Jump to content

Where did you fly today ?


Recommended Posts

If you're carrying too much energy on approach, you should do the opposite, and deploy full flaps which creates drag and bleeds off energy.

 

Another thing you should get good at is using counter aileron / rudder to make the plane slip.

 

In a forward slip, your puropse is to hang as much fuselage in the breeze as possible to create drag and bleed energy. You start by the application of full rudder and then add enough opposite aileron to keep your desired track.

http://www.centennialaviationacademy.com/forward-slips-to-landing.html

 

In a real plane (at least a Citabria), it is possible, useful and quite safe to carry an extreme slip all the way down to a couple of feet off the runway before kicking the rudder back and leveling the wings. It scares the hell out of a passenger, but it's quite safe.

 

Coming in high should be no problem.

 

Wow. It sounds like exactly what you do when turning your body to stop or slow down while skiing.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 505
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

My then new wife and I took a sightseeing trip around the island, it was a sight to behold. If any of you have the opportunity to visit Kauai, I highly recommend taking a sightseeing flight, it's worth it!

 

Screenshot below is that of the famed Na Pali Coast (if it looks familiar to you, it's because they used this coastline in Jurassic Park! In fact, a good chunk of the movie was filmed on this island).

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]225540[/ATTACH]

When we went to Kaua'i, we took a boat trip up the Napali Coast. We were supposed to go snorkeling off Nihau, but the seas were too rough, so the captain scrubbed that part of the trip. We did see whales breaching, however. Kaua'i is a beautiful island. Our favorite is the Big Island. We've been there multiple times. We like to stay at a hotel on the south edge of Kona, with close access to many restaurants in the evenings. Kona is a good jumping off point for trips in any direction. If you haven't been to the Big Island, you must go. Aside from the isolated golf-oriented resorts in Kohala, it's still relatively untouched by tourism, believe it or not.

HP Omen 25L Desktop, Intel i7-1070 CPU, 32 GB DDR RAM, Nvidia 3070 GPU, 1 TB SSD, Logitech flight yoke, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, multi-panel, radio panel, TrackIR 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a few lengthy work matters to focus on today so I picked out a long trip (long for me anyway), with help of the "Skypark" game. I just set things on autopilot and look up every now and then; it works well for me.

 

I departed from Ontario, California in a Beech Bonanza. Although I don't like flying in airplanes that I'm pretty sure I will never actually fly in real life should I get a PPL, I didn't want to mess around with altitude problems given the several mountain ranges between SoCal and Central Arizona.

 

Note: Earlier in the day I fiddled with MSFS's failure settings, which are super confusing and not very impressive.

 

My route had me landing at Lake Havasu, Arizona as my one stop. As I was approaching Havasu, MSFS decided to short out my electrical power, followed by my engine failing. I floated around a little bit looking for a flat space where I would presumably glide to, and it was not looking good: Arizona hikers know that our state is famous for its "sky islands," which basically consists of miles of flat terrain interrupted randomly by mountain ranges that shoot up to the sky. I happened to be above the Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness Area, which is actually on the California side of our shared border, when the failure happened. I suspect that a failure in real life at this location and given my altitude of 8,000 feet or so would carry a very high risk of fatality.

 

But in MSFS land, as I continued to glide down to possible death, the engine suddenly revived itself. Alrighty? I landed at Havasu safely. The second leg from Havasu to Prescott was uneventful. I used ILS at Prescott but had a pretty miserable-looking landing despite the ILS assistance.

 

My criticism of MSFS's failure features: This was the very first time I had tried turning it on. So, as soon as you activate it, you immediately experience a failure on the first flight? Will I have a failure every single flight then? That's lame. Also, the wording used for this feature is incomprehensible, as confirmed by a search of forum questions about it. One option you choose is to activate failures, and then a second one is to "arm" for failures, with no explanation of either. What does all of this mean? MSFS offers no information. And it appears true that the failure function is not randomized. Very annoying and almost pointless.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I plan to get to CYVP Kuujjuaq Airport Canada. This is a log of my around the world VFR flight in a C172 Steam Gauge in FS2020. I started at KFRG my home base and plan to do 6 continents and every recognized country in the world all VFR and in the day. There are occasions when I complete after sunset, but very rarely. I use the sectional chart and E6B and clock. IT WORKS and KEEPS ME ON THE EDGE.

 

I made it this far without getting lost and NOT using GPS. I use VOR/NDB when absolutely needed. as I don't have Canadian charts. So far the total distance I covered is over 1000NM in 11.1 hour of flight time.

 

Flight number 8 was the first time I encountered icing challenge. So far I am loving it, as I am not using PMDG, so this is a new challenge.

 

 

001) UNITED STATES

 

001) Republic (Farmingdale, New York) - Hartford-Brainard (Hartford, Connecticut)

02/12/2021 C172S KFRG - KHFD TIME: 1.0 75 NM TOTAL TIME: 1.0 075 NM

ROUTE: Northport Stacks - KBDR - KHVN - KMMK - Follow River

 

 

002) Hartford-Brainard (Hartford, Connecticut) - Boire Fld (Nashua, New Hampshire)

02/12/2021 C172S KHFD - KASH TIME: 0.8 86 NM TOTAL TIME: 1.8 161 NM

ROUTE: Follow River - Kings Island - S End Bridge - KCEF - Quabbin Reservoir

Connor Pond - Bassets Corner (near lake) - KGDM - Whitmanville River

Fitchburg Reservoir - Between (Silver Lake & Flints Pond)

 

 

003) Boire Fld (Nashua, New Hampshire) - Portland Intl Jetport (Portland, Maine)

02/12/2021 C172S KASH - KPWM TIME: 0.7 81 NM TOTAL TIME: 2.5 242 NM

ROUTE: KMHT - (Great Bay) KPSM - KSFM - (perpendicular to) Saco River

 

 

004) Portland Intl Jetport (Portland, Maine) - Auburn/Lewiston Muni (Auburn/Lewiston, Maine)

02/12/2021 C172S KPWM - KLEW TIME: 0.3 24 NM TOTAL TIME: 2.8 266 NM

ROUTE: follow the highway north straight to the airport

 

 

005) Auburn/Lewiston Muni (Auburn/Lewiston, Maine) - Bangor Intl (Bangor, Maine)

02/12/2021 C172S KLEW - KBGR TIME: 0.8 80 NM TOTAL TIME: 3.6 346 NM

ROUTE: follow river north - 3B5 - Androscoggin Lake - KWVL

factory (near big lake) - DIXMONT (intersection)

 

 

006) Bangor Intl (Bangor, Maine) - Houlton Intl (Houlton, Maine)

02/13/2021 C172S KBGR - KHUL TIME: 0.9 96 NM TOTAL TIME: 4.5 442 NM

ROUTE: follow river NNE to Enfield Lake - follow river NE to T shape

NEE to Grand Lake - HUL VOR 116.1

 

 

002) CANADA

 

007) Houlton Intl (Houlton, Maine) - Miramichi Airport (New Brunswick, Canada)

02/13/2021 C172S KHUL - CYCH TIME: 1.0 111 NM TOTAL TIME: 5.5 553 NM

ROUTE: Saint John River Bridge NE - Miramichi Lake

river intersection from adjacent left to right

two rivers converge V shape at Millerton

 

 

008) Miramichi Airport (New Brunswick, Canada) - Du Rocher-Percé/Pabok (Québec, Canada)

02/14/2021 C172S CYCH - CTG3 TIME: 0.8 96 NM TOTAL TIME: 6.3 649 NM

ROUTE: Planned Destination (CYGP): Encounted light icing at 2500,

Diverted to CTG3 at 2000 [Continued Flight After 1 hour]

follow between hightway and shore NE to Miscou Beach - HDG 013 to Airport.

 

 

009) Du Rocher-Percé/Pabok (Québec, Canada) - Gaspé - Michel-Pouliot (Québec, Canada)

02/14/2021 C172S CTG3 - CYGP TIME: 0.3 27 NM TOTAL TIME: 6.6 676 NM

ROUTE: YPG VOR 115.4 Direct - Heading 300 to Airport

[Light icing at 2000 about 7 miles from Airport]

 

 

010) Gaspé - Michel-Pouliot (Québec, Canada) - Natashquan (Québec, Canada)

02/15/2021 C172S CYPG - CYNA TIME: 1.5 161 NM TOTAL TIME: 8.1 811 NM

ROUTE: Icing over Gulf of St. Lawrence both south and north of Anticosti Island

south icing as low as 1000, diverted to CRB5 at 500, icing cleard within

30 minutes, sky clear. To CTH7 VFR via roads. Then YNA VOR 113.6

Icing at 2500 28 DME descent to 1500 landed at CYNA safely.

 

 

011) Natashquan (Québec, Canada) - Goose Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)

02/15/2021 C172S CYNA - CYYR TIME: 1.8 208 NM TOTAL TIME: 9.9 1019 NM

ROUTE: HDG 080 to Lake Kegaska - Lake Rivere Musquaro - Unique Shaped Lake

Lake Montcevelles - Unique Shaped Lake - Lake Fourmont - Unique Shaped Lake

Southern Labrador Highway 510 crosses from the right - follow highway to

Churchill River.

 

 

012) Goose Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) - Hopedale (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)

02/18/2021 C172S CYYR - CYHO TIME: 1.2 128 NM TOTAL TIME: 11.1 1147 NM

ROUTE: NIGHT - DIRECT GPS

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I plan to get to CYVP Kuujjuaq Airport Canada. This is a log of my around the world VFR flight in a C172 Steam Gauge in FS2020. I started at KFRG my home base and plan to do 6 continents and every recognized country in the world all VFR and in the day. There are occasions when I complete after sunset, but very rarely. I use the sectional chart and E6B and clock. IT WORKS and KEEPS ME ON THE EDGE.

 

I made it this far without getting lost and NOT using GPS. I use VOR/NDB when absolutely needed. as I don't have Canadian charts. So far the total distance I covered is over 1000NM in 11.1 hour of flight time.

[snip]

 

009) Du Rocher-Percé/Pabok (Québec, Canada) - Gaspé - Michel-Pouliot (Québec, Canada)

02/14/2021 C172S CTG3 - CYGP TIME: 0.3 27 NM TOTAL TIME: 6.6 676 NM

ROUTE: YPG VOR 115.4 Direct - Heading 300 to Airport

[Light icing at 2000 about 7 miles from Airport]

 

This looks like fun! Question just for curiosity sake: How do you handle these long haul flights? Do you set things on autopilot and attend to real life stuff somewhere else? Or are you actually flying the plane for 5 hours at a time, etc.?

 

Hope you enjoyed the Du Rocher-Percé stop, which is in a beautiful national park of Canada. I was just there (and it almost killed me)!

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This looks like fun! Question just for curiosity sake: How do you handle these long haul flights? Do you set things on autopilot and attend to real life stuff somewhere else? Or are you actually flying the plane for 5 hours at a time, etc.?

 

Hope you enjoyed the Du Rocher-Percé stop, which is in a beautiful national park of Canada. I was just there (and it almost killed me)!

 

 

 

02/14/2021 C172S CTG3 - CYGP TIME: 0.3 27 NM TOTAL TIME: 6.6 676 NM

 

All my legs are less that 150 nautical miles. I never leave the computer as flight time, logging, and planning is done within 2 hours.. The flight you quoted was only 27 nautical miles long a flight time of 0.3 hours. The total time from home base was 6.6 hours and total distance from home base 676 nautical miles. (the time is tach time)

 

Canada is beautiful. I started taking pics of my flight.

 

I use real time and real weather. So I have crossed into a new time zone, 1 hour early than me. This far north the days are short and there are frozen lakes and forests. I have foreflight full version but I do not hook up to FS2020

 

If I can't do a VFR flight, I don't fly.

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

Link to comment
Share on other sites

02/14/2021 C172S CTG3 - CYGP TIME: 0.3 27 NM TOTAL TIME: 6.6 676 NM

 

All my legs are less that 150 nautical miles. I never leave the computer as flight time, logging, and planning is done within 2 hours.. The flight you quoted was only 27 nautical miles long a flight time of 0.3 hours. The total time from home base was 6.6 hours and total distance from home base 676 nautical miles. (the time is tach time)

 

Canada is beautiful. I started taking pics of my flight.

 

I use real time and real weather. So I have crossed into a new time zone, 1 hour early than me. This far north the days are short and there are frozen lakes and forests. I have foreflight full version but I do not hook up to FS2020

 

If I can't do a VFR flight, I don't fly.

 

Thanks. Interesting to see how you approach this since you're a real pilot. I've been toying with ideas like this myself so I like learning how others are doing it. If you have a thread where you are posting all your updates and pics, let us know because I will follow it. This thread is perfectly fine too as far as I'm concerned.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. Interesting to see how you approach this since you're a real pilot. I've been toying with ideas like this myself so I like learning how others are doing it. If you have a thread where you are posting all your updates and pics, let us know because I will follow it. This thread is perfectly fine too as far as I'm concerned.

 

I don't have another thread but I will make one once I make it to Africa. One thing I learned is that Pilotage and dead reckoning works. My 1st hardest flight will be between Iqaluit Airport (canada) - Nuuk Godthab Airport (greenland). It must be planned perfectly.

 

Total distance is 446 NM doable in a Cessna 172 there is a VOR in Canada and an NDB in greenland. With the right winds I can do the ocean crossing. If I encounter icing over the ocean, and have to get lower my True Airspeed will be lower and winds might not be favorable. it is game over.

 

I am totally excited about this flight.

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have another thread but I will make one once I make it to Africa. One thing I learned is that Pilotage and dead reckoning works. My 1st hardest flight will be between Iqaluit Airport (canada) - Nuuk Godthab Airport (greenland). It must be planned perfectly.

 

Total distance is 446 NM doable in a Cessna 172 there is a VOR in Canada and an NDB in greenland. With the right winds I can do the ocean crossing. If I encounter icing over the ocean, and have to get lower my True Airspeed will be lower and winds might not be favorable. it is game over.

 

I am totally excited about this flight.

 

What's your plan for the Pacific? I've been fascinated by small Pacific countries ever since I got MSFS so I think it is may be possible to plot a course from Asia to Hawaii with the Cessna's fuel limitations. I've flown so far from Fiji to Samoa, Samoa to Tonga, and from the Kiribati islands to the Marshalls. But it could be tricky.

 

I went down an Amelia Earheart rabbithole recently. Her navigator, Fred Noonan, used celestial navigation techniques since they didn't even have VORs at the time. On most of their global legs, despite Noonan being one of the best navigators in the country, they would routinely miss their target by dozens if not hundreds of miles. It's no surprise that when departing from Papua New Guinea for the microscopic Howland Island, wind currents threw Noonan off course and they never showed up. Her radio messages indicate that they did successfully reach the line of coordinates along which Howland was located, but they were unable to find where on that line Howland was specifically.

 

You might be interested in flying to Nikomoruru Island where Amelia is believed to have died, but it's extremely difficult to reach in a 172. MSFS has a very realistic rendering of Nikomoruru though.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's your plan for the Pacific? I've been fascinated by small Pacific countries ever since I got MSFS so I think it is may be possible to plot a course from Asia to Hawaii with the Cessna's fuel limitations. I've flown so far from Fiji to Samoa, Samoa to Tonga, and from the Kiribati islands to the Marshalls. But it could be tricky.

 

I went down an Amelia Earheart rabbithole recently. Her navigator, Fred Noonan, used celestial navigation techniques since they didn't even have VORs at the time. On most of their global legs, despite Noonan being one of the best navigators in the country, they would routinely miss their target by dozens if not hundreds of miles. It's no surprise that when departing from Papua New Guinea for the microscopic Howland Island, wind currents threw Noonan off course and they never showed up. Her radio messages indicate that they did successfully reach the line of coordinates along which Howland was located, but they were unable to find where on that line Howland was specifically.

 

You might be interested in flying to Nikomoruru Island where Amelia is believed to have died, but it's extremely difficult to reach in a 172. MSFS has a very realistic rendering of Nikomoruru though.

 

I don't have a plan for crossing Pacific. It will be difficult to recreate those flight in a 172. I am not sure what the general wind directions are there. If its headwind that is not good.

 

It will take more than a year to get to the pacific. Most likely After touching Russia, and Europe I will head down to the tip of Africa come up north via Madagascar and then Middle east into Iran and India. From there Southeast Asia into Australia and New Zealand. then back up north Island hopping into china Mongolia north south Korea then into japan.

 

Follow the islands of the Bearing sea into Alaska go down to south America and if possible there is a way into Antarctica. If scenery is available.... Anyway this is too far into the future.

 

Today's flight cancel due to weather its sketchy. I have to stay away from icing. Plus I don't like night VFR over non populated areas.

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have a plan for crossing Pacific. It will be difficult to recreate those flight in a 172. I am not sure what the general wind directions are there. If its headwind that is not good.

 

It will take more than a year to get to the pacific. Most likely After touching Russia, and Europe I will head down to the tip of Africa come up north via Madagascar and then Middle east into Iran and India. From there Southeast Asia into Australia and New Zealand. then back up north Island hopping into china Mongolia north south Korea then into japan.

 

Follow the islands of the Bearing sea into Alaska go down to south America and if possible there is a way into Antarctica. If scenery is available.... Anyway this is too far into the future.

 

Today's flight cancel due to weather its sketchy. I have to stay away from icing. Plus I don't like night VFR over non populated areas.

 

You actually cannot literally recreate Earhart's flight with a Cessna 172. She had a specially-designed Lockheed Vega 5B just for her big mission, so it had giant fuel capacity. Many of her route legs were 1,500 miles or so, and her final stretches were designed to be over 2,000 miles with no refueling. I am actually in awe at her courage for even attempting that Pacific stretch, given the lack of technology and the extreme high risk caused by those primitive navigation techniques.

 

I suppose you could just skip the Pacific by reaching North America from Russia. I have flown a Cessna from Wales, Alaska to Lavrentiya, Russia. (Note: There is a real-life airport at Lavrentiya but MSFS failed to include it. I found an add-on for it instead).

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a humanitarian mission to deliver blood (I sometimes partake in the missions planned by Skypark, to amuse myself), I needed to fly from Mechuka, India to Nyingchi, Tibet--which the government of China insists we call China. That's a topic for another type of forum.

 

For this forum, my Cessna 172 had to climb from Mechuka (elevation 4,000 feet) to an unknown altitude of X in order to land at Nyingchi (elevation 9,974 feet).

 

It turns out that "X" was approximately 16,000 feet. The 172's service ceiling is listed in various locations at 13,500 feet. I think MSFS lists it as 14,000 feet. Through a series of treacherous and near-death canyon climbing maneuvers, including one moment when I was probably about 20 feet over the trees on a ridge, I got to a high point of 16,380 feet. The weather was clear with wind at 2 knots, so, near-perfect conditions to accomplish this.

 

To reach Nyingchi from Mechuka you can scrape by at about 16,000 feet. After I passed that highest ridge, I let the 172 float as high as it was willing and that's how I got to 16,380. I snapped a pic as I approached 16K because I knew the Guiness Book of World Records would demand proof:

 

Tibet1.jpg

 

I did this flight in VR, which was amazing, but while in VR you really can't "pose" your plane for cool-looking screenshots. It's possible but annoying to do so. Instead, you end up "taking pictures" from the vantage point of your own eyes, as though you have a camera sitting right on your face. So that's all I've got besides the dashboard pic:

 

Tibet2.jpg

 

For anyone wishing to attempt this challenge, here is the route I managed to follow, which relied heavily on the G1000's topographical map (it helps to be a real hiker if you are not a real pilot) and my basic strategy of following river canyons:

 

Tibet3.jpg

 

Same route map but with terrain view (a little harder to see the route):

 

Tibet4.jpg

Edited by neilends
Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a humanitarian mission to deliver blood (I sometimes partake in the missions planned by Skypark, to amuse myself), I needed to fly from Mechuka, India to Nyingchi, Tibet--which the government of China insists we call China. That's a topic for another type of forum.

 

For this forum, my Cessna 172 had to climb from Mechuka (elevation 4,000 feet) to an unknown altitude of X in order to land at Nyingchi (elevation 9,974 feet).

 

It turns out that "X" was approximately 16,000 feet. The 172's service ceiling is listed in various locations at 13,500 feet. I think MSFS lists it as 14,000 feet. Through a series of treacherous and near-death canyon climbing maneuvers, including one moment when I was probably about 20 feet over the trees on a ridge, I got to a high point of 16,380 feet. The weather was clear with wind at 2 knots, so, near-perfect conditions to accomplish this.

 

My biggest challenge will be touching the Tibetan plateau.... thanks for sharing, I will be brainstorming ideas.

 

Just got handed over to Montreal Center on flight following. Have 385 NM to CYFB Iqaluit at 9500 ft ground speed 103.

 

After this it’s the 1st time I leave North America into Greenland single engine....

 

Satellite scenery does degrade as u go up in latitude.

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My biggest challenge will be touching the Tibetan plateau.... thanks for sharing, I will be brainstorming ideas.

 

Just got handed over to Montreal Center on flight following. Have 385 NM to CYFB Iqaluit at 9500 ft ground speed 103.

 

After this it’s the 1st time I leave North America into Greenland single engine....

 

Satellite scenery does degrade as u go up in latitude.

 

I'm a dual US-Canadian and almost got a college summer job working in Iqualit. Maybe one of my biggest regrets in life is turning it down.

 

I've flown around a bit in the Canadian Arctic and I agree it can seem hit or miss, though I'm not sure. I've spent time in real life in isolated parts of Alaska and found the MSFS depiction of them to be pretty fair. I was surprised from real-life trips to see how sparse and barren the Arctic tundra landscape can be. It's mesmerizing and beautiful in its own way, but I was surprised by the visual landscapes.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It turns out that "X" was approximately 16,000 feet. The 172's service ceiling is listed in various locations at 13,500 feet. I think MSFS lists it as 14,000 feet. Through a series of treacherous and near-death canyon climbing maneuvers, including one moment when I was probably about 20 feet over the trees on a ridge, I got to a high point of 16,380 feet. The weather was clear with wind at 2 knots, so, near-perfect conditions to accomplish this.

 

To reach Nyingchi from Mechuka you can scrape by at about 16,000 feet. After I passed that highest ridge, I let the 172 float as high as it was willing and that's how I got to 16,380. I snapped a pic as I approached 16K because I knew the Guiness Book of World Records would demand proof:

 

More than 16,000 feet! That is a Guinness record. Somewhere the model needs tweaking maybe. Don’t think in real life that is possible.

 

At sea level Vy is greater than Vx as you go higher those values get closer. When they are equal, that is your max celling. That is how I understood it.

 

I will experiment to see what is the highest I can go at max weight and max fuel loaded. This knowledge will be important when I reach high mountain areas.

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More than 16,000 feet! That is a Guinness record. Somewhere the model needs tweaking maybe. Don’t think in real life that is possible.

 

At sea level Vy is greater than Vx as you go higher those values get closer. When they are equal, that is your max celling. That is how I understood it.

 

I will experiment to see what is the highest I can go at max weight and max fuel loaded. This knowledge will be important when I reach high mountain areas.

 

It may be an MSFS flaw letting me go up that high. But, the C-172 is the plane that MSFS has probably spent the most amount of time into getting right. So, I dunno but certainly open to hearing what real pilots say.

 

A few weeks ago I was in Nepal with the C-172 and again tried to fly at that high level altitude. However, the weather was poor, the windows iced up immediately, and it was windy. At far less than 14,000 (not less than 16,000, but less than 14,000) the Cessna spiraled into an out of control stall that I barely survived. I then crashed into the ground shortly thereafter anyway, I think because of icing on the wings.

 

The entire Himalayan mountain range in South Asia is generally a death zone for C-172s, especially in not-perfect, not-clear weather.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After multiple tries over several days, including several attempts today, I at last succeeded in using the autopilot to fly from my local airport at Watsonville, Calif. to Monterey, Calif. and execute an AP-controlled ILS approach to RWY 10R at Monterey, and manually landing there with a reasonable amount of finesse. This successful approach was preceded however by a failed attempt, wherein I did everything right until when over Monterey, I neglected to turn on the approach mode--switch from GPS to the runway localizer--and wondered why I was sailing over the runway at 1,000 feet. I tried going around following that bracketed highway-in-the-sky for newbies, but it turned out I was flying it backwards. Frustrated, I put the plane down at a small nearby field at Marina, Calif. and quit for lunch. (My blue & gold macaw was making a lot of racket by this point, and I had to bring her her lunch as well.) I went back at it after lunch, and got it right at last. Whoo! Whoo!

 

While parked at Monterey, I went into the Garmin, searched for nearby airports on the PFD, found and selected KSJC, RWY 31L, then went to "PROC" on the MFD, loaded the approach into the G1000, revved the engine to taxi to the runway and the Cessna would not move! I hadn't set the parking brake. I set the parking brake and released it, but nothing happened. So I cut the engine and requested a pushback. The groundcrew guy hooked up to the plane and did...nothing. So I quit that flight, went back to the World map and started anew. The Garmin served up a flight plan that suggested it did not know the way to San Jose, taking me out of the way over the mountains east of the Santa Clara Valley and almost to the Central Valley before turning me back over the same mountains to the Santa Clara Valley (see picture) and a long, straight-in approach to 30L at SJC. There's gotta be a better way than that to fly from Monterey to San Jose. I'll Have to try this again tomorrow to find out. Anyway, I got the plane to the transition to the glideslope at approximately the right altitude, at which point, I activated the approach mode and watched the descent unfold. Everything was going great until I took back control of the plane from the AP and barely made the runway. (Have to go back and do this flight again for that reason as well.)

 

Though I had requested and received clearance to land at KSJC, the tower told me to go around when I was just about to land. I guess there as an airbus behind me. I said eff to that and landed anyway.

 

Here's a nice view out my Cessna's window of the Diablo Mountains east of San Jose.

Out of the way to San Jose.png

HP Omen 25L Desktop, Intel i7-1070 CPU, 32 GB DDR RAM, Nvidia 3070 GPU, 1 TB SSD, Logitech flight yoke, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, multi-panel, radio panel, TrackIR 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took off from KWVI (Watsonville) RWY 9 in live weather (clear and sunny; it's California!) for an instrument approach to RWY 30L at KSJC. The MSFS World Map flight planner offered up a long, looping, approach from Watsonville, across the Santa Clara Valley, over the Diablo Mountain range between the Santa Clara and San Joaquin valleys, and back to the Santa Clara Valley to get to the first way point on the approach to the final approach to the airport. From takeoff to landing, this route took more than 40 minutes, despite the fact that it's only a 26 nm, 13-minute flight from Watsonville to KSJC as the crows fly--assuming they use GPS. I flew from Monterey to San Jose yesterday and was assigned the same route by the Garmin 1000. Today, I tried change the routing in the Garmin to take me to the first waypoint on RWY 30L's ILS approach plate, but couldn't manage that. I have flown into San Jose many times commercially, and I'm pretty sure the big jets coming from the east pick up same route into San Jose at about the point where I looped westward in the Cessna again. It just doesn't make much sense to me to first send a low-level, local IFR flight east over the mountains and then back west again instead of straight in to KSJC via the Santa Clara Valley.

 

It didn't help matters that my autopilot lost its way a couple of times, forcing me to disengage it and hand fly the plane back to the magenta GPS track--and later the final approach track--it should've followed in the first place. Not sure why this happened, unless I somehow mistakenly took the AP off "NAV." I'll have to watch that more closely.

 

When I flew this route from Monterey the other day, I disengaged the autopilot too soon on final (at about 500 feet AGL), sank below the glideslope in the last five-10 seconds, and barely made the concrete apron. Today, having learned from that mistake, I waited until I was about 200 feet AGL before disengaging the AP and brought the Cessna in for one of my best, smoothest landings ever, and cleared the runway at the first exit!

Edited by Aptosflier
HP Omen 25L Desktop, Intel i7-1070 CPU, 32 GB DDR RAM, Nvidia 3070 GPU, 1 TB SSD, Logitech flight yoke, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, multi-panel, radio panel, TrackIR 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took off from KWVI (Watsonville) RWY 9 in live weather (clear and sunny; it's California!) for an instrument approach to RWY 30L at KSJC. The MSFS World Map flight planner offered up a long, looping, approach from Watsonville, across the Santa Clara Valley, over the Diablo Mountain range between the Santa Clara and San Joaquin valleys, and back to the Santa Clara Valley to get to the first way point on the approach to the final approach to the airport. From takeoff to landing, this route took more than 40 minutes, despite the fact that it's only a 26 nm, 13-minute flight from Watsonville to KSJC as the crows fly--assuming they use GPS. I flew from Monterey to San Jose yesterday and was assigned the same route by the Garmin 1000. Today, I tried change the routing in the Garmin to take me to the first waypoint on RWY 30L's ILS approach plate, but couldn't manage that. I have flown into San Jose many times commercially, and I'm pretty sure the big jets coming from the east pick up same route into San Jose at about the point where I looped westward in the Cessna again. It just doesn't make much sense to me to first send a low-level, local IFR flight east over the mountains and then back west again instead of straight in to KSJC via the Santa Clara Valley.

 

It didn't help matters that my autopilot lost its way a couple of times, forcing me to disengage it and hand fly the plane back to the magenta GPS track--and later the final approach track--it should've followed in the first place. Not sure why this happened, unless I somehow mistakenly took the AP off "NAV." I'll have to watch that more closely.

 

When I flew this route from Monterey the other day, I disengaged the autopilot too soon on final (at about 500 feet AGL), sank below the glideslope in the last five-10 seconds, and barely made the concrete apron. Today, having learned from that mistake, I waited until I was about 200 feet AGL before disengaging the AP and brought the Cessna in for one of my best, smoothest landings ever, and cleared the runway at the first exit!

 

If you’re selecting an Approach Procedure from the Garmin then it’s probably based on what an airliner is going to require in terms of turning radius, altitude, etc. What I’ve done in that case is what Neilends suggested, fly to your desired point on the approach at the correct altitude. You can fly to that manually or via AP with the heading bug.

 

As for disconnecting the AP before landing, 500 feet is reasonable. If your throttle setting is good for the approach speed then you shouldn’t have an issue with falling below the glideslope. The AP is trimming for you and just keep an eye on that white arc of the Airspeed indicator. The bottom of the white is where you stop flying and go splat, or too high above that and you float. At SJC you’re landing on a 2 mile runway so plenty of room.

 

Come on man, you can do it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you’re selecting an Approach Procedure from the Garmin then it’s probably based on what an airliner is going to require in terms of turning radius, altitude, etc. What I’ve done in that case is what Neilends suggested, fly to your desired point on the approach at the correct altitude. You can fly to that manually or via AP with the heading bug.

 

My method, in turn, is what was suggested by one of the real pilots on this forum. Get the plane in line first, and only then lock in with the localizer.

Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes I live right next to the airport. I used to fly IRL from there and also built/opened the General Aviation Terminal - I sold out quite a long time ago but it has done well since. I no longer fly IRL.

 

Obviously I keep my "fleet" here too (although I've got a couple of aircraft in the USA sightseeing) and so I "see" around the city a lot - have a few addons which help. From the air I don't think you'd see a lot of changes although IRL the city has changed quite a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been gradually flying up through the entire state of Alaska in the Cessna 172, from Anchorage as a starting point and intended destination of Barrow, on the northern tip. And I have to admit, the official Microsoft website for forum discussion makes it a ton easier to post screenshots. Their limitations are higher than here and you can just drag and drop. I assume that's not a betrayal of loyalty. The ease of screenshots has made journaling my Alaska trip a lot more fun. Link here if interested.
Intel Core i7 10700KF (8-Core 5.1GHz Turbo Boost), RTX 3070 8GB, 32GB Dual Channel at 3200MHz, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. Monitor: Samsung C49RG9x. VR: Oculus Quest 2.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flew the Cessna 172 "Global" IFR from Watsonville to RWY 30L San Jose (again; I'm in a rut) and returned to Watsonville VFR. This time--unlike yesterday and the day before from Monterey--the Garmin 1000 gave me a choice between two routes--one that would take me a long way around, to the IFR approach used by air traffic arriving from the east, and a more direct route up the Santa Clara Valley. I think maybe the multiple waypoint options on offer in the Garmin this time had something to do with the low-level IFR approach option I selected in the drop-down menu on the World map today. (I should've written it down.) Like yesterday, the autopilot veered off course, forcing me to disengage it, manually fly the Cessna back to the the line on the map marking the final approach course, and re-engage the AP to continue the ILS landing. I'm not sure why this is happening. Maybe the AP's NAV setting is un-setting when I fiddle with another setting like altitude? I'll have to watch that button on my Logitech multi-panel more closely. I made a respectable landing at KSJC. I can't say the same for my landing on RWY 20 back at Watsonville. As usual for me, I came in too high. I didn't want to go around, so I forced the issue, eating up nearly all the runway in the process. I taxied back to the ramp area like a drunken sailor, killed the engine, and toggled off the master switches. Then I tried to go back to the main screen to shut down the sim and MSFS CTD'd. At least it didn't happen in mid-flight. But when I checked my log book after restarting my PC and relaunching MSFS, I discovered I didn't get any credit for the flight time I put in flying back to Watsonville. I guess because it wasn't in my original flight plan. Anyway, I was ticked.
HP Omen 25L Desktop, Intel i7-1070 CPU, 32 GB DDR RAM, Nvidia 3070 GPU, 1 TB SSD, Logitech flight yoke, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, multi-panel, radio panel, TrackIR 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been gradually flying up through the entire state of Alaska in the Cessna 172, from Anchorage as a starting point and intended destination of Barrow, on the northern tip.

Can you save your last location from day to day? Or do you have to file a new flight plan every day for the next leg of your trip?

HP Omen 25L Desktop, Intel i7-1070 CPU, 32 GB DDR RAM, Nvidia 3070 GPU, 1 TB SSD, Logitech flight yoke, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, multi-panel, radio panel, TrackIR 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Announcements


×
×
  • Create New...