Exciting Flight Simulator Flights

SpiderWings · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:17 pm Post subject:

The Extra 300S has always intimidated me because it is VERY sensative to the movent of the stick. But after spending a couple of hours with it at the Oshkosh Airshow, I feel quite a bit more confident with it. I did an inside loop, then and outside loop, then an upsidedown flyby, and then with a good deal of practice I did a series of low level rolls (15) down the length of the runway. The best kind of fun is learning to do something that you didn't think you could and thats what the short flight at Oshkosh did for me! Thanks again for pointing these out.

Meanwhile, back on the 1911 crossing of the USA, I've finally followed the Ohio River to the Mississippi and landed in a little place called Blytheville, Arkansas for rest and fuel. But the evening before was really interesting as I decided that an August evening over the US Midwest called for a summer storm. So I went to weather and clicked on building storms. I soon found myself in a nasty thunderstorm with a good deal of lightning all about. In the slow moving Piper Cub I could clearly hear the claps of thunder and it really brought back the feeling of such storms in real life. The cloud cover made it hard to follow the river as day gave way to twilight. Luckily, I saw the runway lights of a fair sized airport ahead and made a landing at what turned out to be Owensburo, Kentucky. Guess next time I'm just gonna head west across Arkansas, using the square fields below and the angles of the sun as my guide. Having a lot of fun with this.

SpiderWings · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:42 pm Post subject:

I've continued west a few more days with my recreating the 1911 crossing of the USA. I've had a widely general notion of where I was - what state I was in upon landing and "talking" with the locals each day. But now I'm in the western US and finally recognize places.... latest landing at Sunrise Ranch west of Flagstaff, Arizona. I think I'll know exactly where I am the rest of the way to LA.

I did have some excitement a couple days back somewhere in New Mexico. I'd gotten pretty cocky with my handling of the J3 Cub on take offs and landings. So after deciding that an afternoon thunderstorm was again in order, in which I had little trouble flying, I found myself presented with a real challenge trying to land. The storm came with a 15 mph wind out of 39 degrees and the runway I kept trying to land on was 25. I had saved my flight short of the airport so was able to make MANY attempts at that landing, each one resulting in a good deal of frustration. I felt like the sim had taken away any controls to steer the plane to the left and each time it would swing to the right, even as slow as 10 knots, and then flip wing over wing. No matter how hard I tried I could not make a successful landing. I thought something was wrong with the software. I reloaded the program, with no change. Then I rebooted the computer... still no change. I was getting very discouraged! I even tried repeatedly at half speed, then at slowest speed with the same result each time.

After sleeping on it, I started all over again the next day. Still with the same disasterous results. Then I got thinking about the wind and realized that 15 knots of wind for a plane landing at 30 knots was VERY significant and that it might very well be impossible to land on RW25 with the direction of the wind. So I flew aruond to the other end and tried coming in on RW8. Now I knew I was on the right track as the lack of control was just the opposite. I was however successful when doing it at 1/4 speed, but that doesn't count the way I see it. I never could do it at full speed.

So I ended up thinking it out like you'd have to do in real (I suppose). I was down to 2% fuel - 2% of 12 gals isn't much in New Mexico with airports widely seperated. So I figured I didn't have the option of flying somewhere with a RW with a better orientation to the wind. So I figured my only solution was to land it in the desert heading straight into the wind and that worked just fine... just a bit bumpy, but not too bad considering my ground speed on touching down was only about 15 knots. I was able to come to a full stop quite quickly.

I realized I'd never really had much experience with significant cross winds before - relative to the particular aircraft. So this was a real eye opener and a great confidence builder once I figured it out. I'm sure its old hat for most of you, but I'm obviously still learning some of the basics.

Anyway... off to Vegas next.

RadarMan · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

I admire the way you are enjoying the sim, please keep on. I find your trips very interesting reading.

Radar

_________________

SpiderWings · Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 11:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks RadarMan.... wasn't sure anyone was reading them except maybe CRJCapt as its his thread. Have worried a bit that I was coming on too strong here as a newbie. But I've really wanted to interact with other flight simmers for a while. Just had to finish up my world trip project that took years.

I am having fun in deed and will keep relating my experiences hoping others will try some of these (and other flights challenges) and will relate their experiences. I have a few more things to tell but might not get to it today. I've got a lot going on in other aspects today.

CRJCapt · Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:02 am Post subject:

I'm here. Glad to see that you're enjoying yourself. Your adventure sounds great, I'm enjoying reading about your journey also. Clapping

SpiderWings

It was a bit anticlimatic once I got into familiar lands - at least I no longer had the added bit of excitement of not knowing exactly where I was heading. However, I still had a couple of nice flights from central Arizona to LAX.

I made it into Nevada but with only my memory of the roads (still refusing to look at maps) I got a little mixed up. Couldn't recall if I-40 went to Vegas or just where. But when I saw a surface highway taking off to the right I figured it must be the right road and so I followed it. But then it ended after about 15 minutes and I wasn't about to turn back. I did know that the Grand Canyon was north of me and that I'd not be able to miss the Colorado River as it left the canyon and made its way a few more miles to Lake Mead. Without looking at the map to refresh my recollection of the lay of the land and the river and the lake, I ended up flying a bit further than I needed to and therefore didn't make it all the way into McCarren Feild at LV before dark and running out of fuel. So I was forced to land at Boulder City which was a pretty fun airport.

One thing I've become keenly aware of is that while I have driven though many of the places on this trip, I have had little idea where the airports in those areas are. The Boulder City a/p is down under the hill that the city sits on. With the Cub I had to take off to the east the next morning to get enough altitude to get past the hill/mountains between me and Vegas.

Arriving on the south end of Vegas I found I-15 and easily followed it into Southern California. But as I was taking off from Victorville the next day, I decided I didn't want to fly into San Bernardino and then over city all the way to LA. I decided to see if the Cub could manage enough altitude to fly a more direct, diagonal, route over the San Gabriel Mts. That was a fun adventure and it worked out nicely... providing a much more interesting approach to the LA basin.... and a bit of fun trying to follow my memory of the lay of the land from having flown over that same area in real life a few years ago... but much higher up in a jetliner.

LA is huge and in a Piper J3 Cub you get to spend a fair amount of time flying from Pasadena to LAX. On all the previous landings on this trip, I just flew in unannounced - trying to recreate the feel of the 1911 trip... although he was surely not landing at aiports at all. But knowing how busy LAX is, I decide to break from the plan and make contact with ATC. I was surprised when they cleard me to land on 6L in front of a MD-80 just 5 miles out. But I decided it would be fun to see if I could land and clear the runway in time for him.

I kept the cub airborne until I got close to a taxiway, made a perfect landing and was just about to exit onto the taxiway when I heard ATC tell him to go around. I don't think I could have done it any faster.

Taxiing across LAX took 20 minutes. Why is it that ground always makes you taxi to the furthest gate and then to the furthest RW?

The trip was now over and was a lot of fun. It made me learn to manage the cub and that is most rewarding as I will now choose it much more often than I would have before.

As I sat in the now quiet plane, I took a look at what was ahead in terms of Century of Flight or Kiosk Short flights... and what was closest. I decided that I should take a realistic approach and actually have to fly to the next location for the next adventure. It turned out that the next one was up in San Francisco... Kiosk flight looking at the sunset there.

So I wrangled a seat at the controls of a 737 heading that way and got a chance to relearn about IFR procedures on that trip... which got me on the ground just in time to find the Tri Motor and takeoff in time to watch the sunset and have yet another fun adventure or two.

SpiderWings · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:25 pm Post subject: San Francisco Sunset

SF has been one of my favorite places to fly. Partly because in 1987 it was the startup area and just one of a few places you could fly on MS FS back then. And since I had so much fun just flying there, it was months before I realized they had a tiny bit of LA scenery, some Seattle, and pretty good for NY to Boston.

Another reason I like SF for flying is that I've lived there a couple of times and have been to so many of the places you see from the air... we always have to walk on the Golden Gate bridge whenever we go.

And in the sim... I always have to fly under it... if I'm not in a big plane. On this "short flight" adventure this time, the bridge really made a great prop through which to look at the setting sun as I flew low to the water between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. It was so pretty that I almost lost the Tri-motor in the water... had both wheels totally sumerged and thought for sure I was going for a swim... but the three engines actually got me out of the water! Cool.

With some 400 feet of space, flying under the bridge was a piece of cake.

Since I had already taken a close to the ground pass through the city looking for cable cars - found none - was my scenery level set too low?, flying out to the Kitty Hawk was next.

Its amazing that this carrier is featured in FS-9 as its the one and only aircraft carrier I've actually been on. Years ago, my brother in law was a yeoman on the KH and while at San Diego, he managed to get us aboard for a tour. It seemed small at the time - compared to another in the harbor. But I'm happy to report that its big enough to land the Tri-motor on.

I came in from the front... (I know that I should have gone around to the back... but it wasn't under way so I figure there was no headwind and moving runway advantage to be had).... I came in just below deck level and goosed the throttle just enough to bring the Tri-motor up into a nice flair at around 48 knots just as I crossed the front of the ship. It plopped down nicely and I had no trouble stopping mid-deck.

Taxiing on deck was a bit more challenging and I had to have the crew push me back a time or to to get set up for the takeoff and flight to KSFO where I was scheduled to fly a 747 out to Honolulu and the next "short flight" adventure.

Oh... I did fly the Tri-motor with just two engines with no problem. But forgot to try it with just one. Does one cut it?

SpiderWings · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:09 pm Post subject:

Had more practice with IFR in a 747 to Honolulu to get to my next "short flight" adventure. I flew a Baron to Kaua'i where I found a Piper J3 Cub waiting for me to fly around the island - checking out the fantastic Na Pali Coast in the process. Those canyons are very intrigueing and I just had to try flying up one to the top of Kewalkini (5170 ft). Made it okay and found the "wettest spot on Earth" just north of the peak. I saw a ring in the scenery that made me think it could have had water in it at one point but while I was flying over it looked dry. I had actually turned on a building storm wondering what effect that might have on the mountain top. It wouldn't rain on me while there but it did provide for some beautiful fog down in the canyons and I had a great time diving off into one heading back to Na Pali before completing my circut of the island.

At this point I just have to say I've found many other places that I'd consider to be wetter than the wettest spot on Earth. I've had to drag more than one aircraft ashore in several such places.... virtually only of course.

Once back at the island's main airport, I got back into the Baron and flew back past Oahu and Moloka'i to Maui where I circled that island as well. I have to say that I found some of my favorite sim scenery on this adventure. Deep canyons down the sides of old volcanic mountains. Really fun to fly in with the Baron. Moloka'i also surprised me. I'd thought of it being just flat, but the east end sports a really neat mountain with a great crater in the top.

Here's something that should look familiar CRJCapt. While on Maui, did you get up on Pu'u'ula'ula? Or into 'lao Valley State Monument? I am now wishing that I'd visited Maui instead of the big island during my visit to our son on Oahu a couple years ago.

I'm definitely going to spend more time in Hawaii on the sim. Really had fun making the IFR approach and ILS landing on RW22L at PHNL. From there I'm going to fly the 747 back to the mainland - clear to NYC where I guess I'll find my last of these great "short flight" adventures with the Spirit of St. Louis.

SpiderWings · Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject:

I finished the last Short Flight in the "Kiosk" group.... Spirit of St. Louis from Long Island to Paris.

As with several of the others in this group of adventures this one made me sit back and do some thinking about how it must have been for the original pilot way back then.... and wanting to get as close to the original experience as possible, I didn't take advantage of modern equipment - no gps which would have made it much easier.

I started by stretching a string between Farmingdale, NY to Paris, France and making some notes on what landmarks to follow as far as land was on the route... Long Island to tip of Cape Cod then to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia then to Grates Point, Newfoundland.... then open water and no landmarks!

I coulda checked on line to see how Lindbergh planned the crossing but wanted to see if I could come up with the solution myself. The plane has a compass but its not as easy as just pointing east... or just following the initial heading from Farmingdale to Cape Cod. The map showed that to be about 60* but in flying it I was holding a heading of around 80 -81*. Thats due to the declination between true north and magnetic north. The map heading into Paris was about 111*.

So... the straight line "Great Circle Line" suggested by my string on the globe would involve a series of adjustments to the right all along the way. I divided the total miles into even increments and then applied the difference between 111* ending and 60* starting to my chart of incremental distances. Then I adjusted all the headings by the 21* declination I experience in flying to Newfoundland.

Then I noted my average flying speed (around 100, but sometimes as low as 76) and figured that I'd have to steer one degree further to the right every 28 minutes during the open water crossing from Newfoundland to the southern tip of Ireland where Lindbergh first sighted land.

It worked pretty well... but not as good as Lindbergh did.

For one think I was down to just 61% of the full tank of fuel by the time I got to Newfoundland and the math didn't look good for making it all the way to Paris or even to Ireland, so I made a quick stop in St. John's for a fill up. And just like for Lindbergh, I flew into night soon after leaving Newfoundland.... and I started making my adjustments every 28 minutes.

I couldn't stand to fly at 1 to 1 processing speed. I bumped it up to 8... and that made it hard to hold a steady course - I just tried to average the desired heading for each section of time.

As it turned out I missed Ireland and England both and came ashore at Brest, France 130 miles south of the line that Lindbergh flew. It was no problem getting to Paris from there. I even arrived 14 minutes earlier than he had down. We both made after sundown of the second day and had to make a night landing. My time was 33 hour 16 minutes.

I later researched Lindbergh's navigation planning and found that he did much the same as I did.... but made course corrections every 500 miles... instead of every 28 minutes. I don't know how he measured distance unless it was a function of flying time.

The next morning after landing in Paris, I flew the reverse route with a Convair B-58 Hustler. Much faster! And much more precise.

Thanks for calling this flights to our attention! I've had a ball with them. I'm now going to finish the rest of the Century of Flight historic flights. I'd love to hear about the adventures as flown by other simmers here.

CRJCapt · Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:42 pm Post subject:

I admire your passion for flight. I was just starting to think that I was the only one here who would dare fly the historical aircrafts. Seems like most people just want to fly an Airbus across the ocean, on AP for 12 hours. Keep it up and enjoy yourself. Smile

CRJCapt · Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject:

I still like these flights.

Guest Ed · Guest

SpiderWings,

Great reports! I missed these when they were first posted.

Ed

SpiderWings · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:25 pm Post subject:

Guest Ed · Guest

SpiderWings · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks for sharing your experiences with the USA trip and the Piper. I totally relate to both and this is what I like best about this forum - the chance to compare notes on similar adventures. I appreciate the interchange very much! Very Happy

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