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Highmike
June 12th, 2009, 16:03
Flying the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser from YBBN-NWWW

TOW = 128,696 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

This will be my first night flight.

This will also be a first for me because to fly across the Pacific armed with no more than a clock and compass is quite daunting! Good luck to those who attempt this route.

PRB
June 12th, 2009, 16:08
Godspeed, fellow Qantas Pacific Traveler!
:ernae:

Highmike
June 12th, 2009, 19:13
Landed safely at NWWW

Landing Weight = 118,409 pounds
Fuel Used = 10,287 pounds
Penalty = 0 hours

Man, this is gonna be hard!

Dangerousdave26
June 12th, 2009, 19:22
Sweet :applause: Good Show :icon29:

Highmike
June 13th, 2009, 15:43
Flying the Stratocruiser from NWWW-NFNA

TOW = 128,688 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

Should be a lot easier today. I've got an enroute NDB, but most importantly: I can see out the window!

Highmike
June 13th, 2009, 18:46
Landed safely at NFNA

Landing Weight = 119,249 pounds
Fuel Used = 9,439 pounds
Penalty = 0 hours

I think I can do this!

MM
June 13th, 2009, 21:28
Great stuff, Mike!

Highmike
June 14th, 2009, 15:16
Flying the Stratocruiser from NFNA-NSTU

TOW = 126,358 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

Here's an opportunity to test my navigational theory. I'm going to correct my heading 2 degrees over the course of 148 minutes.

*** Computer crash! I think I may have the heating up too high. I will reset the leg this arvo. ***

Highmike
June 14th, 2009, 19:26
Flying the Stratocruiser from NFNA-NSTU

TOW = 126,818 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

Flight reset after crash. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Highmike
June 14th, 2009, 22:17
Landed safely at NSTU

Landing Weight = 118,518 pounds
Fuel Used = 8,300 pounds
Time Elapsed = 2 hours 41 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

"Qantas Empire Airways are pleased to announce that their navigational experimentation has been a resounding success. The navigational technique known as Great Circle Course Correction (GCCC) has proven to be 100% reliable during trials conducted so far. Qantas management will now make every effort to quash rumours that, when it comes to navigation, they don't know where they're going!"

MM
June 15th, 2009, 05:38
Congratulations on the GCCC, Mike.

And provocative map!

Highmike
June 15th, 2009, 15:28
Flying the Stratocruiser from NSTU-NCRG

TOW = 128,688 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

The ocean looks so calm today. Kinda pacific don't ya think?

Thanks for the info Dave. I'll check it out when I touch down.

Dangerousdave26
June 15th, 2009, 15:43
Thanks for the info Dave. I'll check it out when I touch down.

I deleted it seems I may have got it to work on another leg by dumb luck.

I could not duplicate it on the longer leg. It was way off. I am wondering if it is a real world vs fs issue.

Any way I did not want the info out there if it was not useful.

I may just go back to the Pool Ball Theory and try and put the right English on it. :icon_lol: Thats what I did last year for part of the 1941 South America Event.

BTW Committee of the usual suspects does this pattern mean we can plan on 1961 next year. :icon_lol:

Highmike
June 15th, 2009, 18:27
Landed safely at NCRG

Landing Weight = 119,275 pounds
Fuel Used = 9,413 pounds
Time Elapsed = 2 hours 50 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

Ha! This ain't gonna be so hard.

Highmike
June 15th, 2009, 18:42
I could not duplicate it on the longer leg. It was way off. I am wondering if it is a real world vs fs issue.


Never mind, its seems comparing the reverse course and adjusting for the difference between headings will be fairly reliable on these longer legs.

Thanks anyhow!

salt_air
June 16th, 2009, 03:06
Landed safely at NCRG

Landing Weight = 119,275 pounds
Fuel Used = 9,413 pounds
Time Elapsed = 2 hours 50 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

Ha! This ain't gonna be so hard.

Hey Mike,

Looks like you and the "Strat" are doin' a fine job and havin' a ball.

Cool!,

Highmike
June 16th, 2009, 14:46
Flying the Stratocruiser from NCRG-NTAA

TOW = 125,880 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

This will be my second night flight, a short one just to be on the safe side.

Highmike
June 16th, 2009, 17:18
Landed safely at NTAA

Landing Weight = 117,871 pounds
Fuel Used = 8,009 pounds
Time Elapsed = 2 hours 25 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

No more darkness until I get to South America.

PRB
June 16th, 2009, 17:44
Great progress, Mike! I've been googling this "Great Circle Course Correction" technique you mentioned. Very interesting. My "Missouri Windage" method of Great Circle navigation works over short distances such as we've been flying up to now, but I think I may need to get serious before those 1600 mile legs...

Highmike
June 16th, 2009, 17:58
To be honest Paul I made up the name Great Circle Course Correction because I thought it sounded kinda cool, so you may not find much about it on Google. The technique I'm refering to is outlined about half way down the first page of the Tall Tales of the Alvear thread. Look for a post entitled "A glimmer of hope!" So far I've found it to be 100% reliable, it is very easy to calculate how much correction is required and when to apply it, and it may be better than any other method on these really long legs.

Highmike
June 17th, 2009, 17:03
Flying the Stratocruiser from NTAA-NTGJ

TOW = 130,086 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

Those Tahitian girls were very accommodating overnight, but I'm going to have to climb back into the sky and make fond memories of them.

PRB
June 17th, 2009, 18:59
Ok, that’s funny. When I typed “Great Circle Course Correction” in that Google thing, I got this (http://williams.best.vwh.net/avform.htm#Rhumb) site. I’ve concluded that your “Queensland Windage” method is a bit easier to manage, and pretty darned clever! I’ve always wondered how the FS flight planner calculated the course to a location very far away. If it was simply the initial course, it would be pretty useless, the more so the greater the distance. BTW, there is a way to figure a constant course to a point across the globe, it’s called a “rhumb line” course. I learned that at the site linked to above… Still don’t know how to gonculate it. I’m going with your Simple GCCC (SGCCC) method!

Highmike
June 17th, 2009, 20:33
Landed safely at NTGJ

Landing Weight = 118,796 pounds
Fuel Used = 11,290 pounds
Time Elapsed = 3 hours 17 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

A beautiful approach, but I couldn't help feeling how lonely this place is. Funny how quickly the GCCC thing appeared on Google Paul. Those bots are nosey little blighters!

Dangerousdave26
June 17th, 2009, 21:07
Paul thats what I got the other day and I had it working for the first leg with his calculator from the main page.

Problem was the second leg did not work

I figured I fat fingered an entry in the lat / long settings and that is what made it correct.

His information maybe very correct for the real world but Highmike's works better in FS9 and FSX.

Congrats Mike for another successful leg.

Highmike
June 17th, 2009, 21:16
Thanks Dave! :icon_lol:

Great Ozzie
June 18th, 2009, 14:26
Hi Mike!

A thousand thank yous, oh wise one, for coming up with that GCCC! If you look my YBBN-NWWW ground track, you will see why! You know... I have seen this on IFR Enroute Charts where there is a difference in Heading from one VOR to a second, but never understood why it was so (mag. var. didn't account for Heading diff.).

Mike... I seriously considered not flying the Australia Route because I didn't know how to compensate for the "southerly drift" (w/ or w/o winds) and thought my only hope would be the Sextant (it's installed but no clue how to use it).

Again thanks for sharing this... you have no idea how gratifying it was for me to see "the needle" come alive roughly when it should have and just a very small on-course correction. What a pleasure!

Highmike
June 18th, 2009, 14:58
Aww, shucks Rob. I'm feelin kinda self conscious. :redf:

I might add a slight correction to the method appearing in the Tall Tales of the Alvear thread. Before you divide your enroute time by the number of degrees you have to turn you should add 1 to the number of degrees to ensure that you complete your turns before your get to your destination.

In my previous example I divided 458 minutes by 8 degrees, but I should turn 1 degree every 458 / 9 = 51 minutes. This will make very little difference, but it could be significant on the really long legs.

Highmike
June 18th, 2009, 16:05
Flying the Stratocruiser from NTGJ-SCIP

TOW = 140,345 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

This will be the first of two very long legs. This one to Easter Island is 1403 NM.

Great Ozzie
June 18th, 2009, 16:37
In my previous example I divided 458 minutes by 8 degrees, but I should turn 1 degree every 458 / 9 = 51 minutes. This will make very little difference, but it could be significant on the really long legs.

Actually Mike... I decided to base it on the enroute distance, so on that first leg I was compensating -1º per 100nm. This next one (NWWW-NFNA) appears to be -1º per 125nm. We'll see! :isadizzy:

Again, thanks! :applause:

Highmike
June 18th, 2009, 21:22
Actually Mike... I decided to base it on the enroute distance, so on that first leg I was compensating -1º per 100nm.

Cool!

Landed safely at SCIP

Landing Weight = 121,343 pounds
Fuel Used = 19,002 pounds
Time Elapsed = 5 hours 6 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

I was a tad heavy on approach, so I had to go a way downwind to burn fuel. You don't want to fly 5 hours under race conditions too often - it's no good for the nerves!

MM
June 19th, 2009, 05:26
Excellent, Mike.

Those two long Pacific legs look daunting. But with the GCCC, they may be manageable after all.

Highmike
June 19th, 2009, 14:40
Flying the Stratocruiser from SCIP-SCTI

TOW = 146,652 pounds
Payload = 24,020 pounds

This will be the second of two very long legs. This one to Santiago is 2031 NM. The flight planner recommends I set aside 7 hours and 54 minutes for this one. Ouch!

Bry Rosier
June 19th, 2009, 15:02
wow , thats one long leg Mike , I may get a full nights sleep and still be back for your landing :icon_lol: Happy Flying

Highmike
June 19th, 2009, 21:35
Landed safely at SCTI

Landing Weight = 121,257 pounds
Fuel Used = 25,395 pounds
Time Elapsed = 6 hours 44 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

Good luck to the other Pacific flyers. It's not an easy leg, but what a relief when you see that Duenna stop.

Dangerousdave26
June 20th, 2009, 05:48
Good luck to the other Pacific flyers. It's not an easy leg, but what a relief when you see that Duenna stop.

Thanks Mike and Great Leg

Just one more and you have set the standard!

Next time try to not set the Bar so High :icon_lol:

:guinness:

Highmike
June 22nd, 2009, 15:35
Flying the Stratocruiser from SCTI-SGAS

TOW = 130,089 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

Thanks to the committee for making this concession to my mistake. This will be my third night flight.

Great Ozzie
June 22nd, 2009, 16:25
If it is any consolation Mike, I would have done the same thing. When MM posted the new commercial centers, I heeded his admonition to re-check routing. I realized I was short one “Addition Comm. Ctr.” and had to add NTTO. I had it in my head NTGJ was a “required ctr.” :isadizzy:

Highmike
June 22nd, 2009, 19:07
If it is any consolation Mike, I would have done the same thing. When MM posted the new commercial centers, I heeded his admonition to re-check routing. I realized I was short one “Addition Comm. Ctr.” and had to add NTTO. I had it in my head NTGJ was a “required ctr.” :isadizzy:

Thanks Rob.

Landed safely at SGAS

Landing Weight = 118,252 pounds
Fuel Used = 11,837 pounds
Time Elapsed = 3 hours 22 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

Highmike
June 23rd, 2009, 16:21
Flying the Stratocruiser from SGAS-SAEZ

TOW = 124,946 pounds
Payload = 28,020 pounds

Just a couple of hours now and I'll be warming to the home-coming cheers of those generous Argentinians.

Highmike
June 23rd, 2009, 19:01
Landed safely at SAEZ

Landing Weight = 116,932 pounds
Fuel Used = 8,014 pounds
Time Elapsed = 2 hours 24 minutes
Penalty = 0 hours

To the tumultuous cheers of the adoring fans Qantas Empire Airways arrived in Buenos Aires with a generous measure of grace, style and panache.

Moses03
June 25th, 2009, 18:43
Bravo Zulu! (as PRB likes to say) :ernae:

PS: Should have tried your GCCC Windage method over the Atlantic...

MM
June 25th, 2009, 19:06
Hi Mike,

Good to have you in B.A. Perhaps you might join Jeff and me for a night out on the town...adding that special Aussie touch to the atmosphere. Moses should be along in a moment.

The "city that never sleeps."