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A Spanish Adventure - Around the world in Microsoft FS2020


ChuckD

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Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away
If you can use some exotic booze there's a bar in far Bombay♪♫

 

Today begins our adventure.  In this thread, we will be flying around the world, visiting major sights and sites across the globe, all in real time with real weather and real flight plans. Welcome to the journey.  

 

20220803154819-1.png

 

What is this thread?
As outlined above, I'm going to make my best effort to fly around the world in real time in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.  This will be with all settings to full realism.  I've got a few hundred hours in real aircraft under my belt, so I'll be following realistic flight plans, using FS2020's live dynamic weather system, and, of course, using full-realism flight models.  Only a few nods towards creative license will be granted (I'll get to those in a moment).

 

We will start our journey near my home town in Michigan, USA with a general plan of flying to South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, the south Pacific, Canada, and back home.  If all goes to plan, this will likely take several real-time years to complete.  I'm a big WWII nerd, so I'm going to be making a point of visiting sites of major battlefields in Europe and the Pacific.  As I do, I'll try to give a little history on the places.

 

The thread will be updated as I complete the various legs of the flight and will include screenshots of various sights and commentary on the flight itself.  Not every flight will have super spectacular views or world-famous sights, but in general, FS2020 is one of the prettiest games I've ever seen, so most of the screenshots are fun to look at.

 

Constraints
As I said, I will be doing these flights with all realism settings enabled and a little role playing thrown in for fun.  For every flight, I am calculating weight and balance (i.e. the cargo & fuel load) of the airplane to include my family, our dog, and luggage.  That incentivizes me to make this as realistic and safe as possible.  Sure, we'll have some fun doing things like blasting down the Panama Canal at treetop height, but in general, I'm going to stick to realistic behavior.  If I crash, that's it.  Game over.  

 

We will be using FS2020's live, dynamic weather system.  The game has the ability to access aviation weather data from a global network of weather stations and then render that weather in the game.  Generally, this works pretty well and can make for some interesting flying.  I'm instrument rated in real life, so we'll be doing instrument approaches for landings as necessary.

 

All flights will be made in real-time with no time acceleration.  Through the miracle of the app Parsec, I'm able to follow my flight as I go about my day.  So, while the flight is in real-time, I'm not necessarily sitting in front of my PC for 6 hrs at a time.

 

Allowances
In the end, this is a game and I'm trying to have fun, so we need to make a few concessions in the realism department.

First, if I crash due to something dumb and gamey, the dead is dead rule will not be honored.  For example, I found out the hard way that if you open the cockpit window in the Beech 18 at any time in flight, you get insta-killed because you "overstressed the airframe."  Hilariously, the button to open the window is right next to the cockpit (where you're always clicking during the course of a flight) and there's no "are you sure you want to kill yourself?" confirmation box.

 

Second, the AI ATC is a bit goofy at times.  I will ignore it when it tells me to land in a 25 knot quartering tail wind.  I'll exercise my right as Pilot in Command (PIC) to call "hard pass" on that one and land on whichever runway I want.

 

Most flights will be under VFR flight rules, meaning I won't have to manage much w/regard to communications radios.  I find that the AI ATC hands you off from frequency to frequency too often, and since I won't be in front of my PC every time, flying with IFR flight plans will be a no go.  

 

Lastly, fuel.  The Beech 18, as modeled in this game, has a range of about 1000 miles with full tanks.  That's simply not long enough to get across the vast expanses of ocean I'll be exploring.  So, we'll compromise.  Whenever I have a flight longer than 1k miles, I'll add weight to the forward and aft baggage compartments to simulate auxiliary tanks being installed.  

The Aircraft
For this trip, we will be flying the Beech D-18S.  We'll be using this airframe for a number of reasons.  First, I'm a big fan of WWII aviation, so this checks the box for all things round-engined and shiny.  Second, I have a personal history with the D-18.  

 

For many years, I worked the line at a local airport that had a heavy skydiving presence.  This was one of the jump planes:
72z.png

 

I have many fond and not so fond memories of this airplane. Highlights include:
1. Pumping untold thousands of gallons of 100LL fuel into her tanks while sitting on the top of the mirror-finish wing in 100* sunshine.
2. Watching an impatient jump pilot take her off from the taxiway when other aircraft were taking too long to line up for takeoff.
3. Watching it come in for a landing with the left engine feathered because the cowling broke loose and was working its way forward towards the prop.
4. Pushing it off the fueling apron by myself when everyone else was on lunch and another aircraft needed gas. It probably weighed about 6000lbs at that point.

 

As you can see, she's fallen on pretty hard times.  The skydiving business closed and, insofar as I can tell, she's been rotting on the ramp for the last 15-20 years.  She also appears in the NTSB crash reports for a ground loop, so she's had a pretty hard life, unfortunately.

 

That said, she'll always hold something of place in my heart, so part of the role playing for this trip will be to say that I won the lotto, bought her, and completely refurbished her.  This trip will be her swansong.  
20220802122234-1.png

 

With that, I'll end the OP.  The first post will have updates from several legs, as I didn't take a ton of screenshots until the 3rd leg.  Bookmark the thread and check back soon!

 

Leg Galleries: (Leg Number - Departure Location - Region)
Leg 01 - Michigan - USA: https://postimg.cc/gallery/4nSwCfn 
Leg 02 - Florida - USA: https://postimg.cc/gallery/zf22vjW
Leg 03 - Havana - Caribbean: https://postimg.cc/gallery/V6yJGdB
Leg 04 - Vilo Acuna - Caribbean: https://postimg.cc/gallery/d3T1Fvs
Leg 05 - Haiti - Caribbean: https://postimg.cc/gallery/TT6xj8g
Leg 06 - St Croix - Caribbean: https://postimg.cc/gallery/4g39Tzk
Leg 07 - Pedernales - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/F9BqQ1m
Leg 08 - Maracaibo - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/D8030CP
Leg 09 - Panama City - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Zpt1ykN
Leg 10 - Quito - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Rws9kMs
Leg 11 - Lima - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/WzxMNPd
Leg 12 - Tacna - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/287cYrh
Leg 13 - Uyuni - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/K3SvfGH
Leg 14 - La Serena - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/RwwN0Gk
Leg 15 - Santiago - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1DXwm4w
Leg 16 - Puerto Montt - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/7G42wYD
Leg 17 - Punta Arenas - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/F08jRcy
Leg 18 - Port Williams - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/ZpHFFFn
Leg 19 - Mount Pleasant - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/yc70dQB
Leg 20 - Puerto Deseado - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1Q3CwN4
Leg 21 - Montevideo - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/PT8LBy6
Leg 22 - Asuncion - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/J0HcbwJ
Leg 23 - Rio de Janeiro - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/99RncMF
Leg 24 - Natal - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/ghsHFb3
Leg 25 - San Fernando de Noro - South America: https://postimg.cc/gallery/V5BLJRf
Leg 26 - Ascension Island - Mid Atlantic: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mFjycFd
Leg 27 - Tabou - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/SCfb5Hn
Leg 28 - Mopti - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/tsS82Nf
Leg 29 - Senou - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/PDcPSvD
Leg 30 - Kankan - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/jjQLXgX
Leg 31 - Freetown - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2mjw9RQ
Leg 32 - Banjul - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/5xhkZPm
Leg 33 - Cape Verde - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Y0HC51C
Leg 34 - Nouakchott - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/c3N3Q5p
Leg 35 - Dakhla - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/PCFvTNN
Leg 36 - Tenerife - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/06Jw2m6
Leg 37 - Marrakesh - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Vcpp5RM
Leg 38 - Aguenar - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/bhYgySV
Leg 39 - Tahoua - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/X5bTTdG
Leg 40 - Ouagadougou - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Lg1G6xt

Leg 41 - Tamale - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/LPr5Lyn

Leg 42 - Owerri, Cameroon - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/t7Bm4DP

Leg 43 - Luanda, Angola - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/bZF0BTj

Leg 44 - Luderitz, Namibia - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/pWZtRhg

Leg 45 - Cape Town, South Africa - Africa: https://postimg.cc/gallery/062HJ5j

 

Edited by ChuckD
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How cool!   I’ll be following along.   It’s funny, I just read an article in Flying Magazine about ferrying a Dahmer TBM from France to Groton, CT via Wick (Scotland), Iceland, Canada and Bangor, ME.   I was thinking about trying to recreate that flight in the Milviz Cessa 310 (a very nicely done aircraft btw).  This might get me motivated to try this flight.   Good virtual luck!  

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As a fellow flight simmer, this will be interesting to follow.  I too have a few hours real life flying which is why I haven't yet spent much time in MSFS (about 85 hours in two years) as the planes presently offered are lacking in terms of realistic flight dynamics.  Or, at least, the planes that interest me.  I don't like tubeliners.  I'm waiting the first A2A release which will be their lovely Comanche, which is a plane that has flown around the world and set a few records doing so.  Of course, I'd rather have their Spitfire or Thunderbolt for such a trip, but there's no sign of that yet.

 

Hope you do complete your trip.  :popcorn:

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

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4 hours ago, Gerhard said:

Man, I need a new PC.

I finally got rid of my 8-year old PC last year and upgraded to an Alienware R11.  Some of the best discretionary money I ever spent.   You don't need a $4,000 (US) machine to take advantage of this sim, I paid a little under half of that for my rig and I'm running most graphics at "Ultra" and loving every minute of "flying". 

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(These first few legs will be a little light in content as I didn't think to take screenshots until about Leg 3)

Intro001.png

 

Date: July 28th, 2022
Leg: 001
Depart: Marshall, MI (KRMY)
Arrive: Palm Beach Florida (KBPI)
Route: Direct
Total time: 6.3hrs
Instrument time: N/A
Night time: N/A
Takeoffs (Day/Night): 1
Landings (Day/Night): 1
Instrument approaches: 0

 

Total trip time: 6.3hrs

 

Route:
leg1.png

 

Narrative:
Nothing like a long first flight to set the tone.  A few weeks back, we finished the trip to visit all 50 state capitals and sent the Beech in for inspection.  After a clean bill of health, we loaded up our luggage, Fatpuppy, the family, and as much fuel as she could carry.  At over 960 miles, this first flight would put 72Z’s range to the test.

Takeoff out of Marshall was uneventful and we turned south towards Florida.  Setting the autopilot seemed problematic as it didn’t want to seem to hold a heading.  Eventually, I was able to get it to cooperate and we were on our way.  As we neared the Appalachian Mountains, a thick wall of clouds built up in front of us.  Climbing over the top at 13,500’ we cruised along in bumpy air with the mixtures as lean as I dared go.
 
20220728094728-1.jpg

 

The undercast remained heavy till we reached southern Georgia.

20220728102323-1.jpg

 

Over eastern Florida, the clouds broke up and the air cleared, leaving us sailing in clear blue skies for miles.  We passed near Cape Canaveral, but naturally forgot to take photos.  

 

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The traffic around Palm Beach was heavy.  I’m not sure what the local controller was thinking when he vectored a mid-size regional jet to land on runway 10R (3214’) while simultaneously vectoring us for 10L (10,001’), but ours is not to question why.  In the end, the landing was a little bumpy and we taxied to the ramp with 1/10th fuel remaining after over six hours aloft.  

 

20220728150447-1.jpg

Now for a well-deserved burger, beer, and rest.  Hoping to bum around Palm Beach for a few days, then head south to Havana.

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Sorry, but I don’t understand what is going on here.  How does this work?  Did you sit in front of your computer with the airplane on autopilot for six hours while watching the world go by on the screen?  Technology forever amazes me, but……

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@Oldbaldguy I'm not nearly that patient.  Yes, the flights are running real time, so the sim is going for six hours.  I stream the game from my main rig to other devices to keep an eye on the progress and take the occasional screenshot.  That way, I can do things like work at the model bench, or spend time with my family while flights are proceeding.

 

intro.png

It was dark, so I didn't take any pics.  Screenshots pick up in leg 3 with plenty on each leg after that.

 

Date: 7/31/22
Leg: 002
Depart: Palm Beach, Florida, USA (KBPI)
Arrive: Playa Baracoa Airport, Cuba (MUPB)
Route: Direct
Total time: 1.9hrs
Instrument time: N/A
Night time: .7hrs
Takeoffs (Day/Night): 1/0
Landings (Day/Night): 0/1
Instrument approaches: 0

 

Total trip time: 7.5hrs

 

Route Map: 
Routemap.png

 

Weather:
Clear, no clouds.  Light winds.

 

Narrative:
After spending a few days in Palm Beach, we again loaded up the Beech in preparation for the trip to Cuba.  The weather forecast was clear with unlimited visibility.  With Fatpuppy securely buckled into his FAA-approved dog bed, we were off with the sun setting over the western horizon.  For this relatively short trip, we only topped the main tanks, leaving the auxiliaries dry.  

 

On this trip, I learned, or was reminded, of a couple valuable lessons.

 

First, flying over dark water at night is essentially flying on instruments. You can, to some limited degree, make out the horizon if there’s adequate star visibility, but in general, it becomes exceptionally easy to succumb to vertigo.  Judicious use of the autopilot and a complete faith in the flight instruments were key to safety.  I’d known this in theory, but I’d never made such a flight before, so this was the first time it really struck home.

 

Second, it is unwise to assume that every controlled airport is illuminated.  I took this for granted while flying in the continental US, but learned the hard way that not all airports are lit at night (or perhaps MSFS doesn’t have lighting modeled for each airport yet - not sure which yet).  The distance remaining indicator on the GPS ticked down to single digits and the original destination, La Habana Jose Int’l (MUHA) was nowhere in sight.  Just a big, dark hole in the middle of an urban area told me that the airport was unlit and unusable.  

 

We opted for our alternate of Playa Baracoa a few miles to the west.  Fortunately, this airfield was well lit.  The only downside was that there was a stiff 17kt crosswind.  The landing was ugly and bouncy, but 72Z took it in stride.  Taxied to GA parking and shut down for the night.  Planning to get airborne for the Caribbean at dawn tomorrow.
 

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intro.png

 

Date: 7/31/22
Leg: 003
Depart: Playa Baracoa (MUPB)
Arrive: Vilo Acuna (MUCL)
Route: via Nueva Gerona (MUNG)
Total time: 1.2hrs
Instrument time: N/A
Night time: N/A
Takeoffs (Day/Night): 2/0
Landings (Day/Night): 2/0
Instrument approaches: 0

 

Total trip time: 8.7hrs

 

Route:
2022-08-16-13-52-40-Sky-Vector-Flight-Pl

This would be a quick touch and go landing at Nueva Gerona for no other reason than to check it off the list, before turning east into the rising sun for our destination of Vilo Acuna.  Given the relatively short flight length and lack of ground obstacles, we’ll be flying at ~1500’ today.

 

Weather:
2/10ths broken clouds at 2000’, moderate southerly winds

 

Narrative:
The next morning dawned warm and humid.  Wanting to get an early start on the day, we topped 72Z’s tanks, fired up, and roared off into the sunrise.  
 
20220731220253-1.jpg

 

In the early morning, convective action hadn’t yet had a chance to build any clouds, so we cruised smoothly through crystalline skies.

 

20220731220814-1.jpg

 

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After a brief overwater flight, the Isla de la Juventud slowly slid into view.  

20220731223117-1.jpg

 

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We detoured around the ~1000’ peak situated between us and the runway, then picked up the airport visually.

20220731223253-1.jpg

 

The approach and landing were smooth and just after touchdown, I applied full throttle for the touch and go.  Once again, 72Z roared happily into the air.  Turning east now, we tuned in the Vilo Acuna VOR as a backup to the GPS and cruised, enjoying the sunrise and brilliant white clouds.

20220731223857-1.jpg

 

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The approach into Vilo Acuna was smooth, but the touchdown was bumpy.  With a ~17kt crosswind from the south, it was all I could do to maintain directional control once on the ground.  (All aircraft, but taildraggers in particular are really squirrely on the ground in FS2020.)

 

20220731231057-1.jpg

 

Taxi and shutdown were without incident.  The next leg will be significantly longer as we pass through some of the larger Caribbean islands like Grand Cayman and Jamaica on our way to an overnight stop in Haiti.  

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On 8/16/2022 at 8:55 PM, Oldbaldguy said:

Sorry, but I don’t understand what is going on here.  How does this work?  Did you sit in front of your computer with the airplane on autopilot for six hours while watching the world go by on the screen?  Technology forever amazes me, but……

 

The good news is that there's plenty more things you can do in Flight Sim.  I do admire those who can do these long distance flights, but I've never managed to complete such a journey yet.  I prefer shorter flights, as flying can be 95% boredom and 5% sheer terror. :D

 

Or I can go low level flying, buzz the AI planes in their flights, or buzz an airfield.

 

HcW8zx.jpg

 

The choice is almost unlimited.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

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Okay, I think I’m starting to warm up to this.  So the weather you encounter on each leg is pretty much what is actually going on at that moment where your Beech is flying?  How do they do that?  How does it know?  

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