Where did you fly today ?

So, tried my hand at flying under Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls. Literally a split second after taking this snapshot, I apparently "crashed" into thin air (stupid developer restriction, not at all "realistic" if you ask me!). But at least I came away with a nice screenshot!

 

Chosen completely at random, Ghat Libya, and it turned out to some of the most amazing terrain I’ve ever seen in flightsim.

Did touch and go's at the amazing KTEX with live weather, snow flurries kickin around. Incredible scenery, and I recommend it big time.

UMGG to UKKG

UKKD to UMGG

UUOK to UMGG

Dublin - Jersey - Southampton in the TBM

Maybe the most poisonous place on Earth, I thought maybe I'd take a short flight over the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone because...why not? Took off from a little airstrip to the south of Chernobyl (Dryer Airstrip or something like that...SHORT runway!) and waypointed the #4 reactor. Screenshot shows the infamous reactor with sarcophagus below the plane and the doomed city of of Pripyat just ahead. I didn't think to fly over the city to see if the famous ferris wheel was there (probably, but too lazy to fly back there). Total flight time was just 30 minutes with a few minutes spent circling around the toxic area.[ATTACH=CONFIG]225722[/ATTACH]

The one place on earth that photgrammetry would look spot on [emoji4]

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Decided to do a long flight from Nauru to Micronesia today, in the Pacific Ocean, because I had some work stuff to attend to. It's about a 3 hour flight. Stuck the plane in autopilot at 8,000 feet, live weather had clear blue skies, and forgot about it.

 

No I mean literally, I forgot about it.

 

When I remembered and returned to my desktop, the plane was floating in the ocean. Several hints that would allow me to figure details of what happened while I was lollygagging were not available, for various reasons. For one thing the airplane's power was completely shut off. I assume I ran out of fuel of course, and then the battery ran out of power while floating. Little Navmap usually has a tracking trail so I could see my exact course, but it was off too.

 

All I know is that I was weirdly facing the opposite direction upon crash-landing into the water. Most likely, I reached Micronesia, passed it, and then the autopilot got confused and redirected me back to Nauru. About mid-point between Nauru and Micronesia is when I ran out of fuel.

 

Thankfully, given the location of the ocean where this happened, the outside world will never actually learn the mind-numbingly stupid way I lost my life on this day. Instead, people will just wonder what happened to me and maybe even give me Amelia Earhart-like legendary status.

... people will just wonder what happened to me and maybe even give me Amelia Earhart-like legendary status.

Yes, that did come immediately to mind when I read this. But since you've told us what happened, we are not left to wonder. If you suddenly disappeared from flightsim.com on the other hand...;-)

Yes, that did come immediately to mind when I read this. But since you've told us what happened, we are not left to wonder. If you suddenly disappeared from flightsim.com on the other hand...;-)

 

If that ever happens, tell the cops to question my wife. :D

Happy to have MSFS working again and short on time today, I practiced landings at Watsonville, first in the Cessna 172 and then in a new plane for me, the Daher TBM 930. My biggest problem with landing now is establishing and maintaining the right landing speed on final, and I focused on that this afternoon. Happier today with my airspeed control in the Cessna, I decide to move on to the Daher TBM 390, which I'd never flown before. I figured the TBM's more powerful turbocharged engine would really test me, and it did, but I was able to land safely, twice, on KWVI's RWY 20/2. I initially took off and landed on RWY20 (a straight-out departure takes you toward Monterey Bay). After landing, and while taxiing, I noticed the windsock was roughly at 200 degrees. In other words, I'd taken off downwind the first time. So I turned the TBM around, taxiied back to the other end of the runway (RWY 2) and took off again. Lifting off was much easier, of course. In the air, I banked left, flew out over the bay, turned back, maneuvered to line up with the runway, and landed again. I ate up most of RWY 2 in the process, but I didn't embarrass myself in front of the AI ground crew.

 

After I parked the plane I took a close look at the TBM's Garmin and discovered that you can use its touch screens to create a flight plan to nearby airports. Cool!

Made it to Greenland after trying for two weeks. I got a rainbow for the first time... Did it in real time, had I moved away from the computer, it would have certainly crashed. Had to climb 3/4 into the flight to avoid clouds.

 

Made it in a Cessna 172 from Republic Airport to Greenland Nuuk. Next stop Iceland into Europe.

 

The circle around the aircraft on foreflight is my glide distance should the engine fail.

 

Had 10 Gallons remaining...

I love this! Just decided to purchase ForeFlight by the way, since I have a real-life flight class coming up this weekend now. Congrats on surviving that harrowing attempt. I tried to join you by the way but maybe your schedule changed or I just missed you. I might attempt this leg on my own at some point.

 

Wondering how you will get to Iceland in that thing.

I love this! Just decided to purchase ForeFlight by the way, since I have a real-life flight class coming up this weekend now. Congrats on surviving that harrowing attempt. I tried to join you by the way but maybe your schedule changed or I just missed you. I might attempt this leg on my own at some point.

 

Wondering how you will get to Iceland in that thing.

 

If you want you can join from Nuuk to Kulusuk both are in greenland a distance of 381nm

 

from Kulusuk to Keflavik BIKF iceland is 348nm

 

easily doable in 172

If you want you can join from Nuuk to Kulusuk both are in greenland a distance of 381nm

 

from Kulusuk to Keflavik BIKF iceland is 348nm

 

easily doable in 172

 

I'm always game. The hard part is just lining up schedules, so post the details and we'll see!

I spent the afternoon practicing landings at Watsonville, first a couple of times in the Daher TBM 930 and then more landings in the much more manageable Cessna 172. From now on I'm going to stick with the Cessna, and landing practice, until I become more intuitive about the combination of power/airspeed/altitude variables of a well-executed touch-down. I saw another simmer, who goes by the ID of "Sobeit," practicing landings at KWVI today. I think this person may have watched me land. I parked my 172 behind theirs after my last landing.

 

Before I quit today, I tried one of the MSFS "challenges," a landing at Quito, Ecuador's Mariscal Sucre International Airport. We flew into Quito in 2015, for a group trip to the Amazon and then to the Galapagos Islands (via Guayaquil). Mariscal Sucre--at around 8,000 ft. ASL--replaced the old airport which was in Quito proper, 1,000 feet higher. It's on a mesa, like Sedona's airport, but its mesa is much wider. In the challenge, you have to complete an in-progress landing in a Beechcraft King Air. I did it several times, though the second one didn't count because I landed half-off the runway. The last time, I missed the approach, went around, managed to line up on final again and landed in pretty good form. The problem with going around, and gaining altitude in the process, is that the King Air's windshield starts icing over, adding to the difficulty of lining up with the runway. I get the feeling that not many MSFS '20 simmers have bothered with this challenge, because I'm now among the top 10, scorewise.

I spent the afternoon practicing landings at Watsonville, first a couple of times in the Daher TBM 930 and then more landings in the much more manageable Cessna 172. From now on I'm going to stick with the Cessna, and landing practice, until I become more intuitive about the combination of power/airspeed/altitude variables of a well-executed touch-down. I saw another simmer, who goes by the ID of "Sobeit," practicing landings at KWVI today. I think this person may have watched me land. I parked my 172 behind theirs after my last landing.

 

Before I quit today, I tried one of the MSFS "challenges," a landing at Quito, Ecuador's Mariscal Sucre International Airport. We flew into Quito in 2015, for a group trip to the Amazon and then to the Galapagos Islands (via Guayaquil). Mariscal Sucre--at around 8,000 ft. ASL--replaced the old airport which was in Quito proper, 1,000 feet higher. It's on a mesa, like Sedona's airport, but its mesa is much wider. In the challenge, you have to complete an in-progress landing in a Beechcraft King Air. I did it several times, though the second one didn't count because I landed half-off the runway. The last time, I missed the approach, went around, managed to line up on final again and landed in pretty good form. The problem with going around, and gaining altitude in the process, is that the King Air's windshield starts icing over, adding to the difficulty of lining up with the runway. I get the feeling that not many MSFS '20 simmers have bothered with this challenge, because I'm now among the top 10, scorewise.

 

I don't think that's the case with any of the challenges--there are tons of people attempting them. Top 10 is bragging rights! Your practice and technical skills are clearly paying off.

URRW to XRWL

 

Note the cut off meanders, dune fields, & meander migration.

The second shot shows incised anticlines (upward folded rocks).

I flew from KMIA (Miami International in Miami Florida, USA) to MYNN (Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, the Bahamas) in the C172 today. Not much to see other than ocean and the occasional island but as I was about halfway to Nassau the autopilot went crazy sending me towards the Gulf of Mexico instead. I was way off course before I noticed it and corrected it but fuel was getting low. Luckily I made it. It did the same thing on the return trip and I didn't notice anything until my plane was way off course again. That is the first time the autopilot has acted up. I know I was flying through the Bermuda Triangle but that shouldn't have anything to do with it? Right?

I flew from KMIA (Miami International in Miami Florida, USA) to MYNN (Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, the Bahamas) in the C172 today. Not much to see other than ocean and the occasional island but as I was about halfway to Nassau the autopilot went crazy sending me towards the Gulf of Mexico instead. I was way off course before I noticed it and corrected it but fuel was getting low. Luckily I made it. It did the same thing on the return trip and I didn't notice anything until my plane was way off course again. That is the first time the autopilot has acted up. I know I was flying through the Bermuda Triangle but that shouldn't have anything to do with it? Right?

 

*Twilight Zone music* Who really knows? :eek:

 

I do a lot of ocean flying, mainly in the Pacific. There's a strategy to planning it to avoid too much boredom. There are a lot of stretches of blue water, yes. I try to strategize so that I minimize the risk of something going wrong like a fuel shortage and not having a place to land. This is sometimes impossible, and once I actually did run out of fuel and crash landed in the water. But I try to route things so that I can land on land in an emergency, and fly high enough so that I have more glide distance.

 

Also, the weather effects in the Pacific are amazing with MSFS graphics, and even more so with VR. I always fly live weather and it's often a challenge. That too will keep you on your toes on the long stretches.

Continuing my laser-like focus on improving my landing skills, I flew two landing patterns at Watsonville, followed by a low-level IFR flight from Watsonville to RWY 31L at San Jose, all in the Cessna 172 Global. Watsonville to KSJC was mostly on AP, although I had to disengage the autopilot when the plane wandered off track, even though the AP was set to NAV. Nevertheless, I concluded my ILS-guided approach to RWY 31L with my best landing ever there, clearing the runway at the first exit. I'm improving day by day.

 

I saw a fellow simmer at Watsonville today. As I was taxiing the Cessna to park it after my second landing, I saw a 737 (I kid you not) in the ramp area, with a nameplate above it. I didn't write down the simmer's name but it was "Sully" something. I parked the Cessna and rubbernecked as the 737 backed up--without help from the ground crew--turned around, taxiied to Watsonville's 4,501-ft. RWY 20, rolled down the runway and took off. I assume "Sully" started his flight there, because he couldn't have landed a 737 there. Per the Google, a 737-100 needs a 6,000 ft runway. Should I report this guy to Asobo?

...the autopilot went crazy sending me towards the Gulf of Mexico instead...That is the first time the autopilot has acted up. I know I was flying through the Bermuda Triangle but that shouldn't have anything to do with it? Right?

I'm finding the autopilot can't seem to stay on course on a short flight from Watsonville, Calif. to San Jose's Mineta International.

KSAN(San Diego) to KDEN (Denver) in the Seminole. Five hours and 45 minutes.

Flew into South Lake Tahoe from San Jose (KSJC to KTVL) today. Three other TBM 930s arrived ahead of me. I use a flight plan loaded in from Little NAV Map. I really like how this turbo sets up and flies!

Ron M

 

KTVL South Lake Tahoe airport busy this morning.

This flight from KSJC San Jose.

My Beechcraft Baron G58 in foreground.

Ron M

Flew into South Lake Tahoe from San Jose (KSJC to KTVL) today. Three other TBM 930s arrived ahead of me. I use a flight plan loaded in from Little NAV Map. I really like how this turbo sets up and flies!

Ron M

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]225798[/ATTACH]

I've been thinking of trying that. What was the flight time? And did you see any snow?