me? I haven't been talking to ATC at all, busting through all sorts of airspace. I head for the closest of the parallel runways, 07 Left, and perform a perfect landing. There are no military police to greet me (and no Navy jets to be seen.)
  16. gmurray56
    The next leg on my trip to Florida was to New Orleans, heading 087. I took off to the north in the Cherokee Six and turned right. There was not as many wetlands as I had expected until about halfway into the hour-long trip. I could still see the Gulf on the right horizon. As I approached New Orleans, the program started glitching, especially in the spotter plane view. Random triangles and polygons of a different view flickered and pulsed on the screen, as if glimpsing into another dimension. The virtual cockpit view did it as well, though not as bad. The cockpit view was not affected, so I made a straight-in approach to Runway 17 at Louis Armstrong Regional. Unfortunately, I crashed. Obviously I need to shoot some touch-and-goes, but I survived. Maybe it was the glitch that distracted me, or maybe it was the rum to celebrate my birthday.
     
    The next day I flew the same route, this time in a Cherokee 140 (the first plane I owned.) The cockpit of my virtual model appears as time-worn as a real one. The bow-tie yoke brought back memories. In this model, the GPS was much larger than yesterday, causing me to work a bit to see all the instruments. But, of course, the only important ones (Heading (DG), Airspeed (ASI), and Altimeter) were easily visible. I got the altitude and airspeed steady, but had a difficult time holding a heading. I had to hand-fly the entire way. No glitches today, but I noticed a lot of antennas and an oddly large number of smokestacked "factories" as I followed the Mississippi. About 10 miles out from the airport I got a visual on the runways and set up for a straight-in. On my approach, I saw a Boeing 747 taking off from the runway I was landing on. It flew over me by at east 1000 feet. It was not a pretty landing, but I managed to taxi to the terminal and park right next to an MD-80.
  17. gmurray56
    My ancient computer quit talking to the internet, but it still works, so I took the opportunity to make it a dedicated simulator. FS2020 is getting all the attention, but FS9 is still fun for some of us. I had to re-learn the keyboard commands and yoke buttons (and how to get to the map and GPS) because I'm that rusty, but a little research helped.
     
    I am flying from my old home in Texas to my new one in Florida in a Cherokee Six (PA32). I never flew this route for real, and my old Saratoga is (hopefully) giving enjoyment to its present owner, but this is how I would have done it. Flight planning showed an initial heading of 082, which surprised me. I thought it would be southeast, not a little north of east. I'm sticking to big airports, on the chance I might see a big plane.
     
    I take off from KAUS runway 35 and turn right, climbing to 3500 feet. It takes me a while to get everything stabilized, but eventually I am able to fly hands-free, parallel to the GPS track. I look out the window at the brown fields and pastures, with the occasional subdivision. FS9 asks me if I want to talk to Houston for flight following, and I do, but soon enough I get tired of the typed conversations and irrelevant calls, and turn it off. About an hour in, I'm approaching Houston airspace, and the pastures turn into forest. I recognize some of the big lakes in East Texas. The Gulf of Mexico is visible on the right horizon. It stays there all the way to Louisiana.
     
    I take advantage of the stability and get up to take care of some other stuff. (Something you definitely can't do in a real plane.) When I get back, I see that the altitude has slowly increased, so I have to use the virtual trim on the panel because the trim wheel on the CH yoke is already at its limit. I start letting down, planning to come into Lake Charles at about 1500 feet. I enjoy the views out the windows, but really like the SPOT view. I could never see the plane from the outside while flying in the real world! There is more and more water. Eventually I see the airport, KCWF. I make a straight-in to the runway, but don't use any flaps, resulting in a couple of bounces and a long, long roll-out. A little over 2 hours of what may seem like incredible boredom to some (like my wife), but I feel accomplishment.
  18. gmurray56
    In 1996 I bought a Piper Saratoga (PA-32-301) through an aircraft broker. He flew it from the east coast to Illinois. I flew it from Illinois to Washington. This is a recreation of that flight. Although my plane was a fixed gear Saratoga, the best virtual approximation I have found is a Cherokee Six (PA-32-300). They are almost the same, and I even had more than one controller call me “Cherokee†instead of “Saratogaâ€.
     
    Aurora, Illinois to Sandwich, Illinois: I depart Aurora for Sandwich, just 11 miles away. The clutter on the GPS makes it hard to see where I’m going, and the small private airport is not obvious from looking out the window. I see what may be an airport, with a row of hangars, but the runway has no VASI lights, and by the time I set up for a landing, I am going way too fast. (This plane is a lot faster than the Cherokee 140.) I cartwheel on the runway. Reset. I remember how to declutter the GPS, manage my speed better, and manage to land on the short runway and brake at the very end. I leave my virtual passenger to fly another virtual plane to another virtual client.
     
    Sandwich, Illinois to Sioux Falls, South Dakota: I depart Sandwich and turn northwest. I maintain 291â° all the way across the state of Iowa. The PA32 is steady as a rock. I notice that the engine controls are more like a Cessna than a real Piper, and the instruments seem to be harder to read than in the Cherokee 140. I set the manifold pressure at 24 inches and the prop at 2400 rpm and watch the patchwork of green slide under the plane. After I cross the Mississippi, there is really not a lot to see, so I set the simulation rate at 4x, then at 8x. Communication with ATC is difficult at 8x normal speed. There is nothing but postage-stamp farms below until I cross the Missouri River. Soon enough I am approaching Sioux Falls, so I return to normal speed. I should have started my descent sooner, but I get down from 8500 feet to pattern altitude in time for a normal landing. Again, the speed control is a challenge after flying the Cherokee 140. The landing is a little rough, with a bit of wheel-barrowing on the nose, but it all turns out fine. That long, heavy nose takes some getting used to.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    PA32-300 N30062 (MS2004)
    From: KARR (Aurora, Il) To: IS65 (Woodlake, Sandwich, Il) To: KFSD (Foss, Sioux Falls, SD)
    LOGBOOK
    PA32-301 N8213Z
    April 26, 1996
    From: ARR (Aurora, Ill) To: IS65 (Woodlake; Sandwich, Ill) To: FSD (Foss; Sioux Falls, SD)
    SEL: 4.1 hrs.
     
    Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Lewistown, Montana: I depart Sioux Falls a little more west of north, to a course of 289â°. The rectangles of green slowly give way to more open pastures, and the green turns to yellow as the terrain rises and the ground is less hospitable. I crank the simulator rate up to 8x and maintain course across the Badlands. The turbulence at 8x speed bounces me around a little, reminding me of the bumpiness of the real flight. As I approach the Montana border, mountains become visible in the distance. There is little sign of civilization: no farms, no roads. Occasional lakes and rivers break up the monotony. Lewistown is soon in front of me, and I descend to the 4,100 ft. elevation airport for a normal straight-in landing.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    PA32 -300 N30062 (MS2004)
    From: KFSD (Foss, Sioux Falls, SD) To: KLWT (Lewistown, MT)
    LOGBOOK
    PA32-301 N8213Z
    April 27, 1996
    From: FSD (Sioux Falls, SD) To: LWT (Lewistown, MT)
    SEL: 5.0 hrs.
     
    Lewistown, Montana to Pullman/Moscow, Washington: This route is a little south of west, at 254â°. I climb to 6500 feet, then 7500, but the terrain keeps getting higher, too. I skim a few peaks and climb up to 10.500 feet. I look around and there are mountains in every direction, with ridges on the horizon as far as I can see. This entire leg is in the remote mountains, with no place to go in case of engine failure. Fortunately, the sim does not let me down. At 8x speed, there are huge updrafts and downdrafts, and 10,500 feet does not seem that far from the ground. Eventually, the airport at Pullman/Moscow appears as the mountains thin out. At normal speed, I make a straight-in approach. I am starting to get the hang of trim control, pitch and throttle to land with more of a flare and less of a pancake.
    Pullman to Bremerton, Washington: The mountains stay in Montana as I head across the relatively flat, high plains of Eastern Washington. There is lots of yellow and some green farms, but when I reach the Columbia River, there is some dramatic terrain, and I’m in the mountains again. Over the last ridge I can see SeaTac airport in front of me, the Seattle skyline to the right and the majesty of Mt. Rainier to the left. I “talk†to Seattle approach, and descend to cross the airport at 1500 feet. From there, it’s a short jaunt across the ferry-filled Puget Sound to Bremerton. I manage to land without crashing, but still have problems holding the flare.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    PA-32-300 N30062 (MS2004)
    From: KLWT (Lewistown, MT) To: KPUW (Pullman/Moscow, WA) To: KPWT (Bremerton, WA)
    LOGBOOK
    PA32-301 N8213Z
    April 28, 1996
    From: LWT (Lewistown, MT) To: PUW (Pullman, WA) To: PWT (Bremerton, WA)
    SEL: 5.2 hrs.
  19. gmurray56
    Pro-Log: I have always been fascinated by flight. As a kid, I made plastic models from kits and hung them from my ceiling. I flew balsa wood gliders and the ungainly rubber-band-powered prop planes. I read books about pilots and planes, and even cut out pictures from magazines. However, I never had the opportunity to even touch a real airplane until I was almost 19, and flew my first commercial flight from Houston to San Antonio for basic training in the Air Force. My face was plastered to the little oval window the entire short, parabolic flight. While serving in the Air Force, my job was on the ground but I loved watching the planes on the flight line. The roar of B-52’s and KC-135’s taking off, the long lines of C-130 Hercules practicing cargo drops, and the occasional visits of even more exotic aircraft (like the Thunderbirds or Air Force One) were a never ending source of wonder. The few times I flew commercially or on a HOP (space available transport on Air Force planes), I was enthralled. Never mind that in a C-130 I had no window, I sat on a bench supported by webbing, and I had to wear earplugs; I was flying!
     
    After the Air Force, after college, after grad school, I was still fascinated by flight. I was married, with my first child less than a year old. My wife had inherited some money, and she generously offered to allow me to pursue my dream. I wasn’t really sure if it was a good idea, and I worried and pondered. One night, I saw a small plane top the ridge behind our house, and I wondered aloud, “Is this a sign? Should I do it?†Just then, the plane’s landing light came on! The next day, I called a flight school and arranged to start lessons.
     
    I was hooked, and soon got my license. Then, I got a plane. Later, I got a bigger plane. I eventually flew around 1000 hours as pilot in command. Life happened. I got a divorce. I quit flying. I recently began thinking about it again, and decided to revisit my logbook, to see what I can remember, and attempt to recreate the flights using flight simulation software on my computer.
     
    Virtual Pro-Log: I first saw a computer flight simulator in a video arcade. For a quarter, I could pilot a WWI biplane and attempt to shoot down the enemy. It was very simplistic, not even in color, but it was great fun, and I felt as if I were actually flying! When I got my first computer, a Commodore 64, one of the first games I purchased was a flight simulator. Soon, I had several, including one from Electronic Arts (which I think had an SR-71), and a program from a new company called Microsoft (MSFS – MicroSoft Flight Simulator). I spent hours and hours flying the computer. It was the obsession with simulators that led me to actual planes. However, I didn’t stop flying the computer when I started flying for real. (I was never able to land well on the computer until after I had learned to land a real plane.)
     
    Over the years, I have had multiple computers and multiple flight simulators. I have had joysticks and yokes. I have “flown†all types of aircraft, but I still enjoy general aviation propeller planes. Even with all the practice, however, I feel that I am not very good at it.
     
    Recently, I presented a workshop at the Texas Computer Educators Association (TCEA) entitled “Flight Simulators to Teach STEM.†(STEM is the acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.) In researching for the workshop, I found a local non-profit, Phoenix Arising Aviation Academy, that teaches STEM to kids in afterschool programs and summer camp using flight simulators. I had the opportunity to work with them recently, using FSX with yokes, throttle quadrants, and pedals. What fun! They even have a full-motion simulator, the Redbird FMX, which emulates a Cessna 172.
     
    All this got me to the project of recreating my logbook. I will attempt to “fly†the computer from the same airports, using the same aircraft as I did almost 30 years ago, and I will document my journey. I do not know if it will be boring, or even possible. My second wife has ideas about “flying imaginary airplanes†being a waste of time. Oh, well.
  20. gmurray56

    ILS Bremerton, WA

    By gmurray56,

    I never really enjoyed flying IFR; I got my instrument rating because that was the next logical step. Once I got it, I seldom used it. This is a recreation of one of the times I flew IFR just for fun.
     
    I start on the ground at Bremerton (KPWT) in the PA32. I set the weather for “fogged inâ€, then tune the NAV1 for the ILS and the NDB using the info from the map. The fog is thick, but the runway lights are bright. I don’t bother with the Seattle tower, I just launch into the clouds. At about 500 feet, I am surrounded by gray. I use the artificial horizon and directional gyro to turn left, then left again while climbing. I break out on top at about 2500 feet, then turn toward the inbound course. I intercept the localizer, but have a tendency to chase the needle. The glideslope indicator does not move, and after a while I guess that something is wrong. In and out of the clouds, I finally check the map and see that I have overshot the airport. Sure enough, the NDB is pointing behind me. I reverse course and try again. This time, once I pass the airport and turn around again, I see the middle marker light come on and the GSI needle comes alive. I get a glimpse of the lights through a break in the clouds, but I still chase the needle, getting into some rather steep banks. I see trees through the fog alarmingly close beneath me. Finally, I see the runway, but I am already over the threshold. I cut power, drop flaps, and land on the last third of the runway. Braking hard, I run off the end for only a short distance. I still prefer to look out the window, but I remembered enough to get down.
     
    Virtual Logbook:
    PA32-300 G-BDFC
    From: KPWT To: KPWT
    ILS landing; IFR .5 hrs
     
    Logbook:
    October 20, 1997
    PA32-301 N8213Z
    From: PWT To: PWT
    3 instrument approaches; Actual instruments .5 hrs
  21. gmurray56

    Instrument Intro

    By gmurray56,

    How to recreate flying “under the hood†on the simulator? (The hood or “Foggles†is a vision limiting device to keep the pilot from looking out the windshield.) I decide to go to the virtual cockpit view and tilt down until the windshield is not visible. However, I tilt back up for take-off.
     
    I start in the Cherokee 140 at Austin Mueller. Looking at the radio stack, I can’t figure how to set Nav1 for a VOR, but this flight is more about unusual attitudes than radio navigation, so I launch. Or, try to launch. I advance the throttle and start down the runway, but at rotation speed nothing happens. I pull the yoke all the way back, but continue off the end of the runway and eventually crash into a building. In the real world, this would probably be a case of failure to remove the gust lock during preflight, but I have gotten into the habit of not performing a preflight on the simulator.
     
    I spawn again on the runway and use the chase plane view to verify that the control surfaces move normally. Back in the cockpit, I have a normal take-off. At about 2000 feet I tilt the view down and fly on instruments. Straight and level, steep turns, and unusual attitudes are all unusually easy to perform. Perhaps it is because there is no conflicting information from the inner ear; and, flying the sim is always flying on instruments.
     
    At some point in my maneuvers, the CDI needle (Course Deviation Indicator) comes alive. Apparently the Nav radio was set on something nearby. I tilt the view up and see Austin Bergstrom (KAUS) in front of me. I set up for a landing on the left runway and watch the glideslope on the CDI, but nothing happens. According to the VASI lights, my approach is above the glideslope. After a normal landing, I shut down and reflect.
     
    Obviously, I need to review the radio inputs and readings. Also, if I set the weather to IMC conditions, I will have to rely on instruments. I definitely need to practice and do some ground school.
     
    Virtual Logbook:
    PA28-140 C-FTVW (MS2004)
    From: KATT (Austin Mueller) To: KAUS (Austin Bergstrom)
     
    Logbook:
    October 6, 1991
    PA28-140 N55633
    From: AUS (Austin Mueller) To: Local
    Remarks: Steep turns, power settings; Simulated instruments 2.2 hrs
  22. gmurray56

    Giant Volcanoes

    By gmurray56,

    I have flown above and among mountains, but a few are MOUNTAINS. The super massive volcanoes of the Pacific coast dwarf everything around them. I have had the privilege of seeing several close up (but not too close up.) I have recreated these encounters from my logbook.
     
    Mt. Shasta: I depart from Red Bluff, California (KRBL) and turn to heading 340â° on my way to Washington. I climb and climb at 80 mph, eventually leveling off at 8500 feet. (My original goal was 10,500 but I get tired of climbing.) I plod along for half an hour, with mountains below me on either side and occasional glimpses of the Pacific to the west. Clouds are building below me. I go to the map and see no giant mountain, but I know it is on this route. I scroll the map north and there it is! So, I move the plane to a position about 30 miles southwest of it along the planned route. When the new position is established, I look out the windshield and see nothing but a cloud in front of me. The FARS be damned, I fly right through it. When the white mist clears, the view is fantastic. Shasta dominates the horizon. I continue along, passing to the west of the peak at about the level of the bottom of the snowcap. The different views in and out of the plane are awesome. From the nearby airport, my plane is a miniscule speck. The mountain is just massive. At 100 mph, it takes over 30 minutes to pass by. Again I go to the map and move past the Portland airspace. I look out the window to the right, and see the cone of Mt. St. Helens. That will have to wait for another trip. Bremerton is still 2 hours away, so I exit the program. Mountains are on my menu today, not landings.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    PA28-140 C-FTVW (FS2004)
    From: KRBL To: Mt. Shasta
    LOGBOOK
    March 28, 1994
    PA28-140 N55633
    From: RBL (Red Bluff, CA) To: PWT (Bremerton, WA)

    Mt. St. Helens: I take off in the Cherokee 140 from Bremerton and turn to the southeast, climbing, climbing from almost sea level to 7,500 feet. The scenery is fantastic, with mountains and water all around, but the giant volcanoes stand head and shoulders above the rest. After what seems forever, I reach cruising altitude, but I am still an hour away from my target, so I go to the map and move the plane closer to Mt. St. Helens. She is not as tall or as massive as Shasta, Hood and Rainier on the horizon, but she is without a doubt a volcano. I fly around the crater counter-clockwise. The simulation is beautiful, but pale in comparison to the real thing. After one circuit, I do what I would never do in the real plane: fly into the crater. I make two circles around the lava dome, probably banking more than I should in a Cherokee. Woo-hoo! I exit the crater to the northwest, over a blue lake. I freeze the program and enjoy the different views before exiting the flight. The flight analysis shows alarming proximity to the ground, even at 7,500 feet.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    PA28-140 C-FTVW (FS2004)
    From: KPWT To: Mt. St. Helens
    LOGBOOK
    March 3, 1995
    PA28-140 N55633
    From: PWT (Bremerton) To: Mt. St. Helens – AST (Astoria) – PWT
     
    Mt. Baker: I start on the ground in the Cherokee 140 at Concrete, Washington. Looking around, I see a white peak to the northwest. I take off and head toward the biggest mountain around. Fortunately, there is a river valley in the general direction, so I climb while the terrain also climbs on both sides. By the time I pass 5,000 feet, I am higher than the surrounding Cascade Mountains but still thousands of feet below the peak of Mt. Baker. This volcano is squattier and less massive than Mt. Shasta, but bigger than Mt. St. Helens. I inspect the south slope from 6500 feet, then turn toward Bremerton. I can see the Olympic Mountains on the horizon and aim about 10 degrees south. I start descending as I approach the coastline, clearing the last ledge as water and islands are in front of me. As I continue, I see traffic in front of me, a Cessna Skylane. The 75-mile trip back to Bremerton gives me time to check the GPS and map, tune the radios, look around, and generally keep busy. Eventually, I am back in familiar territory with KPWT five miles away, hidden by the hills. My wife comes home and I pause the simulator to help unload groceries. I return to the computer, enter the pattern for Bremerton, and crash on the runway! I realize that I have not practiced landing since I started using FS2004 on the new computer. So I start again at Bremerton and shoot a couple of touch-and-goes, using full back elevator and throttle to keep from hitting nose-first. Again, flying is easy; landing is hard.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK:
    PA28-140 C-FTVW (FS2004)
    From: 3W5 (Concrete, WA) To: KPWT (Bremerton, WA)
    LOGBOOK:
    September 1, 1995
    PA28-140 N55633
    From: PWT (Bremerton) To: WA13 (Concrete) To: PWT
     
    Mt. Rainier: I take the PA32 (Saratoga/Cherokee Six) from Bremerton to see Mt. Rainier close up. Duplicating the route I took in 1997, I maintain 1500 feet from take-off east to SEA-TAC and cross midfield. There are a lot of planes moving around on the ground and in the air, both big and small. Once past the airport, I had planned to climb through Snoqualmie Pass, but I cannot identify which pass is which, so I just start climbing and turn toward the biggest bump on the horizon. The Six climbs much better than the Cherokee 140, but it still seems to take a long time to get up to 9,500 feet. Rainier already appears huge, but is still very far away, getting bigger by the minute. Even when I feel close, I am miles away. The simulation looks very realistic, with fantastic textures. I climb through 10,000 feet and circle the peak, still 4,000 feet higher. This is truly a majestic mountain. I explore the view from every angle. Finally, I turn back toward the west and start letting down, which seems to take almost as long as the climb. I use the GPS and map for position awareness, and experiment with “talking†to Seattle approach for flight following and permission to enter their airspace. A 747 passes in front of me on approach to SEA-TAC. Below, I see the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and then a ferry in the water. Soon I am on final to KPWT, where I manage to land without crashing.
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK:
    PA32-300 N30062 (FS2004)
    From: KPWT (Bremerton, WA) To: KSEA- Mt. Rainier- KPWT
    LOGBOOK:
    September 7, 1997
    PA32-301 N8213Z
    From: PWT – SEA- Mt. Rainier – PWT
  23. gmurray56
    I had almost 230 hours in airplanes, but I had been reading about the new Robinson R22 helicopter in the aviation magazines. I saw there was a local flight school giving training and demo rides, so I treated myself to a lesson. I drove to Austin Executive and met with the CFI-H for a demo. I had flown once before in a sightseeing helicopter, and the Robinson was much smaller. It was truly the C152 of helicopters, with barely room for two people. I sat in the right seat, the traditional pilot seat for rotorcraft. The view through the bubble was incredible.
     
    I plug in my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick instead of the yoke for this one. I spawn at Austin Executive inside the helicopter. The craft is beautiful and very realistic inside and out. I have seen the students at Phoenix Arising flying the training missions on FSX with the Robinson, so I have an idea of how to control it. I use the throttle control to ascend and descend, and it is very touchy. The view from inside is realistic, but the outside view is very helpful. After bouncing up and down, I rise up to about 2000 feet, and fly to the north. At first it is pretty stable, but then I notice that the aircraft is leaning to the right. I try to correct with left stick, then a little rudder, and things get squirrelly. I manage to recover and head back to the airport, but in attempting to hover and land I lose control and crash. The simulator resets, and I crash again almost immediately. Another reset, and then the screen starts to freeze. Eventually I am able to escape, but I believe that I will fly the training missions before I try to free flight the R22 again.
     
    During my brief flight, I noticed the runways at Austin Exec. were x'd out. This seemed weird, as I know it is still open. After some research, I find that the field I had flown at was, indeed, closed. The new Austin Executive is the former Bird's Nest Airpark, just a few miles away. Apparently there is an update available for FSX.
     
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    Helicopter: Robinson R22 (FSX)
    R22-B N8092U
    From: 3R3 (Austin Executive, Texas)
    To: local
    Landings: 3
    Helicopter: 0.4 hours
     
    LOGBOOK
    Helicopter: Robinson R22
    R22-B N888CG
    From: 3R3 (Austin Executive, Texas)
    To: local
    Landings: 4
    Helicopter: 0.6 hours
  24. gmurray56
    VIRTUAL LOGBOOK
    First Recreation
    C150 SX-BDG (FSX)
    From: KHYI (San Marcos, Texas)
    To: Local
    Landings: 1
    SEL: 0.6 hours
     
    LOGBOOK
    First Flight
    September 9, 1988
    C152 N67892
    From: T98 (San Marcos, Texas)
    To: Local
    Landings: 1
    SEL (Single Engine Land): 0.8 hours
    Remarks: Intro to aircraft, climbs, straight and level, descents, turns
    Dual: 0.8 hours
    Total: 0.8 hours
     
     
    I am once again in Texas, almost 26 years to the date after my first flight lesson. I have found that is nearly impossible to truly recreate that first flight. The computer is not an airplane, after all. I have had years of experience with the simulator and with real flight, so I cannot pretend to know as little as I did then. However, I am relatively new to Microsoft’s FSX flight simulator, and this was my first “flight†in a Cessna 150 I had downloaded.
     
    The San Marcos airport has a different designation, but the layout is still the same. I start out on runway 35, with the engine running. I look around the cockpit, and the details are amazing. It looks almost exactly as I remember, except for the addition of a moving map (unheard of in 1988.) I look around from the outside (an advantage of the simulator), and the small high-wing Cessna is beautiful.
     
    I attempt to do a run-up and the fidelity remains, but it is hard to work the magneto switches and monitor the tachometer at the same time while holding brakes. I find that taxiing is more yoke and less rudder with my set-up than I remember. I am using a CH Products yoke, with no pedals. The throttle and mixture controls work well.
     
    I take off and fly to the practice area east of the airport. I want to recreate the initial flight, with turns, straight-and-level, and throttle controls. I try to maintain the illusion of flying and use the cockpit views almost exclusively, but I do “step outside†once or twice. I find it difficult to maintain straight-and-level, but the throttle and trim wheel eventually work it out. Just as with the real plane, the scenery below looks all the same, and I am glad to have the moving map to get back.
     
    I enter the pattern for runway 13, and find it difficult to maintain situational awareness using the cockpit views, but I resist the urge to use the outside views. After a somewhat sloppy pattern, I land, taxi off the runway, and shut down the engine.
     
    I use the Flight Analysis feature to review my performance, and I’m pretty happy with it. It proves the concept that I can recreate my logbook. Now, I am wondering if I should. Maybe instead of EVERY flight, I should just go for the milestones.

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