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PRB
October 20th, 2009, 14:52
Ok, headed for France with baton. EGUN - LFPB.

PRB
October 20th, 2009, 16:17
First leg in the bag. The Channel Crossing went without incident. But there are lots of nav-aids here...

EasyEd
October 20th, 2009, 16:42
Hey All,

Why are you carrying a baton? :icon_lol: It isn't the RTW.

That's a good plane BTW my second choice by just a hair. Look up laura Ingalls sometime. However it is also true that Wiley Post and Will Rodgers died in one of those.

-Ed-

Willy
October 20th, 2009, 16:50
Shhh! We weren't telling him about Post and Rodgers! :d

PRB
October 21st, 2009, 04:37
You mean I don't need this baton thing I got stashed in the back? Dang, nobody tells me anything!

PRB
October 21st, 2009, 12:21
Oops. I uploaded the wrong text file (system log) after my last (first) leg. Here's the correct one.

PRB
October 22nd, 2009, 13:43
I'm off for parts unknown. Ok, I made that part up. Actually I'm taking my baton to Lyon (LFLY)

PRB
October 22nd, 2009, 14:39
Lets see, blue on top, green and brown below, and the ADF needle just swung to life, and pointing in (more or less) the same direction I'm going. So far so good...

menekod28
October 22nd, 2009, 14:47
Excellent...

PRB
October 22nd, 2009, 15:05
Made it to Lyon. Whoohoo.

PRB
October 23rd, 2009, 12:29
Off to the Mediterranean Coast of France (LFML). I hear they have interesting beach facilities for the vacationing public down there.

Moses03
October 23rd, 2009, 12:44
P- If your Orion feels a little tail heavy, I have attached a spotters guide for you. Hope it helps. :icon_lol:

PRB
October 23rd, 2009, 12:48
I was wondering why I needed so much nose down trim. Dastardly I tell you. There is much skullduggery about!

PRB
October 23rd, 2009, 12:57
Do cinder blocks cause head winds? 'Cause that's all I've seen since the start of this trip!

PRB
October 23rd, 2009, 13:27
Down safe at LFML.

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 02:46
Over the Med. LFML > LIRA.

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 03:57
Just flew over Corsica, right over the bay just south of the city of Bastia, which puts me right perfectly on course. CAVU weather helps. Corsica is hard to miss...

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 04:59
Down safe at Rome.

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 06:08
Next up LIRA -----> LIBR

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 07:40
Down safe at LIBR.

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 12:34
Put some gas in the Lockheed, got a hotdog at the 7/11, and I'm back in the air, headed for LGAT.

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 12:49
I guess that would be the VII/XI over here...

PRB
October 24th, 2009, 14:46
Made it to LGAT, which is a closed airport, BTW. Hopefully I'll "borrow" some gasoline and be on my way before the authorities ever know I was here!

Willy
October 24th, 2009, 16:02
LGAT is very much open in FS9. I guess you get more with it than you do FSX ;)

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 05:14
Did some googling. Seems LGAT was closed around the time the Olympics were held in Greece in 2004. The area was used for some other purpose related to the Olymipics. This explains why the airport is still open in FS9 but closed in FSX. Interesting.

Anyhow, I'm off to see Crete (LGIR)

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 06:35
Made it to LGIR.

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 07:51
I'm going to Cyprus. LGIR --> LCRA.

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 10:08
Safe at LCRA!

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 10:21
Off to Beirut (LIRA --> OLBA). Wish me luck.

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 11:17
OLBA. It was very hazy on this flight. From 5000 feet could not see the water nor the horizon. Cool!

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 14:05
Almost decided to park the Lockheed for the day. It was 16:00 when I landed at Beirut, after all. Then I said "what the deck?" There isn't anything to see in the great desert anyway. The only navaids are the set of 37 NM ADF stations at the airport in Baghdad, which give me an about an 80 NM "window" to hit if I tune in the northern most and southern most stations. So I'm off to Baghdad (ORBI). Into the wasteland and into darkness.

PRB
October 25th, 2009, 16:16
Made it to Baghdad.

PRB
October 26th, 2009, 14:50
Headed "down river" ... ORBI --> OIBB

PRB
October 26th, 2009, 17:15
Down @ OIBB

PRB
October 28th, 2009, 14:01
Dang, I fell off the front page! Well, my L9 was down for maintenance. Seems I needed a new main disgronificator coil. Try to find one of those out here! In any event, I'm now off to Jask (OIBB --> OIZJ)

PRB
October 28th, 2009, 16:26
Made it to Jask (OIZJ). This was a fun flight. Jask has no nav aids. No buidlings either, nor control tower. Pretty much a deserted airport. By with no ADF station, one has to find it with the Mark I Eyeball alone. With good weather and a map that isn't too difficult though, as it sits at the end of a small peninsula, just after you pass the Straight of Hormuz.

PRB
October 29th, 2009, 14:04
oizj --> opgd

PRB
October 29th, 2009, 15:31
Made it to OPGD. There's a building here!

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 03:18
On the road to Karachi. OPGD --> OPKC.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 04:49
Made it to OPKC.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 06:12
Next leg: OPKC --> VIJO, with a test of the REX2 weather engine.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 06:48
First observation: Enabling REX2 for "real time weather" sets FSX's weather selector to "user defined weather", which causes duenna's weather light to "go yellow", indicating real wx is not set, which is, strictly speaking, true. Proceeding on.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 07:13
REX2 Weather Update: It's been about an hour, and I just got a green message on the screen saying REX was loading weather, then the weather changed, slightly. I think this confirms that REX2 does indeed update the weather periodically. I wonder if there is a way to change the interval, from what appears to be 1 hour, to something else...

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 08:01
Made it to VIJO. This was a fun flight, because VIJO has no NAV aids, and is in the absolute middle of nowhere, so there was no coastline shapes to help locate it, although there is a big city. REX2 seems to work ok as a source of "real weather", but we have to get special authorization, because duenna doesn't recognize it.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 08:51
Off to VIAG. Ok wait, the ICAO code for Agra is VIAG? That's a joke, right?

arrvoo
November 1st, 2009, 10:05
REX2 seems to work ok as a source of "real weather", but we have to get special authorization, because duenna doesn't recognize it.
Don't forget PRB, Active Sky X and Active Sky Advanced don't give you a green Duenna either in FSX.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 10:10
Don't forget PRB, Active Sky X and Active Sky Advanced don't give you a green Duenna either in FSX.

Ok, thanks. I didn't know that. It does make prettier clouds to look at during the flight! Very nice.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 10:36
Made it to VIAG.

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 13:38
Leg 17: VIAG --> VIAL

PRB
November 1st, 2009, 15:07
Down safe @ VIAL.

PRB
November 2nd, 2009, 13:36
Off to Calcutta. VIAL --> VECC.

PRB
November 2nd, 2009, 15:37
Down safe at VECC.

PRB
November 4th, 2009, 15:05
Enough partying in Calcutta. Time to kick the fires and light the tires. VECC --> VYSW.

PRB
November 4th, 2009, 16:42
Made it to VYSW.

PRB
November 5th, 2009, 14:06
I'm going to Rangoon (VYSW --> VYYY)

PRB
November 5th, 2009, 15:43
Rangoon (VYYYYY) in the log book. This Lockeed 9 is a sweet ship. I like it more each leg!

PRB
November 7th, 2009, 13:11
On the road to Bangkok (VYYY --> VTBD)

MaddogK
November 7th, 2009, 13:34
better hurry up PRB, got a tiger of a tailwind coming outta Bangkok. Bring your umbrella and surfboard, stay clear of the ceiling because your gonna get tossed around and WET.

PRB
November 7th, 2009, 13:43
Thanks, MD. I've got a decent tail wind going on now, at 10,000 feet. Got tossed around pretty good climbing up here, but it's smooth at the moment.

MaddogK
November 7th, 2009, 13:49
bout 150 S of Bangkok got a MAJOR wind transition, otto almost killed me so be careful.

PRB
November 7th, 2009, 13:55
Rgr, TY. Next leg will take me south from Bangkok on the longest leg of my flight plan (460 NM).

PRB
November 7th, 2009, 15:04
Made it to Bangkok (VTBD)

PRB
November 8th, 2009, 08:18
Long leg today (for the little Lockheed anyway.) From Bangkok, south over the Gulf of Siam, across the Malay Peninsula, to the RAF base at Alor Star. Wish me luck (VTBD --> WMKA).

PRB
November 8th, 2009, 10:44
Down safe @ Alor Star (WMKA). Had a decent tail wind for the whole trip, which was noce.

PRB
November 8th, 2009, 13:42
On to Singapore (WMKA --> WSSL). Lets see if I can manage to land on the right airport this time...

PRB
November 8th, 2009, 14:03
Oops. Knew I forgot something. Gas! 17 gallons left after that long flight from Bangkok. Diverting to WMBI for non-aromatic gas. If I can find it. It has an ADF station nearby, which I have already picked up, so finding it shouldn't be difficult. Getting free gas from the locals might be more of a challenge...

PRB
November 8th, 2009, 14:31
Ok,I landed at Taiping (WMBI) for gas. I traded some slightly used cinder blocks for 120 gallons of U.S. non-aromatic gasoline. I stopped the duenna at Taiping, since I filled up with gas, and the duenna would have had a fit over that. I'll post the two duennas when I get to Singapore and take the penalty associated with landing at an unauthorized airport, refueling at a non-approved re-fueling stop, and for being a dumb-s*** for forgeting to refuel at WMKA.

PRB
November 8th, 2009, 15:59
Made it to WSSL, by way of WMBI for gas.

srgalahad
November 8th, 2009, 17:10
were those cinder blocks "inadvertantly not untied" from your tailskid when you took off from WMKA?????

(True story.. a Beaver can take off with a 5 gal. pail full of concrete tied to it's tail... but Poly rope doesn't handle the dragging and twisting very well for very long...)

PRB
November 10th, 2009, 15:03
I'm going to Palembang, on the "Big Island" of Sumatra. That's where Toba was ("ka-boom"). I got gas this time... (WSSL --> WIPP)

PRB
November 10th, 2009, 16:35
Down safe at WIPP.

PRB
November 12th, 2009, 13:41
Ok, out of beer, time to leave Palembang. I think I'll head on across the Sunda Straight, maybe get a kodak of Krakatau, son of Krakatoa, and then on to Bandung (WIPP --> WICC)

PRB
November 12th, 2009, 13:57
Wow, it's raining cats n dogs at Palembag! A real "frog strangler"

MM
November 12th, 2009, 15:18
Frog Strangler! :eek:

PRB
November 12th, 2009, 15:51
Made it to Bandung (WICC). Duenna has it as WIIB, which is FS9 data. It's raining here too. Haven't seen any of those famous Commando Dragons yet. Some will note the detour. I know I know, it's supposed to be a race, but I needed pics of the volcano in the Sunda Straight!

Willy
November 12th, 2009, 16:10
Commando Dragon? Is that a C-46 with a turbo prop conversion? ;)

PRB
November 13th, 2009, 15:08
Gone to Surabaja (WICC --> WARR).

PRB
November 13th, 2009, 16:56
Made it to WARR. No Comando Dragons here either! I guess they don't have those in FSX. Willy, a C-46 with turbo props would be a Castrated Commando!

PRB
November 14th, 2009, 12:40
I'm going to Nusa Tenggara Barat Island (WADA). Wada large name for such a small island.

PRB
November 14th, 2009, 14:03
Down safe @ WADA.

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 06:31
Ok, this one should be fun. If I have a serious headwind, it could be close on gas. 460 NM to Timor Island (WADA --> WATT). I have my life raft and green shark homing dye.

Weather Eghine=REX2.0 Real Time WX

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 06:54
On course 100 degrees for Timor. Wind is from exactly ... 100 degrees. Imagine that! Looked like I had a tail wind down at 5000 feet. As soon as I clear this island I'll go check it out again...

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 07:17
Looks like we're headed to Timor at 4000 feet. Some tail wind component down here. And I can see the sharks better too.

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 09:15
Made it to WATT with almost 18% of my gas left! I don't even know why I was worried about it. Took along the shark homing dye for nothing.

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 12:03
Gas n go. Headed for Darwin! (WATT --> YPDN) I actually remembered the "gas" part of the gas n go this time too...

Weather Eghine=REX2.0 Real Time WX

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 12:24
Well, it looks like the winds haven't changed much in a couple of hours. Headed back to 4000 feet to make the Timor Sea crossing.

Willy
November 15th, 2009, 12:36
Got your cinderblocks on board? There's some nice folks in Darwin that like to look at anyone coming into the country with them. You'll find them in the Customs office. I've heard they're looking forward to meeting you :d.

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 12:44
I traded all my cinder blocks for gasoline back in Singapore! Customs? I plan on creating some sort diversion so they don't notice when I land...

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 13:31
Drats, bum luck over the Timor Sea. I thought I had JohnC's headwind virus purged from my system, but it's back! I'm going back to 10,000 feet (ish) to see if its any better up there.

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 14:01
Darn it. Now the wind is directly on the nose, from sea lavel up to 10,000 feet. The only difference is that at 10,000 feet the wind is 22 knots, and at 4000 feet it's only 12. So I'm back down to 4000 feet. Cool thing is, from 10,000 feet I could see Australia on the horizon. So even though I'm back at 4000 and can't see it anymore (surrounded by clouds), I'm pretty sure it's really there now...

PRB
November 15th, 2009, 14:46
Made it to Darwin. YIPPEE. I snuck in behind this Beechcraft, so customs didn't see me land...

Willy
November 15th, 2009, 18:10
Congrats on making it to the land down under. You do know you'll have to fly the rest of the way inverted to put your aircraft right side up with the rest of the world. :isadizzy::ernae:

PRB
November 17th, 2009, 15:08
Slight misfortune has struck team Lockheed. It seems I have been slightly unvigilant lo these many months. I never kept the Lockheed locked. But last evening I was set upon by tiny bandits (my computer got a virus). They came out of nowhere! Well, come to think of it, the guys at the bar I was at in downtown Darwin last night looked kind of shady... (I was looking for JavaScript help) They must have followed me back to the airport... They appear to be gone now, but until I can be sure of the overall health of the 9D, she’s in the hanger for a comprehensive overhaul and in depth inspection of all systems (conducting virus scans, installing better anti-virus software, got a CD boot disk to delete the offending beasties). It may be another day before I can take off for the great interior of this vast continent.

Moses03
November 17th, 2009, 15:25
Sorry to hear that P. Hope you get it sorted.

Willy
November 17th, 2009, 15:32
Take your time and get it fixed. (Just make sure you get to Melbourne before the CDM does ;))

PRB
November 19th, 2009, 19:14
It looks like I'm back up, more or less. I never did manage to rid the system of the virus. Well, not without resorting to the “nuclear option” anyway. Three days of poking around with windows boot CDs, a myriad of virus and spyware scanning tools, registry cleaners, checkers, sweepers, master boot record fixers, and a couple of small hammers. Nothing worked. I had two IT gurus in two states giving me suggestions, and the web was no help. Damnest thing I ever saw. Always, after “deleting” the offending file, it would come back upon booting normally. Don't know where it was hiding, but it couldn't hide from the “format c:\” command. Of course, the “collateral damage” associated with that option is sort of total. Lucky me I had only the OS and applications on the c:\ drive. The data was safe on the other drive, which has been scanned repeatedly, and my new OS (Windows 7) is running very nicely so far. This wasn't t the FS computer, BTW. It was not affected by this event. It was turned off when I got hammered, but I did have a lot of work stuff on here. So tomorrow I will be back on the road to the Great Australian Outback Wilderness. I did loose my LM2009 flight plan, however. Good thing I'm almost done!

PRB
November 20th, 2009, 13:28
Off to Tennant Creek! Got all the rats nests and cement blocks cleaned out of the Lockheed (YPDN --> YTNK)

PRB
November 20th, 2009, 15:55
Made it to Tennant Creek (YTNK).

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 06:50
Headed for Cloncurry (YTNK --> YCCY).

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 08:44
Down safe @ Cloncurry (YCCY). Somehow I got way off course on this one. Good thing I had the ADF station at YMBA tuned in. It showed up north of my track when it was "supposed" to be south... Oops.

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 11:47
Gone to Charleville (YCCY --> YBCV)

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 13:50
Hmm. I think my latest version of Super Flight Planner may be sending me on pursuits of wild aquatic fowl. On the last leg I was off track to the south by quite a bit. And this leg is turning out the same. I just picked up the NDB at Windorah, way to the south, but never detected the one at Longreach, to my north, which should have been close enough to pick up as I passed by. This means I'm going too far south again. Also means I'm not 100% sure where the heck I am anymore. So I just turned 10 degrees to the north and got the magnetic Jesus out of the glove box and stuck him to the dashboard... And I nudged the mixture back a tiny smidge... I have the NDBs at Cunnamulla, Charleville tuned into the radios. I should hit one of them soonish...

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 14:02
I just picked up Charleville, bearing 90! :isadizzy: Time to fire the navigator! Oh wait...

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 14:32
Made it to Charleville.

PRB
November 21st, 2009, 15:30
I knew it! In the pic below are the same flight plan made with two different versions of Super Flight Planner. The one that has a course of 139 was the newer one, and the one I was following, and the wrong one. Ten degree difference..?? What the FUBAR is that all about?

Willy
November 21st, 2009, 16:47
The newer one made in China?

PRB
November 22nd, 2009, 05:26
More like Wrongway Enterprises, Inc. Installed the older one, which has the correct headings, but not every feature works well with Windows 7. Can't have everything I guess.

I am declaring my intention to participate in the Precision Flying Component. Number of legs: 2 (YBCV-YNRM-YMEN)

Declared overall flight time: 04:11:21

With that, I'm off to Narromine (YBCV --> YNRM)

Willy
November 22nd, 2009, 05:36
Good luck Paul!

PRB
November 22nd, 2009, 05:40
Thanks Willy! It's a beautiful day over Charleville. Not a cloud in the sky. Made me think kthe weather engine was broken at first! Reloaded it again, same thing. I know it's a trick...

PRB
November 22nd, 2009, 07:30
Down safe at Narromine, home of the Narromine Aviation Museum, and the Sticks and Stones Steak House. I'll get some gas, and some steak n eggs, then head south to the finish line.

PRB
November 22nd, 2009, 07:57
Final leg (YNRM --> YMEN).

MM
November 22nd, 2009, 08:38
Love the title "Sticks and Stones Steak House." Good luck on "sticking" your final leg.

Milton Shupe
November 22nd, 2009, 08:47
Waiting ... with baited breath. :kilroy:

PRB
November 22nd, 2009, 10:19
LM 2009 in the log book! Great fun was had by all.

MM
November 22nd, 2009, 11:16
Congratulations, Paul. A very pretty aircraft you have brought to Melbourne!

Now come and join us all at the Windsor.:icon29:

bpfowler
November 22nd, 2009, 14:04
nnice work, PRB! great to see the plywood wonder in oz! cheerio from the root beer saloon....:guinness:

arrvoo
November 22nd, 2009, 14:13
Congratulations!. The party is really growing now

Willy
November 22nd, 2009, 14:13
Way to go Paul! Ready to start a Modern GA L-M run now? :d

PRB
November 22nd, 2009, 14:25
Thanks, shipmates! A round at the Windsor for all!
:ernae:


Way to go Paul! Ready to start a Modern GA L-M run now? :d

I am entertaining the idea... :mixedsmi:

Moses03
November 23rd, 2009, 05:36
Nice one P!:icon29:

jkcook28
November 23rd, 2009, 06:43
Good show Paul.

As for the flightplan heading difference, I suspect one is using magnetic headings.
FSNav has the same problem.


:ernae:

EdGeneer
November 25th, 2009, 18:18
Good Job, Paul!!! Welcome to Melbourne...

Have a cold beer!!!!! :icon29:

donlimpio
December 1st, 2009, 05:50
Good show. Hooray and congratulations!