Cozumel to Chichen Itza

[Bomber_12th]

Having left off here: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/120825-Key-West-Cuba-and-Cancun-(lots-of-screenshots) Continuing my journey in Mexico, the next leg has been flown from Cozumel to the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, believed to have had its earliest origins in the 7th Century AD. For this VFR trip I just did a simple flight plan from Cozumel Intl. to Chichen Itza Intl. and onto the nearby Mayan site, and flew in real time with live weather. Hope you enjoy!

The ramp at Cozumel is quite crowded at 100% traffic.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274816353_ff25415941_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jABzmv)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275649842_ef72956e86_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAFR81)

Takeoff was on Runway 12, so I made an immediate turn almost 180-degrees after takeoff, over the city, heading west.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274816078_85cf8391d6_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jABzgL)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275649472_b409080be5_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAFR1C)

Hitting the coast of the mainland again.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275494046_fd673034be_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAF3NS)

Weather was nice, but it got quite bumpy near to this little system.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275493836_c900ebbdfb_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAF3Kf)

[Bomber_12th]

Wide open terrain, fields and forests, dotted with small cities and villages along the way.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275493651_b3aa967bfd_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAF3G4)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274815263_bdc2edf0e8_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jABz2H)

Coming up on Chichen Itza Intl. and passing overhead to continue onto the Mayan site.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274815048_ba3e2e4b31_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAByY1)

The ancient Mayan site and the nearby "Old Chichen Itza Airport" where I landed.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275648397_d4563d2550_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAFQG6)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274814668_b74282ec99_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAByRs)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275492686_05c4fd3c79_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAF3pq)

[Bomber_12th]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275647737_359d8433cc_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAFQuH)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274814058_0a4e70fb07_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAByEW)

Just one screenshot of the Chichen Itza Mayan site from the ground. I will let you go there and discover it for yourself more closely. The textures and detail in the models are really quite intricate and very well done.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275492166_9dab846cbe_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jAF3fs)

[Sundog]

OK,
I just saw a show last night on national geographic about that site and was thinking of flying there. Now I don't have to, lol. Are you heading south to Machu Picchu next? I think I need to go look at the Nazca lines.

Ken

[Bomber_12th]

Yeah, Ken, that was one of the options I was looking at heading toward eventually - that site is clearly visible in the aerials/photo scenery, but it hasn't been hand-modeled (though there are some AI-generated buildings at the site). I haven't yet flown over the Nazca lines and will definitely have to do that too at some point.

I'm currently halfway through the book America Before, by Graham Hancock, which delves deep into the ancient sites and cultures of Mesoamerica (and North and South America). I don't always agree with his ideas/conclusions, but he does do a great job of gathering and presenting a lot of research from many individuals and poses a lot of interesting questions.

Also it was really cool to hear "Sun Country Airlines" on the ATC on this flight, when they were talking to one of the live AI aircraft, which has their hub here in Minnesota.

[K5083]

Nice. It's been maybe 25 years since I visited there, but my legs still ache when I remember climbing all of those steps.

FS2020 obviously cures one of the issues with FSX/Prepare3d, which is the basic sameness of different parts of the world; Bhophal, where I was flying P3D this morning, doesn't look that different from Baltimore, unless you happen to have a good aftermarket scenery.

August

[Bomber_12th]

That's a very good way of putting it, August. I know just doing cross-country flights in the sim here in Minnesota it is so nice to look down and see each field absolutely unique from the next, rather than the same squares of fields repeated end over end for hundreds of miles.