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Follow-Up And Clarification On ILS Tutorial By Ron Blehm (6 July 2004) Since writing the original how to article I have received many e-mails, mainly from FS2004 users, about difficulties loading the situations or getting a screen-full of panel with no outside view. I whole-heartedly apologize for that. This was NOT some evil plot to force you to learn how to "Fly the Panel." More likely it is an issue of putting a situation saved in FS2002 into an FS2004 sim! Regardless, I know that it is a hard and frustrating thing to have a bunch of downloads that don't work or don't live up to your expectations. Frankly, I was afraid something like this might happen. So, here is a very brief update or summary without any downloads. If you follow these step-by-step instructions the new iron sim pilot should be up and flying in no time at all! First, I would refer you to an old article by Geert Rolf; you really need to read this piece, it's important. To answer one e-mail I got, yes, I know it's from a couple of versions ago, it is "quite old" but I doubt the placard flaps and gear speed of the 737 have changed much in 6-7 years and the headings between Brussels and Paris certainly should be the same. As he stated, if you want to get flying, not necessarily "by the book" but quickly, his step-by-step directions will allow you to do that. Also, the point of my article was to build on Mr. Rolf's work and get you "flying" an ILS approach without just hitting the APP button and heading to your local Starbucks. SET-UP: 1. Choose a plane you like. I picked this Tony Radmilovich-painted 735 from www.toomuchfs.com, "The Flight of the Month Club", seen here to the right. 2. Load the simulator and the plane of your choice. Select GO TO AIRPORT > EUROPE > MOLDOVA > CHISINAU (LUKK) > RUNWAY 8. 3. Once that loads you should be in your 737 (or other iron) idling at the end of Chisinau's runway 8. Be sure it's daylight, clear all weather and set fuel to maybe 50%. (I was in too big a hurry so still had real weather and full fuel). Select flaps 10-15 degrees. 4. Now, set HDG on your autopilot to 082. Set altitude to 3000 feet. Set IAS to 220. DO NOT turn autopilot on! TAKE-OFF: 1. When you are ready, throttle up and release the brakes. Ground steering until you are ready to rotate, pull back gently on the yoke/stick until you are climbing. Once you have a good rate of climb, ENGAGE flight director, ENGAGE autothrottles, ENGAGE autopilot. Select HDG, ALT, IAS, Y/D. Double check your rate of climb to be sure it's not too high, maybe 1000 fpm or so? (Didn't Geert's article cover all this?) 2. Once your autopilot has settled in and taken control of your aircraft, retract gear and flaps fully, then set HDG to 178. As your plane banks, set ALT to maybe 20,000 feet or so. Once you are through your turn, set IAS to 240 and rate of climb to maybe 2000 fpm if you'd like. CRUISE: 1. After 10,000 feet you can increase IAS to 320 or so. 2. Set your radios as follows: NAV1 to the ILS 111.10 Set CRS to the runway heading of 175 NAV2 to the VOR 112.50 ADF to the NDB 396 I'm not sure what was going on, like I say, I was in a big hurry so I wasn't getting NAV2 or NDB but oh well. Oh, our destination is just over 350 miles away, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul Turkey. About 151 miles out from Istanbul I picked up the VOR (on NAV1) and saw that the radial was slightly to my right, I turned 5 degrees to 183 so I could intercept the 175 radial inbound. GOING IN: 1. Somewhere around 50-60 miles DME I slowed IAS to 190 and set ALT to 5000 feet. Did you read the first part of my ILS Tutorial? My goal here is to have you use the autopilot all the way to the runway, just little mouse clicks, small corrections to get and stay lined up. Like we have said, this is to get the new pilot fired up and flying quickly, not necessarily "by the book." 2. Once you get the localizer and glideslope make little clicks of the mouse for HDG to line up with the runway. As the glideslope drops down you should set your ALT to -200 feet. (That's 200 feet BELOW sea level, not a typo) Then, adjust your rate of descent to keep that little arrow locked in. As stated, I accidentally had Real Weather loaded so had to play with my ROD a bit, dropping at 600-900 fpm. See picture, left. FINAL: Didn't I cover all this in the original piece? See, my fear was that if you couldn't load my situations or get a good outside view you'd figure you couldn't run the drill. My hope was that you'd at least take the information Mr. Rolf and I suggested to get into the air - and maybe even, safely back down again. I can't fly the thing for you! See picture, right - lined up! 1. Using little mouse clicks on the autopilot's HDG and ROD buttons to keep lined up you'll need to slow down, drop in flaps and gear at the appropriate times (See the "Quick Start Guide" for your speed and distance recommendations) and ride her in. 2. Somewhere under 200 feet AGL you'll need to GRADUALLY DECREASE your ROD to -100 fpm (or less). This eases your drop so you can land smoothly. 3. Somewhere under 100 feet AGL you'll need to DECREASE your IAS to 70-80 knots. To answer, again, an e-mail which stated that the iron jets don't handle well under 100 knots, "They might not even fly at speeds less then that." Since I cannot maintain 240 knots all the way to the gate, logic dictates that somewhere in the process I have to throttle back. Somewhere in the process of landing a plane does need to STOP FLYING. For me, this is that point! 4. Normally I don't like autobraking but since I had full fuel (and was a bit too nose-up) I selected "autobraking one". 5. You'll ease down until the wheels kiss the pavement, you'll need to hit the spoiler key and then DISCONNECT ALL AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONS! Start hitting reverse thrust and be ready to take over ground steering as soon as the nose wheel settles down. 6. Today, I was left of center and long, but got stopped by the mid-field turn-off. Not bad for a fully loaded, fully coupled, non-APP mode landing! (Picture, left.) I hope that this little additional flight will help you all to get the kinks worked out, in whatever version of FS you use. Now, you can set up other flights in other weather in other planes - but you'll have to take some of that initiative on your own! Happy landings to all. Ron Blehm pretendpilot@yahoo.com -
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Feature: Navigation 201: RNPs By Ron Blehm and Ken Moffin (August 20, 2011) "Might this be the Future of Navigation?" Just because some guy writes an article or two does not make him a real pilot (it may not even make him a sim pilot) nor really even an authority on a given subject. This is the case with this article in that neither of the authors are really anything special - just a couple guys who like flightsim. However, we have been doing some studying and wanted to present to you another "dimension" to the navigation story. Back in 2005 Ron wrote two How To articles introducing sim pilots to the very basics of Navigation: FS Navigation 101 FS Navigation 102 In 2010 Ron also wrote a tutorial about how to capture and fly the ILS in FSX: How To...Fly An ILS Whether this is a "next step" or just something that is completely off target remains to be seen. Ken was working up a feature flight for www.toomuchfs.com and was sharing some of his own secrets for how he sims and navigates around the virtual world. We discovered that we have been doing things a bit differently from each other and that's fine, but we got to wondering if Ken's version was ahead of his time or if Ron's version was out-dated. Ken lives in Seattle and is a life-time fan of Alaska Airlines. He prefers to fly Alaska liveries and routes and generally tries to stay up to the times on Alaska Airline things; to that end Ken has been seeking out an effective, working system to do Required Navigation Performance. In case this is the first you are hearing of this, let us introduce you. Required Navigation Performance (RNP) is a type of navigation that allows an aircraft to fly a specific path between two 3-dimensionally defined points in space. RNP also refers to the level of performance required for the aircraft to perform the maneuvers set forth in the navigation plan. (More on this in the next paragraph.) This means that on-board performance monitoring and alerting systems (autopilot for example) must meet a specific standard of performance. For example, an RNP of .3 means the aircraft navigation system must be able to calculate its position to within 3 tenths of a nautical mile (during cruise for example). RNP approaches currently have values down to .01 allowing aircraft to follow very precise 3-dimensional curved flight paths through congested airspace, around noise sensitive areas, or through difficult terrain. So, we can calculate a series of holes or boxes in space and the aircraft equipped with RNP will fly through those boxes every single time. This also means that the aircraft performance must match the navigation requirement which is to say that for a commercial airliner, boxes can't be 1 mile apart at 1,300 and 17,000 feet or require a 180° turn in a 1/4-mile radius because that level of performance isn't possible for the airframe. It should be noted that RNP requirements may limit the modes of operation of the aircraft, e.g. for very low RNP (.01 for example), where slight errors would be critical, manual flight by the crew may not be allowed. Let's paraphrase the last two paragraphs specifically: If we have the technology to plot specific boxes in space and assign an altitude for each box then an airplane with the accompanying technology can fly through those specific little boxes regardless of the terrain, weather or location of the nearest VOR. What Ron and Ken believe is that eventually this could mean no more off-set ILS approaches; No more 800-foot CAT-III minimums; No more DME arcs and no more weaving through the skies following high-altitude jetways or STARs between intersections! Are we looking at that time when a pilot simply loads a flight plan and pushes a button to make the plane go? While that may be a long stretch, in 1996, Alaska Airlines became the first airline in the world to utilize an RNP approach with its approach down the Gastineau Channel into Juneau, Alaska. (This approach, specifically, is what Ken will have us do in our Feature Flight in January 2012.) Alaska Airlines Captains Steve Fulton and Hal Anderson developed more than 30 RNP approaches for the airline's operations in Alaska. In 2005, Alaska Airlines became the first airline to utilize RNP approaches into Reagan National Airport to avoid congestion and in April 2009, Alaska Airlines became the first airline to gain approval from the FAA to validate their own RNP approaches. We asked some experts what was to become of some of those features Ron wrote about in his navigation articles. "DME arcs, procedural turns and offset ILS approaches are all components of 'non-precision' approaches and are designed for aircraft (and pilots) equipped with very basic navigational equipment. While GPS approaches are becoming more common and have begun to replace older non-precision approaches, a plane like a Bonanza or Cessna Corvallis does not have a sophisticated enough autopilot or avionics to manage these more complex approaches automatically. Therefore we keep the procedural turns, DME arcs and VOR approaches and understand that the pilot must still command the aircraft to follow the lateral or vertical requirements published." But, is it really possible for an airliner to fly an IFR approach without using VORs or ILS approaches? Ken and Ron began asking around on some FS and pilot forums and the responses were basically like this one: "Sophisticated aircraft with full FMS capabilities certainly don't 'need' to rely upon VORs or DME arcs and more commonly follow SID's/STAR's which are waypoint based and can be programmed into the Flight Management Computer." We think he said that pilots can load a SID/STAR into the FMC and tell the autopilot what altitude to be at by the end and it will fly that published route. But again, this may not be as direct or precise as an RNP; and we wonder why a Cherokee pilot couldn't manually fly an RNP just as easily as he can manually fly a DME arc to an off-set ILS? Anyway ... we wondered, "Is Alaska Airlines doing something totally different?" To find out, Ron joined the crew (in the cockpit for pre-flight) of an Alaska Airlines NG heading from KPDX to KSAN. With the weight and balance data all loaded into the FMC the computer calculated the most efficient engine settings for take-off - - a "Bump 22" in this case. Next the departure procedure from runway 10L was loaded. Ron expected the usual "River-6" SID but no, Alaska uses their own RNP departure called "Q11." The next entry on the flight plan was KLAX! What? Nothing else between Mt. Hood and Los Angeles? That's right. No Jetways down the I-5 corridor, we were flying direct to KLAX. What then? A descent profile to the standard non-precision/visual approach from the east into San Diego. So the 959-mile flight had only three entries on the flight plan: Q11 KLAX DescentProfile5 That's it. AMAZING! Ron asked the flight Captain why there were no SIDs, STARs or Jetways. "The direct route saves Alaska about 17% on fuel versus flying a SID to a series of jetways to a published STAR" the Captain told him. "We lose a bit of performance if we hand-fly the plane, just following the line on the display, but it's still often more efficient for the pilot to hand-fly an RNP than for the autopilot to fly a STAR entered into the FMC. San Diego doesn't have an RNP yet but we'll be getting that soon just because of the heavy traffic there." Doesn't Alaska get into trouble for flying their own thing and not sticking to published approaches? "Most often we write the RNPs to match the STAR that everyone else is doing already but rather than being within several hundred feet of the published route leading to the ILS we are within about 5-10 meters! This makes our approaches more accurate, more efficient and much safer." In fact, on Ron's real-world flight to San Diego they arrived at the bottom of descent about ten minutes early and there wasn't a slot in the approach traffic for the flight so they had to make two 360° turns out over the ocean west of Miramar before starting the downwind leg of the approach. (So much for efficiency!) Still not convinced, we loaded up a multiplayer session in FSX. We would fly from KPDX to KSAN - Ron in a more "traditional" way and Ken in his RNP fashion. Both of us used the default 737-800 with full fuel tanks. GPS-direct was about 72 miles shorter than a River-6 to Jetways to DME approach. Seventy-two miles doesn't sound very impressive but at 420 mph that still takes off several minutes - especially if there isn't a mile or so of wandering left and right of the intended course. No wonder Ron arrived ten minutes early on his real-world flight. We loaded up our multiplayer session from neighboring gates in Terminal C at KPDX. We pushed back together and taxied to runway 10L with Ron leading the way. We set up the autopilots to fly our published flight plans and departed eastbound in clear weather. The River-6 departure Ron was flying takes a heading off the PDX VOR and stays over the Columbia River through 1,300 feet when flights are normally handed to center and cleared to turn back to the west to intercept the southbound jetway. Ron did this, hand-flying up through 19,000 feet. Ken had completed the Q11 and was heading south before Ron made his left-hand correction onto the published route. That was pretty much the last we saw of each other! Ron's jetway route was initially west of Ken's though we got back over the same scenery between Klamath Falls and Lake Tahoe. By this point, both flying Mach 0.72 at 35,000 feet, Ken was 5-6 minutes ahead. ("I'd like to think that I could see his contrail" Ron reported.) Somewhere over central California the jetway route took Ron back to the west a bit more and in the end, Ken reached San Diego about six minutes before Ron. ("I think Ken cheated and took a short final!") Sounds like almost nothing but then we looked at the numbers: Ron had burned about 9,000 pounds per hour or just over 22,600 pounds total. Ken had burned just over 20,900 pounds total. Ken was over 7.5% more efficient, burning 1,741 fewer pounds of gas and still arriving earlier! He notes, "'Course I proudly sat there for seven minutes with my engines running! What an idiot!" For an airline doing 20 such flights or 50 hours in the air per day we figure that saves an excess of $17,200 per day! Those little efficiencies add up. Now we come back to Juneau because that is the specific approach that Captains Fulton and Anderson were trying to address. There is no instrument approach down the channel to runway 28; it's too close, too narrow and just not safe in anything under 5 miles visibility (image above, left). But, with an accurate RNP Alaska Airlines can fly that tricky approach impervious to the weather (image above, right). The problem is that there isn't a system in FSX that allows that kind of accuracy. The old FSNavigator could roughly mimic this sort of navigation through the default autopilots but the default FS flight planner has no provision for vertical navigation. Therefore, there really and truly is no possible way to get close to the precision of actual RNPs. The default FS aircraft and all but the highest fidelity add-ons don't have the functionality to replicate true RNPs. FSNavigator won't work with FSX and though there are some good FSX planners available, none offer the same sort of autopilot interface that FSNavigator had in older versions. If you want to enjoy true LNAV/VNAV combination in FSX, you're going to have to learn one of the systems included in the PMDG, Captain Sim or Wilco Hi-Fi airliners. However, Ken, who has obviously been playing with this stuff for some time, has demonstrated the difficult and dangerous Juneau approach in visibility less than one mile using the default flight planner! "In my experience, I set the autopilot speed at 195 knots IAS. I set the autopilot rate of descent at -1,000 fpm which gives you about 1,500 feet every 5 miles. That has worked well for every approach I've tried. About 2 miles out you slow to 160, decrease your rate of descent and start looking for lights. It's not perfect but it has gotten me into airports that otherwise wouldn't be reachable." Not convinced (are you catching a theme here?) Ron tried Ken's technique at Medellin Venezuela - a tricky approach down a river valley between high mountains (below, left). "I came out a bit high but pretty much spot on. Landed a little fast but at least I got down which is something I would have never attempted a few months ago!" (below, right) Rather than just spouting off about RNPs and how we've tried a few techniques, the two of us wanted to document for you our process of "learning" some brand new RNPs that have never been set up before. So first Ron sent Ken packing for Samos, Greece. "As I've stated, 95% of my flying is in the Pacific Northwest so I really wasn't aware about the approach into Samos, Greece. Ron sent me a PDF which described the approach something like: "Fly over the VOR ... Turn heading 162° ... fly to 9 miles DME ... right standard-rate turn to 360° ... descending for visual approach ... " It all sounded pretty technical and difficult and imprecise (above, left). First I tried loading an RNP flightpath that more closely looked like the real thing (yellow line). But even with trying several different options on placing waypoints for the turn I wasn't getting it. Finally I looked at some maps and other photos and noticed a little low point in the hills to the west of the airport. I laid in a new RNP approach flying through this little valley (pink line, image above right). I figured I'd be high enough anyway ... Here are the steps I followed: Open Up FSX Go to Flight Planner Select departure airport as Ikaria (LGIK) Select destination as Samos Choose GPS direct and "find route" Drag the pink line until it looks like the one in the image above right Save flight plan as "RNP Samos9.PLN" Next I chose an aircraft that I've rarely if ever fly and set departure airport as Rhodes I departed Rhodes and set heading to 310° and climb to 7,000 feet or so (not going for high realism here) Wow, I have to agree with Ron that this is really some great scenery! Once cruising (this is a rather short flight) we can open up flight planner, LOAD RNP Samos9 but do not set aircraft to departure airport. This loads the flight plan but keeps the plane where it is - flying in this case On the GPS screen set to 35-mile range we can see our flight plan showing up Somewhere in here is where the math comes in. We'll drop 1,500 feet every 5 miles so we'll set altitude for approach to 4,500 feet and airspeed to 195. This needs to be locked up BEFORE Samos is 15 miles away Set autopilot to track GPS and intercept the flightpath - much like Ron's instructions for intercepting the ILS Regardless of the flightpath mileage, you can see on the GPS how far away Samos is At this point I set weather to overcast, grey and rainy! At 15 miles set altimeter to 0000 and rate of descent to 1,000 fpm Let Otto fly you in. Regardless of the weather, you know that you have programmed the "RNP" to go around the mountains so you'll be safe Since I had never flown into here before I had visibility set for 3 miles - still probably less than the non-RNP-world would allow! The photos speak for themselves. Meanwhile, Ron had been sent to the only tough approach Ken knew about outside of Alaska, that being Innsbruck, Austria. The great thing about Innsbruck is that, really, there are two approaches that could be worth using RNPs for. First up I loaded an ATR-72 and set departure airport to Salzburg. Like Ken did above, I drug the flight plan line through the valley until we had what seemed like a good approach all set RNPs let me drag the flight path right to the edge of the hills so the offset approach is about 3° (eyeball) versus the ILS which is 8° I loaded up real-world weather and departed to the south My first approach will be the higher speed, slower descent-type keeping 200 knots and dropping at -700 fpm Innsbruck is at 1,900 feet so for 20 miles I need to set ALT at 5,900 feet I came out spot on the glideslope but with visibility about 10 miles it was easy despite some wind Next up I loaded one of my favorite old classic jetliners, the DC-8 stretch setting departure from Tenerife and arrival to Innsbruck. Distance with RNP is about 1,700 miles versus 1,900 with jetways This time I planned on a steeper approach, 190 knots, dropping 1,500 feet every 5 miles 6,000 feet for 20 miles means I need to be at 7,900 feet at the top of final descent Eventually I set the weather to low clouds - keeps me out of the hills but still obscured the runway You can zoom in the GPS screen and cross-check your altitude: 1,500 feet every 5 miles I was making little tweaks on the way down because apparently I'm an idiot or something Finally I was into the clouds Instantly I saw trees ahead and said some awful things I slammed the throttles up for about 5 seconds and floated to a long landing But, alls well that ends well and those passengers back there should just be happy they are alive! While looking up info on RNPs we noticed one web site had a photo of a 738 making "an RNP departure from Queenstown, New Zealand." We figured this was worth one more try. So Ron wrote a couple RNPs for Queenstown and e-mailed some aircraft and weather files to Ken. Let's see what could possibly go wrong! Ken's words: The published approach to runway 23 involves flying a zig-zagging DME approach based off radials from the Slope Hill VOR. I load up the files called 'Departure on the Queenstown 23 RNP' The cockpit looks like the 737 and I check the GPS screen to see that Ron's RNP approach looks great, avoiding all the mishaps along the way I hop outside to see a 757! I haven't flown one of those in ... five years? The engine gauges look fine, not much fuel on board, a notepad text document has ILS landing info for Christchurch so I assume that's where I'm going I drop in some flaps, zoom the GPS view to 1 mile and throttle up I rotate at 140 knots and pull up the gear and one notch of flaps I keep manual control for a very small left turn I climb through 1,500 feet and it all looks good Flaps up and right turn coming What the hell? A funny sound and all kinds of yaw! I fight the controls and am losing airspeed! I close the GPS and see that number two is out! That bastard! (Sound of Ron laughing) My immediate reaction is to turn around but with the hills on either side ... I notice that I'm still holding the RNP line and just barely still climbing so I fly on I fly that damned crate all the way out into the open, make a giant turn and reload the Queenstown 23 RNP - do NOT choose the "Go To Airport" option Now I select GPS and NAV-hold and calculate that I'll need to be at ... damn! I select HDG hold on the autopilot and make another circle out over the coastal lowlands somewhere northeast of Queenstown. Okay, I'm at 5,000 feet and not expecting a lot more but I can hold that altitude until I'm ... about ... 8 miles out and then drop at 1,000 fpm which puts me just about right I wind my way down the valley It takes damn-near full-throttle to keep my airspeed respectable WOW! Too damn close! But, the RNP approach with GPS/NAV-tracking does keep me off the hillside! All the way in I'm realizing that I've been way too easy on myself all these years Finally I reach what should be the airport Where in the hell is it? I'm lower than Ron was into Innsbruck but I've only got one engine! I throttle up and turn and smash the rudder like I've never done and it looks really ugly I think I may have closed my eyes but somehow, thank the lord ... I landed the damned thing! I guess this proves the point that Required Navigation can work in flightsim Ron and Ken are still on speaking terms and we hope that this article has given you something else to consider, maybe even a new way to set up your flight plan or navigate around the globe. A special thanks to Alaska Airlines for the inspiration and to "Captain Beamer" (not his real name) for giving Ron the cockpit and flight planning tour. Point of Contact: Ron Blehm pretendpilot@yahoo.com Ken Moffin "Moffinman"- 1 comment
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Feature: Get Real 4 By Jose Octavio (24 April 2012) I have lived all my life in Rio. But today I'm in Brasilia and it is July 1986. At that time I belonged to the technical team of the Brazilian Tourism Authority and the main office was in Rio, however we often had to go to Brasilia to deal with official matters in different levels of the Government. I mean, me and everyone else, federal officials from different states, did the same. By Friday all those, plus a number of congressmen wanted to go back to their states - but consider that a good number of them had their main residences in Rio. Basically, Friday afternoons meant crowded airport and flights, although nothing that compares to now a days. On this particular Friday I didn't think of my reservations to go home until it was too late: I just took a taxi and when I arrived at the airport I noticed that there were a lot of people. Herds of people. I rushed to Varig's counter and of course, they were sold out to Rio or any nearby destination. Same with all the other companies. Oh well, I thought, and walked to the bar to relax. When I was on my way, there comes the taxi driver that had brought me from the hotel and he sees me (I must have had a very sad expression in my face) and says: Any problem? Did you get your ticket? Next, we were negotiating how much gas we would spend to drive the 1300 km (800 miles) all the way to Rio. He said he wanted to see his family and he would do it for the gas. We went to the bar and took a table, trying to figure out some numbers including the mileage of his thirsty Dodge Dart V8! Then, a little miracle happened: Varig announces on the speakers an extra flight, the 707 flight coming from LA had was going to do a technical layover in Brasilia and had many vacant seats, so "those interested please rush to our international counter". Zwish out the door I went, my taxi driver (looking very disappointed) says have a good trip and gave me his business card. Got my seat and half an hour later I watch the 707 landing from the bar balcony, a sign of good old times: airports were so much more civilized. The speakers buzzed and it's time to board the PP-VJK. 1986, and the 707s were aging - not as in "getting too old", but the new turbofans that ran the newer aircraft were a lot more economical and silent. On board of that flight, must have been that a lot of people knew each other or were regular commuters on Friday's Varig flight to Rio. It was pretty much a cocktail party, with the passengers enjoying the great Varig on board service with quality drinks and snacks going. I was sitting on 'smokers' side by a window and enjoying the ride as the 707 took off. There were politicians whose families lived in Rio, businessmen and officials like me - most of which knew each other and possibly Varig people, because the flight ended up with a couple of passengers more than there were seats. I only became aware of this when we started our descent on approach to Rio: some guys were still standing or seated in the seats arms, still talking as they put their drinks back as the cart was passed by. No big deal, it was a fine approach with barely any shaking and there was the city, in all its splendorous lights awaiting for us, as the Rolls Royce high pitched turbines became more and more audible on revs down. This time, during this approach which is over the city of Petropolis on the mountains of the Serra do Mar near Rio, you clearly see the Guanabara Bay and Rio itself, which is a very beautiful view on a clear night, like this one was. However I was comfortably sitting at a right side window on this flight, and as it descended towards SBGL runway 10 I could enjoy all the great view and the loud clicks and noises from the electrical motors moving the flaps, and the big weee-klunk of the undercarriage opening and locking in place. For me, flying like this, on a 707 was the state of the art fly. The 707 would barely vibrate or move, let alone shake (needed a BIG turbulence to make you feel anything at all). I'm saying this, because I was, before that, used to fly when I was a kid, accompanying my father, usually to Sao Paulo and sometimes to some other State Capital (he was a Lawyer). In these short distance trip but sometimes long trips, we use to fly DC3 Dakota, C46 Curtis Commander and later, Convair 240, 340 and if I got lucky a 440 (which was oh wonder pressurized! But there was still a lot of noise, vibration and shaking, especially on the Convairs. Bad weather and "vacuum bumps" were routine on lower altitude flights, but sometimes they left the cabin door open and you could see the pilots handling the beast. Amazing pilots looking into dozens of instruments and dealing with levers, radios, carburetor mixtures and all sorts of buttons. And then, suddenly, prepare to land. Signs on, no smoking and fasten seat belts: here we go! As time passed, I got used to Constellations, Caravelles and Electra II before stepping into a 707. It's like riding a noisy Volkswagen bug, shaking on the road, with poor brakes and etc., and then being thrown into a 2000s Cadillac and getting used to it. No more bugs for me! On the other hand, now they put you in even smoother planes, real wonderful machines, but the comfort - oh well, we big guys won't ever forgive this: comfort is gone. The airports are super crowded, you have to stand in a line forever and the seats! Oh man, the seats. If I could shrink 40% each time I fly I wouldn't say anything but today's seats really take all the fun out of flying. Although I didn't know anyone on board, I could hear chatter, and it was about Varig getting rid of the 707s - to be replaced with more modern aircraft (mostly 737s - international routes were being handled by 747s already). But one of the 707s would still be in business serving FAB - the Brazilian Air Force. The exact one we were flying, PP-VJK was going to fly back to Boeing to be overhauled and become FAB 1 to serve the President. But history wouldn't allow it: in the last month in service the VJK crashed on approach to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, this accident being a total loss. Because of this unfortunate event, Varig honored the sale by delivering the PP-VJY, which was a little newer, to the Air Force. This sample was overhauled and served the President for several years, and it was nicknamed - after its age in years - the "sucatao", in Portuguese "the big junk". The nick was given by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1998-2002). This PP-VJY Boeing 707-345C has the serial number cn 19842 and it's in service still today as a regular Air Force passenger transport. The next President, Lula, would authorize the purchase of a brand new Airbus 320 on his second term, after being re-elected (2006), thus replacing the VJK. So, it became a part of my FSX activity to fly trying to reproduce some of the flights I was on, and I started with this flight, since I had become a great fan of the 707, with its maneuver capacity, typical high pitch turbines and all the modern features that for me made flying a lot more comfortable than before with everything happening in the right time and almost no surprises. But I also had good kicks with the fast Electra II, one of the nicest planes I used to fly in real life (a little more adventurous than the 707 on FSX). For those who remember, there was a bar on the back of the cabin, about where the rear door was. Oh man (and I smile). Here's a video as well: Jose Octavio Ron Blehm pretendpilot@yahoo.com -
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In Search Of ... The Best Cup Of Coffee By Ron B and Tom O What is RonTom? We are two "Old Timers" with a passion for aviation and a penchant for telling stories. The result is some aviation/flightsim story telling based on some real-world locations that we think are fun and/or interesting. We hope that this semi-regular feature will inspire you to learn or explore or fly somewhere new. (If you have locations that you'd like to have us visit, please feel free toe-mail: rontomsimmers@gmail.com). Coffee is now a global commodity, but coffee has a long history and is tied closely to food traditions in and around the Red Sea. The earliest credible evidence of drinking coffee, in the form of the modern beverage, appears in modern-day Yemen from the middle of the15th century, where coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed in a manner similar to current methods. By the 16th century, the drink had reached the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, later spreading to Europe. Today, coffee is cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in the equatorial regions of the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa, and the two most commonly grown coffee bean types are C. arabica and C. robusta (look then up ... pretty interesting), but this adventure is not about the nuts and bolts, it is about discovery ... Sri Lanka It is believed that Arabian travelers introduced coffee to Sri Lanka more than 200 years ago, as there are traditions among the Singhalese of its flowers having been offered at the shrine of the sacred Buddha in Kandy, but it was the British that started commercial coffee cultivation in this island nation in the early 1800's, and the climate in the central highlands of Sri Lanka is an ideal region to grow high quality, arabica beans. These single-origin, smallholder cultivated, high elevation grown,washed, honey or naturally processed specialty coffees are loved by coffee aficionados. In 'coffee cupping' testing Sri Lankan coffees that come from different local roasteries, have scored above 86 points with chocolatey, nutty and berry flavor notes, which is a good indication of the stellar quality of 'Ceylon' coffee. I'm far from a coffee aficionado, but that's good enough for me.Now, how do I get there ... KDSM>KORD>OTHH>VCBI The flight from Des Moines (KDSM) to Chicago (KORD) was uneventful(as was the coffee) and for whatever reason the layover at O'Hare was like 8 hours! Too late for coffee once we departed but when it came time for the first cup in the morning, what a difference business class can make. It is a long ride to Doha, but Hamad International in itself is well worth the trip. Awarded Skytrax's World Best Airport in 2021 itis a pleasure to behold and visit. Standard advice says it's best to get to the airport two hours ahead of departure time. Anyone flying via Hamad might want to double or triple that just to experience the place. Incredible comes to mind ... and the coffee was great! A (too) short layover and then onward to Colombo's Bandaranaike International and the capital city (Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte lies within the urban/suburban area of Colombo). Much to see and do, but we're here for coffee. The last flight to Nuwara Eliya was perhaps the most enjoyable and the coffee-farm visited a delight. Now, about the best cup coffee ... well, I think you're just going to have to discover that for yourself. The bean belt is waiting! Let us know where your favorite cup of coffee comes from (even if your own kitchen) and share the adventure in the comments section. As for me (Ron) I've always claimed to not like coffee. It's strong. It's bitter. It's just ... yucky. (see photo 04 above)Now, with enough creamer and sugar and flavors it's drinkable but then it's also kinda deadly so ... I've never claimed to love coffee. I have found it interesting that, "everyone" claims to have, "invented"coffee; from the Colombians to the Sri Lankans to the Indonesians to the Ethiopians, "everyone" seems to say that their coffee traditions are "thousands of years old" so who do we believe? It seems that Tom was siding with the Sri Lankans from days of the Silk Road (the prior RonTom feature BTW). I have a photo from Starbucks that says, "Ethiopian: from the birthplace of coffee" so that's where my FS Adventure is taking us. I've been to Ethiopia (I mean in the Real World) a couple or three times and most recently I was able to enjoy several of the Traditional Coffee Ceremonies and oh my word! I am now SUCH a fan! The fresh,hot, fire-baked beans ... It was like the richest, creamiest,non-bitter, melted chocolate that I have ever tasked! Freaking Amazing! Mind blown. So my FS-tour, noted here in this video: It takes us from the Capital Addis down south to Lake Hawassa and all of the sights and sounds of Central Ethiopia. Not just for the sights ... Not just for the people ... Not just for the food ... Not just for the experience but seriously folks, you gotta have the Ethiopian coffee! -
RonTom's Most Epic Adventure By Ron B and Tom O What is RonTom? What are the RonTom Adventures? Ron and Tom are a couple of "old-time flight simmers" who, are entertained by telling stories and intrigued by exploring new places. So, we've combined these loves in this feature, taking simmers to real world locations that we think are completely worth visiting! If we had unlimited funds (and empty passports) we would most certainly be visiting the locations offered in this feature but in the meantime, we are left with Google Earth and Wikipedia and Flightsim. Previously, we offered a huge RonTom feature across the US, from Chicago to Santa Monica ... Route 66! This feature makes Route 66 look like a stroll around the park. Dating back to the BC era, "The Silk Road" wasn't actually A ROAD but a series of routes from the Mediterranean Basin to SE Asia! These trade routes were used by the Babylonian, Greek and Roman Empires. There are so many places, so many highlights along this route that I'm not going to even attempt to "recommend" where you should fly. The ancient city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) is beautiful and welcoming. The new Istanbul Airport signifies that the region is still a major world crossroads. You could start your flight from there. In college, I had a roommate from Beirut and I have been intrigued with Lebanon (and its scenic location) for decades so I'll start my FS videos from there. But, these suggestions are only the beginning of the land route. Perhaps you'd rather check out northern Iran in your sim. Perhaps you'd like to explore your sim-version of Tibet or explore around Kabul. What we are asking is for you to check out ANYTHING along this route! There are options for you to explore from Turkmenistan to Hong Kong. Because this feature is so huge, we'd never expect you to fly the entire route in your sims but we would like to see you fly SOMETHING (I don't even have a clue what Tom is going to do). So, how about you take a little tour ALONG THE SILK road and then share that with us at: rontomsimmers@gmail.com. For Ron's part of this, as noted above, I'm starting my first option from Beirut: Beirut, Aleppo, Uromiyeh, Dasht-E-Naz (OINZ) which is about 1100 miles. Okay, that was fun, let's continue on: Dasht-E-Naz (OINZ) to Kabul (OAKB) is about 1000 miles. Like I said, if you'd just like to fly some laps around the Southern Caspian or buzz downtown Hong Kong it's totally up to you but we encourage you to, check out the map above and pick somewhere to fly. Tom, Where Did You Go? Islamabad, Delhi, Kolkata. The Silk Road (Routes) in all of its manifestations remains a metaphor for the exchange of goods and ideas between diverse cultures, times and places. The network of routes used by traders for more than 1500 years remain with us today and have expanded with our global economy. In my research for this adventure, I envisioned those merchants starting in China and ending up in Turkey after who knows how many years but, although there may have been a few Marco Polo's in the crowd the majority functioned very differently. Caravanserais were located all along the Silk Road. These facilities served two main functions: to provide travelers with a safe place to rest, and to house a marketplace where merchants could sell and trade their goods. Generally situated within one day's travel of each other, caravanserais were often built by either a local government or a private business, and had a caretaker (and staff) who oversaw the day-to-day activities. It was rare that a merchant or caravan would travel the entire trade route. Instead, caravans would journey a specific segment of the route where they would stop and rest at the caravanserais to trade and or replenish their supplies for the return trip. The caravanserais provided shelter, security, supplies, storage, meeting places (courtyards) and a marketplace. Think of it as a convention center/hotel complex of sorts for the exchange of goods and services. As so today, an international airport provides for many of the same features, especially with the influx of the general flying public. So, let's take a look at the three major hubs along my segment of the Silk Road. Islamabad International (OPIS) serves the capital city of Pakistan. The new airport commenced full operations in May 2018, replacing the defunct Benazir Bhutto International Airport which now serves as a PAF Base. It is the largest cargo and passenger capacity airport in Pakistan, designed to serve 9 million passengers a year and was the first and only airport in Pakistan capable of handling the Airbus A380. A metrobus rapid transit service will soon connect the airport with Islamabad for commuters, scheduled to be completed this year. The numbers are expected to reach 25 million passengers by 2024 and as with many new facilities a significant portion of the land has been earmarked for expansion as well as commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, hotel and convention center, air malls, a business center, food courts, leisure and cinema facilities. Sound familiar? My next stop is Indira Gandhi International (VIDP). The airport, spread over an area of 5106 acres (2066 ha), is 16 km (9.9 mi) from the New Delhi city center. It has been the busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic since 2009. It is also the busiest airport in the country in terms of cargo traffic, overtaking Mumbai in 2015. As of now, it is the 17th busiest airport in the world and 6th busiest airport in Asia by passenger traffic handling nearly 70 million passengers per year. The expansion program will increase the airport's capacity to handle 100 million passengers by the year 2030. The air cargo complex consists of separate brownfield and greenfield cargo terminals spread over an area of 150 acres comprising state-of-the-art infrastructure, two integrated cargo terminals, and on-airport logistics center. In addition to the existing terminals, a new Greenfield facility is being developed in phases. Once the entire project is completed, the complex will have an annual handling capacity of 1.25 million tons. The cargo operations alone connect 75 international and 69 domestic destinations, served by 63 air carriers and 17 freighter operations. All in all, Indira Gandhi International Airport is one of the largest, and also one of the very best. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (VECC) is the aviation hub for eastern and northeastern India. The airport was locally known as Kolkata Airport before being renamed in 1995. The airport is one of the oldest in India, established back in 1924. As with many older facilities (as well as new), planning and construction activities are continuous. The new terminal (T2) inaugurated in 2013 is already on the verge of reaching its annual capacity of 24 million passengers (four years ahead of the initial projections). To tackle this, there are plans to upgrade and expand the airport and increase its passenger capacity by 100%. The new expansion plan will be carried out in two phases and the number of parking bays will be increased to 105 by 2024. The International air cargo terminal at Kolkata Airport was the first air cargo terminal in the country, and dates back to October 1975. The building contains three wings for the processing of import, export, unaccompanied pax baggage and domestic cargo. In September 2012, the complex was upgraded enabling the operation to cater to ever increasing demands. There are four bays exclusively for the larger members of the freighter fleet, and can accommodate the 747's. In international freight transactions it connects six regions (South Asia, South-East Asia, Middle-East, Central Asia, and the West) of the global marketplace. With that, it's your turn. Take a little tour of your own making along the Silk Road and tell us about it at rontomsimmers@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed. In the end, Ron flew back, westbound, from Hong Kong to Beirut. Hong Kong, Hanoi, Mandalay, Calcutta, Delhi, Islamabad, Kabul, Termez, Rasht, Uromiyeh, Aleppo, Beirut. Here is that video:
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RonTom Adventures - Antarctica By Ron B and Tom O What is RonTom? We are two "Old Timers" with a passion for aviation and a penchant for telling stories. The result is some aviation/flightsim storytelling based on some real-world locations that we think are fun and/or interesting. We hope that this semi-regular feature will inspire you to learn or explore or fly somewhere new. (If you have locations that you'd like to have us visit, please feel free to e-mail: [email]rontomsimmers@gmail.com[/email]). Into The White It is the fifth-largest continent, nearly twice the size of Australia, and on average the coldest, driest, and windiest place on the planet. It has the highest average elevation. It is, for the most part, a polar desert, with annual precipitation of 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland. At the same time, about 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen here. With an average ice thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi; 6,200 feet), Antarctica holds the record for the lowest temperature on Earth, measured to be -89.2 C (-128.6 F). The average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is -63 C (-81 F). Native species include penguins, seals, mites, nematodes, and tardigrades. Vegetation consists of only tundra. Captain James Cook's ships, HMS Resolution and Adventure, crossed the Antarctic Circle in January 1773, December 1773, and again in January 1774. Cook came within about 120 km (75 mi) of the Antarctic coast before retreating in the face of field ice in January 1773. In 1775, Cook called the existence of a polar continent "probable" and in another copy of his journal he wrote: "(I) firmly believe it and it's more than probable that we have seen a part of it". In 1895 the first confirmed landing was accomplished by a Norwegian team. Shackleton parties in 1907, became the first to reach the magnetic pole. Roald Amundsen became the first to reach the geographic pole in 1911, and Richard E. Byrd led four geographical and scientific research expeditions to Antarctica during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. It was not until October 31, 1956, that a U.S. Navy group led by Rear Admiral George J. Dufek successfully landed an aircraft at the South Pole. Today, Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System. According to the terms of the treaty, military activity, mining, nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal are all prohibited. The treaty set aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, and established freedom of scientific investigation and environmental protection. Sovereignty over regions of Antarctica is claimed by seven countries. While a few of these countries have mutually recognized each other's claims, the validity of these claims is not recognized universally. As of 2022, 29 countries maintain 70 research stations in Antarctica, though most of these only fully operate in the summer. In the summer more than 4,000 scientists populate the place; which decreases to just over 1,000 in the winter. McMurdo Station, which is the largest research station in Antarctica, is capable of housing more than 1,000 scientists, visitors, and tourists. Researchers include biologists, geologists, oceanographers, physicists, astronomers, glaciologists, and meteorologists. Small-scale 'expedition tourism' has existed since 1957 and is currently subject to Antarctic Treaty and Environmental Protocol provisions. Travel is largely by small or medium ship, focusing on specific scenic locations with accessible concentrations of iconic wildlife. Sightseeing flights (which did not land) operated out of Australia and New Zealand until the fatal crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 in the Mount Erebus disaster in 1979. Qantas resumed commercial overflights (https://www.antarcticaflights.com.au/) to Antarctica from Australia in the mid-1990s. Enough history and research for now. Time for some adventure. I've found an NSF LC-130 flight to jump on from New Zealand to McMurdo Station. See you on the ice! The Adventure The food was steaming hot, the breeze was colder than expected and the Mediterranean was blue - so very blue. As we reflected on our time in Spain I asked Tom what he was thinking for our next destination. "South" was his only response. "Like, Mallorca or like Tunisia?" "Further." "Rwanda? I loved my time in Rwanda. Too bad FS sucks at portraying Africa!" Tom silently rolled his eyes before placing his fork on the table. "All the way south" he said. "Antarctica HAS to be a place that anyone considered an 'Adventurer' would want to go. So, RonTom ADVENTURES is going." With that, he finished his meal in silence. Okay, dude, the last time I tried to fly something in Antarctica (it is a long ways from ANYTHING) it was too big of an aircraft and too rugged a runway and navigation sucks and it's so dang windy and it's just ... white like, every day! So actually, what I remember more than all of that is that there were some tall mountains around wherever I was. So I looked, the tallest peak on Antarctica is Mt. Vinson at 16,050 feet. Wow! That's taller than Washington's Mt. Rainier. Additionally, this HAS to be a typo! "The elevation at the South Pole is 9,300 feet above sea level." Whaaaaaat? That's 4,000 feet higher than Denver! Okay, now I was curious. Europe ranges from sea level to >14,000 feet with an average of 764 feet. North America ranges from below sea level (Salton Sea, CA) to >16,000 feet with an average of 938 feet. South America with its Andes Mountains ranges from 0 feet to >17,000 feet with an average of ... 397 feet. That must be a result of the Amazon Basin! Africa has less really high and less really low land with an average elevation of around 2,000 feet. Considerably higher than the Americas or Europe. Asia is even higher (cough Tibet cough) with an average elevation of 3,120 feet. But the "uninhabited" Continent of Antarctica has an average elevation of ... That can't be right! Checking several sources ... What the ... ? Antarctica has an average elevation of 8,200 feet!? Where is that "mind blown imoji"? Okay, so, anyway, we head off to one of FSX's "McMurdo Stations". Have you seen this video? From McMurdo I hopped into the now-infamous "RonTom Adventures Amphibian" and headed west towards the highest terrain that I could see. Hang on ... "Houston, we have a problem!" ... When I put WEST into the GPS my aircraft flies towards Samoa. I turn the heading knob 180° to EAST and my aircraft turns towards Cape Town. Neither of these directions heads me over the mountains of Antarctica! So, I am left with keeping the map view / GPS open and turning my heading towards the terrain irregardless of what the GPS heading says. Good ol FSX ... The closer I get to the mountains the less impressive they look. Finally I turned back and returned to McMurdo after a 90-minute flight. Next up I loaded all of the fuel (plus some extra) into a Penguin-livery 737-500 and set in a route to the southernmost FS VOR at Marambio (SAWB). This is around 2,000 miles. I headed off without an issue, climbed to altitude and set in the GPS routing. Despite the suggested heading, the aircraft nose always tended to point a bit more northward. Some hours later I was able to fly past the Mt. Vinson area and was able to confirm that it is both high and featureless! As I started my descent, I called Marambio Station and was told that they were closed! Clouded over ... IFR ... No go! Well, I needed fuel but not desperately so I continued a few hundred more miles to Isla Rey Jorge (SCRM) where I was able to land safely before the impending storms. You'll see some lightning on my video and notice the low-speed, SLOGGY approach to the short, frozen runway. But, by some miracle we had survived Tom's Polar Challenge. How about we don't do this again?
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RonTom Adventures - Valencia Spain By Ron B and Tom O While we are on the topic of real-world locations and Europe (see our Tuscan Tour from early 2022), I figured I'd share another suggestion for you to consider checking out: Valencia, Spain. I'll let Tom fill you in on some of the region's remarkable history but I had another, more important reason to visit. Let me start earlier ... The year was 2000 and I had just published my first piece for FlightSim.Com (a picture-less version is here.) As happens from time to time, some other simming fans e-mailed me about that article. A few of us seemed to have some similar interests (besides flightsim I mean) and ended up staying in touch. A couple of years later we founded "Too Much FS" and had a great, dozen-year run of FS adventures. After the "Flight of the Month Club" stopped officially flying, we all have stayed in touch over the distance and over the years. Now, more than two decades later, I finally had the chance to meet up with some of these close friends whom I had never actually been with in person! More on this story in an upcoming "Where in the World" feature: My flight to Valencia started from Geneva and included a five-hour, plane-spotting stop in Barcelona. (See the first HALF of this link). Once I was finally in Valencia and with my pals, the real adventure could begin! Valencia is a very scenic port city with an amazing park and greenspace through the middle of the city. Within this greenspace is the "City of Art and Culture" housing amazing architecture and museums and concert halls. As noted in the FS video clip (below), the city is very clean and very safe with friendly walking areas and lots of both modern and historic features. Speaking of history, one particular highlight for me was the trip down to Xativa, a cultural center featuring an ancient castle up on the hillside. It was truly amazing! Additionally, Valencia, being in Spain, affords you some excellent dining opportunities and given that it is a port city, you may be lucky enough to combine your dining with an inviting Mediterranean beachfront restaurant with views overlooking the sea. All-in-all, I had a fantastically amazing time (more due to the company than the city but that notwithstanding), I'd highly recommend a visit to Valencia should the opportunity ever arise for any of you. Please check out my brief FS fly-over here: Tom Valencia is a long ride from Juneau. PAJN > KSEA > EHAM > LEVC plus the layovers at each stop. The time did give me the opportunity to do some research and as such ... 'hit the streets running' on arrival. Founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC, it is one of the oldest, and the third-largest, behind Madrid and Barcelona, city in Spain. The greater urban area has a population right around 1.6 million. As the 5th-busiest container port in Europe and the busiest container port on the Mediterranean, exports include foodstuffs and beverages, oranges, furniture, ceramic tiles, fans, textiles and iron products. Manufacturing sectors focus on metallurgy, chemicals, textiles, shipbuilding and brewing. Small and medium-sized industries are also an important part of the local economy. Starting in the mid-1990s, Valencia, known as an industrial center, saw rapid development that expanded its cultural and tourism possibilities, and transformed it into a vibrant city. Many local landmarks were restored, including the ancient towers of the medieval city, and the Sant Miquel dels Reis monastery. Whole sections of the old city, have been extensively renovated and the city now has numerous convention centers and venues for trade events. The city is well-known for paella valenciana (traditional Valencian ceramics), craftsmanship in traditional dress, and the architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela. In addition to these Valencia has hosted world-class events that has placed it into the international spotlight. The 32nd and the 33rd America's Cup, the European Grand Prix of Formula One (2008-2012), the Valencia Open 500 tennis tournament, and the Global Champions Tour, have each called Valencia home. The internationally known Falles (Les Falles) festival takes place every year on the five days and nights from March 15-19th, and has become a popular tourist attraction. The custom originated in the 18th century, and came to be celebrated on the night of the feast day of Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, with the burning of waste planks of wood from their workshops, as well as worn-out wooden objects brought by people in the neighborhood (you need to look this one up ... ). Finally, not to experience the cuisine would be missing out on half of this adventure. The paella, a simmered rice dish with meat (usually chicken or rabbit) or seafood, was born in Valencia. Other traditional dishes include fideua, arros a banda, arros negre (black rice), fartons, bunyols, the spanish omelette, pinchos or tapas, and calamares. Well, there you have it, much to see, much to do, and much to taste. A city on the move with rich traditions and a long history. Worth every one of those airport layovers from Juneau. If you'd like to see us travel to your part of the world, please give us a shout at rontomsimmers@gmail.com -
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Feature number 132 is from Rainer Struck in Berlin. He wrote, "[Way back when,] we happened to touch down at this remote destination, literally in the middle of no-where. The place .... Easter Island, Monteverdi. 100% of those who tried go the location correctly identified: Charlie Aron John Chen Dieter Mennecke Thomas Oftedal Bob Bina Lyndon Nelson Stephen Floyd Michael Polley Dan Dilworth gives us our feature number 133 which is actually either of TWO airports. Option one is to identify the large, International Airport in the region. Also, if you are so inclined, you could try and figure out the former Pirate Haven nearby. Where in the World is Dan taking us for this feature? Send guesses to: cubflounder@gmail.com. We also need some new locations so get on that and PLEASE send in your suggestions. Ron Blehm -
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North To Alaska By Ron B and Tom O What is RonTom? We are two "Old Timers" with a passion for aviation and a penchant for telling stories. The result is some aviation / flightsim storytelling based on real-world locations that we think are fun and / or interesting. At the very least maybe you'll want to check out the scenery in MSFS 2020! We hope that this semi-regular feature will inspire you to learn or explore or fly somewhere new. (If you have locations that you'd like to have us visit, please feel free to e-mail: (rontomsimmers@gmail.com.) North To Alaska Tom After some time in the Tuscany sun, I was ready to head north, and what better destination (and scenic contrast) than Alaska. A couple of commercials brought me to Seattle and then it was just a short drive to KTIW (Tacoma Narrows). Seattle is a wonderful trip in itself and driving across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge on the way ... a special treat. Flying Canada's Inside Passage to Juneau takes some preflight planning, and survival readiness is necessary for this trip. No need to test the gods given the stories of torrential rain and fierce icing conditions along the route. So, with a land survival kit in the baggage compartment, the TBM (another form of insurance) was soon lined up on the runway and ready to go. Soon we were overlooking the San Juan Islands, and turning to the northwest, we entered the Johnstone Strait. No orcas today, but during the summer months, the strait is home to approximately 150 of the whales, often seen by kayakers and boaters. Past Port Campbell the terrain changes and one will not see open water until Port McNeill is on the horizon, but the snow-covered peaks keep things interesting. Bella Bella is our next waypoint, and to the north lie the remains of Butedale. Butedale is a ghost town on Princess Royal Island, founded in 1918 as a fishing, mining and logging camp. Initially established as a salmon cannery by Western Packers, the business was purchased by the Canadian Fishing Company until it was closed in the 1950's. At one time the summertime population was over 400! Not bad for a location miles and miles from nowhere. The site is now a popular point of interest for cruise ship and ferry passengers sailing the Inside Passage, but it is accessible only by boat or floatplane. With Ketchikan below we have now entered the State of Alaska. Alaska is by far the largest U.S. state by area, greater than Texas, California, and Montana combined. Simply stated, it is immense. The per capita income is also among the highest, owing to a diversified economy dominated by fishing, natural gas, and of course, oil, all of which the state has in abundance. Ketchikan is the oldest incorporated city in Alaska. Named after the creek which bears its name, Ketchikan served as a summer fishing camp for Tlingit natives for untold years, before the town was established in 1885. It is known as "Alaska's 1st City" due to its strategic position at the southern tip of the Inside Passage. (It's also a good destination in itself.) The city receives large numbers of tourists, both by air and sea, due to its popularity as a cruise ship stop. In 2018 alone, Ketchikan Harbor saw 40 different cruise ships making more than 500 stops, bringing more than 1,073,000 visitors! Misty Fjords National Monument, about 40 miles (64 km) east of Ketchikan, is one of the area's major attractions, and well worth a visit. Part of the Tongass National Forest, Misty Fjords is mountainous country incised by deep saltwater fjords. The only inhabitants are mountain goats, brown and black bears, wolves, seals, orcas, salmon, eagles, and a host of other wildlife. As the largest intact coastal rainforest in America, it is a treasure house of nature. After landing at PAJN, the airport shuttle dropped me into the heart of Juneau. One of Alaska's oldest and most beautiful cities, Juneau is home to majestic mountains, glaciers, wildlife, and views of waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and ocean. At the same time, it is very isolated for a town of 32,255. It is the only state capital that one cannot drive to, other than Honolulu, and unlike most, Juneau receives some form of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail) 236 days per year (bring a rain jacket). As the capital, the primary employer is government, which includes state, federal, and municipal (airport, hospital, harbor, and school district) offices, and the University of Alaska Southeast. Another large economic contributor is tourism, as well as the fishing. While the port of Juneau does comparatively little seafood processing, compared to other towns of equal size, the local fleet sells their harvest to plants in nearby Sitka, Hoonah, Petersburg and Ketchikan. Much to see and experience but it's time to catch some dinner and hit the hotel. All in all, the TBM made a breeze of this trip, but we have only experienced a sliver of this giant, there is far more to explore north of Juneau. Glacier Bay National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias, Katmai, Lake Clark, and of course Denali are just a few. For that adventure, I've got my eye on that floatplane I spotted near the airport. Ron Don't ask how I got there but the smell of coffee and hash browns and a stuffed omelet awoke me. Out the window of my bedroom I could see the grey waters and green, tree-covered islands of ... "HOME." Back in the PNW. It had been "awhile" since I'd been here and things felt "right." I was in Gig Harbor, Washington, just across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge from the big, bustling cities of Seattle and Tacoma. Likely several of you are thinking, "Tacoma Narrows? Tacoma Narrows ... I should know that." You do know that because I think every physics class for the past 50 years has seen this video: Yes, THAT Tacoma Narrows Bridge (which you'll see on my FSX Video as well). Tom mentioned some important things about today's flight: 1) It's remote so having a survival kit is vital! 2) Have a plan: my flight is just over 1120 miles with several "bail-out" spots already highlighted. 3) Aircraft: My RonTom Adventures Jet Amphib will allow me to land on a runway or on the water or likely even on a smooth patch of glacier if needed! After a good breakfast and thermos of tea I was ready to go. Departing north from Gig Harbor Airport I could see the bridge off to my right and before I left the island I was into some slushy rain. The area certainly reminds me of our Feature #2 in Chile (or that one reminded me of here or whatever). Now, part of this adventure is to actually see some stuff not to fly over at 35,000 feet or Mach 0.95 so I've set in just enough altitude to not smack a mountain and <225 knots of the speed. The next real landmark along my flight is a buzz over Victoria, British Columbia, one of my favorite spots for float plane spotting. Not a great video but short: Back on route I pass over the Victoria International Airport and skirt up the eastern edge of Vancouver Island. Humm? An hour in and I've had a 16 oz coffee, a 12 oz Gatorade and a 24 oz tea and my bladder is screaming! There is a lav in the back of my aircraft but ... I'm at Canada Goose altitude or, just my luck, SOMETHING would happen. "After a two week search the aircraft wreckage was finally spotted on a tree-covered, remote island. Rescue workers were finally able to locate the body of the single occupant / pilot, locked in the water closet." That was NOT going to be MY headline so I turned and landed at Campbell River. With a happy bladder and fresh thermos of tea I was back in the air! Actually, for those following along, here's my video: There is one error to note, after my second pit-stop at Annette Island I flew north over WHITEHORSE not Yellowknife. All-in-all it was a fun, super-scenic, lovely, six-hour-day of flying. (Not just because it was my part of the flight, but my 10 minute FSX video really does look scenic if I may say so myself!) While I've flown the route (more-or-less) before it was not from this low-level scenic view and frankly, I loved it. If our viewers out there have the opportunity to sail the inner passage, I'd say DO IT! If not, you should at the very least, enjoy a scenic flight in the sim and imagine the depth of the real-world beauty this area has to offer. Until next time, this is the RonTom Adventure team signing off. Stay Safe. -
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Tuscany, Italy By Ron B and Tom O Depending on who you read, the most critical years were 1420 - 1450. That was the time ... that was the start of when humanity, well ... the Western World (Europe technically), began hoisting themselves OUT of the dark ages. It was the age of enlightenment; a time when visionaries and scientists and even priests began looking at new ways of thinking, new technology and new ways of building and travelling and communicating and even new music. And it all started (some would argue this point) in Italy. So, since the "RonTom Adventures" series is all about taking you to some Real-World Locations that you may actually want to visit, I thought that this would be a fun place to have on the list (additionally, I've recently returned from Florence so ... there is that too.) As fate would have it, one town would become the HUB ... The center of this Renaissance. Famous names like Michelangelo and Medici and DaVinci and others gathered here; I can tell you, there is an entire block in the city of Florence, with marble statues dedicated to SOME of the GREAT MINDS of the mid-15th century. Perhaps what let's do is I'll tell you a bit about Florence and Tom can tell you a bit about what to see while you're in Florence. Florence (as a city) dates back to the B.C. era, founded as a Roman Military Colony. During its >1,400 year history the city has been a Republic, a seat of the Duchy of Tuscany, and a Capital of Italy! Florence (or Firenze) finally grew into its own during the (mainly) 15th century when, (as noted above) many residents of the town built fame and fortune in the areas of Finance, Learning / Teaching and especially in the Arts. Today, Florence Italy is a city of over 707,000 residents (metro) in Central-Northern Italy, nestled into the Tuscan hills and straddling the Arno River. Whether you are shopping along the Ponte Vecchio or seeking out good Italian cooking, there is still an artsy and historic "feel" to the narrow streets and scenic byways of this city. I arrived into Florence via high-speed train but you may rather fly (or fly the sim) into the challenging runway at Florence: I've heard that the connections are in some ways easier if you take the train to Pisa and then fly from there. Regardless, there will be plenty to see in and around Tuscany and I'd encourage you to take your time and really, have a good look around. A little bird told me that Ron was headed to the continent and most likely would end up in Italy. Not to fall too far behind I jumped on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfort and then on down to Genoa. As it turned out I was not too far off, and I found Genoa delightful. When I discovered that Florence was be our next adventure Ron's airport challenge tweaked my interest. I found a Skywagon (C185) to borrow and decided a Tuscany circle tour on the way over might just be the perfect introduction. LIMJ > LIRP > LIRS > LIQB > LIRQ proved to be an easy afternoon of flying and the high wing provided a wonderful view of the countryside. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on culture. Roughly triangular in shape, it is surrounded and crossed by major mountain chains, and with few (but fertile) plains, the region has a relief that is dominated by hilly country used for agriculture. The climate is fairly mild in the coastal areas, but can be harsher and rainy in the interior, with considerable fluctuations in temperatures, giving the region a soil-building freeze-thaw cycle, accounting for the region's once having served as a key breadbasket of ancient Rome. Agriculture still contributes to the region's economy. In the region's inland areas cereals, potatoes, olives and grapes are grown. The swamplands, which used to be marshy, now produce vegetables, rice, tobacco, beets and sunflowers. The industrial sector is dominated by mining, as well as textiles and clothing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, steel and metalworking, glass and ceramics, printing and publishing. Soon enough Florence was in sight and the C185 was on downwind to Peretola (LIRQ). The field has a single runway, and the main taxiway is situated at the end of runway 5, with an overshoot/holding area at the end of runway 23. Interesting for a place that is served by some of the majors but, as is common at many smaller airports, after landing, planes turn around at the end of the runway, then taxi back down to reach the parking area and terminal. Because of the close proximity of Monte Morello, planes normally take off from runway 23, thus forcing aircraft to taxi down the runway again to depart. Of course, none of this nonsense was an issue for the Skywagon and we soon were tied down for the night. The city (Florence) contains numerous museums and art galleries, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to the artistic and architectural heritage, many have ranked it as the most beautiful city in the world. Florence also plays an important role in the Italian fashion industry, and is ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world. Furthermore, it is a major national economic center, as well as a tourist and industrial hub, not to mention the food. To give you a list of the highlights would be a silly exercise. Florence is the highlight! Type it into any search engine and the virtual tours are endless. Depending on your interests there is plenty to keep you busy for weeks, perhaps months. Given my love of architecture a stop at the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) was a must (Arnolfo di Cambio, Architect). The city hall of Florence, it overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. The Florence Cathedral, again a must visit, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style by Arnolfo di Cambio (architect) and was completed by 1436, with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi (architect and engineer). The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink, bordered by white, and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival facade by Emilio De Fabris (architect). Until the development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed. Without a doubt, Filippo Brunelleschi's masterpiece. Oh my, this little 'taste of Italy' has certainly given me the desire to plan ahead for a real-world adventure in the future, and I can assure you that Florence is on the itinerary. If you have not had the opportunity, put it on your list also. If you'd like to see us travel to your part of the globe, please give us a shout at rontomsimmers@gmail.com -
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Number 131 was a chance to revisit a location from early on in the Where in the World history (I think it was number 13?) Only a very few even attempted to guess at that point in time but we had many more turn out and identify ... Mt. Cook, New Zealand this time around. It's a great success thanks to those who guessed: Charlie Aron Dick Bronson Ted Freeman John Chen Michael Polley Dominic Smith Dieter Mennecke Philippe Knockaert Christian Bachmann John Thomson Scott Simmons Rolf Hackel Randy Ahlfinger Stephen Floyd Sergio Almendra Thomas Oftedal Dennis Knight Thomas Pedersen Christian Grimsel Des Holden Robert Smyth Rob Labbe Reid Gearhart Peter Ham Lyndon Nelson Matthias Schaper Scott Carpenter Melo Scanlon Some other locations, unluckily wrong however: Mammoth-Yosemite, CA Queenstown, NZ Christchurch, NZ La Paz, BOL Salt Lake City, UT Mt. Pumori, NEP Feature number 132 is from Rainer Struck in Berlin. He writes, "[Way back when,] we happened to touch down at this remote destination, literally in the middle of no-where. The place had a kind of steppe landscape with bushes, brush and a few (planted?) trees but certainly not that lush green rain forest as MS-FSX depicts. Though it was only a short stop-over we enjoyed the local scenery and watched the refuelling of our aircraft." Where in the world are we? Send guesses to: cubflounder@gmail.com We also need some new locations so get on that and PLEASE send in your suggestions. Ron Blehm Email 1: cubflounder@gmail.com Email 2: pretendpilot@yahoo.com Insta: @flyinflounder -
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On the Mother Road By Ron B and Tom O What is RonTom? We are two "Old Timers" with a passion for aviation and a penchant for telling stories. The result is some aviation/flightsim storytelling based on some real-world locations that we think are fun and/or interesting. We hope that this semi-regular feature will inspire you to learn or explore or fly somewhere new. (If you have locations that you'd like to have us visit, please feel free to e-mail: rontomsimmers@gmail.com. On the Mother Road by Ron B and Tom O U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66, known also as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America and the Mother Road, was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. The route, established on November 11, 1926, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). The highway has been recognized in song: (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66), television (Route 66), and film (Cars), as well as literature (The Grapes of Wrath). The route was officially removed from the highway system in 1985 after it had been replaced in its entirety by segments of the Interstate. Portions of the road have now been designated a 'National Scenic Byway' and the name, 'Historic Route 66', has returned to many road maps. More than any other American highway, Route 66 symbolized the new optimism that pervaded the nation's postwar economic recovery. Today, steeped in myth and nostalgia, it has become an icon of free-spirited independence for all who travel its path. So, join us, for some 'kicks ... on Route 66 ... ' Tom: KMDW > KTCC The first stop on our Mother Road is Lou Mitchell's Restaurant in downtown Chicago. With a 'breakfast to go' and a 'donut hole or two' (also a Mitchell's tradition) we're off to the airport. Flying out of Midway it took little time before the nation's 'breadbasket' came into view, and that view will be with us for quite some time. This region consists of some of the richest farming land in the world. The area's fertile soil combined with the steel plow made it possible for farmers to produce abundant harvests of grain and cereal crops, including corn, wheat, soybeans, oats, and barley. It may well be fly-over country but remember, the area accounts for an estimated 40% of the entire world's food production. Route 66 served as a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, and the road supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. It was also of particular significance to the trucking industry, which even by 1930, had come to rival the railroads in the shipping business. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of the highway. The towns and highlights are too numerous to list but the numbers of eateries, service stations, motels, and 'tourist stops' popped-up faster than a New York minute, and naturally, those same folks later fought to keep the highway alive in the face of the growing threat ... being bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System. Farm by farm and town by town drift by and soon Bloomington is off the right wing followed by Springfield, home and final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, off the left. As the Mississippi comes into view 'Chain of Rocks Bridge' spans the river on the north edge of St. Louis. The bridge at one time was used as Route 66, but now carries only walking and biking trails. The name comes from a large shoal, or rocky rapids, called the Chain of Rocks, which made that stretch of the river extremely dangerous to navigate. In the late 1940's the Army Corps of Engineers built an 8.4 mile-long (13.5 km) canal to bypass the treacherous reach. In a few minutes, Saint Louis and the impressive Gateway Arch welcomes you to the west and a brief stop to stretch the legs seem in order. Back in the air the route turns to the southwest but the landscape below reminds you that you are still in the heartland. Cuba passes by (remember 'Where in the World #124') and at Rolla you enter the Ozarks. A land of lush green forests, hills and valleys, lakes and streams. Once heavily logged and mined tourism is now the new growth industry. Springfield (Queen of the Ozarks) is just up ahead and once past only Joplin remains before we enter the American frontier. A good place to stop (Joplin) for the evening, and after dinner and a movie (at the '66 Drive-In Theatre'), the historic 'Boots Court Motel' in nearby Carthage ended the day. Believe it or not, that motel even had radios in every room! The next day the Ozarks loosened their grip by Tulsa and the landscape began to open up, and once past Oklahoma City, one is 'home on the range'. Both are now big-time cities with diverse economies and the presents of many multi-national corporations, but energy (oil) is still king. The land is also starting to rise up and it may be time to add a little altitude to our flight plan, just to be safe. Next up (as the song goes), is Amarillo. Considered the regional economic center for the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, as well as eastern New Mexico, the meat packing industry in Amarillo is a major employer. One-quarter of the United States 'beef supply' is processed in the area. (Think about that when you bite into your next burger). Just beyond is 'Cadillac Ranch'. Created originally by two architects and an art student in 1974, the sculpture consists of ten Cadillacs (1949-1963), all buried nose-first in the ground. If not familiar with the story and history, it is worth looking up. The 'Mid-Point Cafe' is now in view and time to set her down for the day. Tucumcari is our next stop and Mr. B. will take us from here to the coast. Another evening at a historic property and in the morning, the 'wild west' awaits. Ron: KTCC > KSMO After sharing some (mild) outdoor adventures in Chile, Tom and I were enjoying our last evening in the amazing, volcanic landscape and I asked what he had in mind for RonTom #3. He said, "You know, I've just today come up with an idea" and he showed me the blue map featured above. "That's a big trip!" I exclaimed. Tom went on to explain that there certainly is enough to see along this route that fans of this feature could choose the part(s) that they liked. Chicago to St. Louis in an Embraer, buzzing through the Ozarks in a Boeing Staggerwing or flying Mach 2 over the desert. Seemed fair enough to me. "I'll see you in Tucumcari" was Tom's farewell. "In WHAT?" The old photos from this major and historic highway are numerous and amazing! I guess that's the point of this feature is to give you all something REAL to look at or look up or maybe even visit. Departing in my custom Amphibian-Jet I climbed to a low altitude and turned west but it wasn't very long before I had to climb up over the hills surrounding scenic Albuquerque. From there we headed out across the expanse of New Mexico-into-Arizona and I hope that there is more to see on the ground than I was getting in FSX! The one thing that I noticed was the need for more altitude. And after that, I needed to climb some more! Now, I've flown into Flagstaff before (because I know what a fantastic community it is) but I didn't recall having to be way up here! After a LOVELY stay in the scenic Arizona mountains, I was ready to finish off Route 66 through much more familiar territory. Oh, actually, hang on ... we have some hours of desert to get through first. Finally over the Colorado River and into California we head to Barstow and then Palm Springs. And then into the "Inland Empire", San Bernardino, San Gabriel Valley and then into Hollywood and Beverly Hills before finally hitting the beach in Santa Monica! Well friends, it has been a long and tiring trip from breakfast at Lou's to a sunset over the Pacific Coast but well worth the journey and the photos and the history along Old Route 66. We hope that you have found something interesting (or maybe conjured up some old memories of your own) during this RonTom Adventure. If you'd like to see us travel to your part of the globe, please give us a shout: rontomsimmers@gmail.com. -
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