rwhsim Rob's Springbok flys to Melbourne to meet a Wallaby

Well after yesterday's test flight to Farnborough, been delayed a bit.

My flight Engineer "Oily" Ollie Van Der Merwe spent a while digging around hangers there looking for better lamps for our landing lights. Some techno babble about the one's fitted not being DX10/DX11 specification. He managed to find some "Shock-something" lamps, and they are really good. Should light things up around us if needed.

Then when we got back to EGUN, Lady Jane Goldrich (daughter of my sponsor Sir Nicholas Goldrich), and Oily were being rather secretive about something, off in a huddle whispering, and smiling silently if I approached them. Eventually they came out with it. Seems Lady Jane, who is along for the ride as part of the deal with her father, to make a motion-picture documentary (I suspect more to keep her father in the loop on how his money is being spent), had convinced Oily to fit a camera to the belly of the DC-3. Now on my pre-flight yesterday I did not notice any bulky movie camera hanging out there, but threw a fit about the added weight and drag of those "things". Lady Jane muttered something about me being "stuck in the past", and pointed back to the belly of the plane. Some little nifty device called a "Go something Professional" all wired in with an electronic Gimbal and all. Futuristic lass this - looks like she's set for a bright future! So should get some nice "film" of the trip, unless her "recorders" interfere with the radios and cause me to start stuttering and muttering.

So all set to go now, and should be off within the hour, to LIRU, (that is as soon as Lady Jane and her father have finished their BBC interviews).

Rob

OK Off we go!

Deaparting EGUN for LIRU

OK Off we go!

Departing EGUN for LIRU

DUPLICATE POST PLEASE IGNORE

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Landed Safely at LIRU;

Oh My what a bumpy ride! Only smooth over southern France for a while.
Lady Jane is having seconds thoughts I think. She seemed rather pale at times.
At least over the Alps it was clear enough to see the route through I had planned.
Thought I saw some climbers out the corner of my eyes flatten themselves against the ice at I slipped through just east of the Tschingelhorn!

Otherwise all OK

Oops Forgot to add

Flight Time: 04:28:16
Routine Ground Time: 00:00:00
Special Ground Time: 00:00:00
Penalty Time: 00:00:00

Seriously need some Italian Coffee!


Rob

Weather not ideal, but looks like is only going to get worse in the next day or two, and need to keep moving.

So here we go;

Taking Off LIRU to LGTT

Landed Safely at LGTT

Flight Time: 03:02:39
Routine Ground Time: 00:45:00
Special Ground Time: 00:00:00
Penalty Time: 00:00:00

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Why only a stern looking fella and one guy to meet us: Where are the Greek Dancing Girls!

Rob

I landed in LGTT last night, and took them all dancing!

On a different note, your flight time from LIRU to LGTT was a whole 8 seconds different from mine... wow!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyRFR

I landed in LGTT last night, and took them all dancing!

On a different note, your flight time from LIRU to LGTT was a whole 8 seconds different from mine... wow!

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Must have been a good night for nobody to have surfaced by Midday!

8 whole seconds, but I needed at least 3mins to catch you. See you had bad weather to Allepo. Coming into Athens yesterday I was also wondering if I was going to hit a mountain in the clouds. Only lucky cloud-gaps, and trusting my course was OK, helped me to to stay safe.

Anyhow I am going to have to aim for at most 03:15:00 to catch up to you by Allepo. Hope to fly Leg that Sat (family and work duties mean no flying right now). The race is on!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rwhsim

8 whole seconds, but I needed at least 3mins to catch you. See you had bad weather to Allepo. Coming into Athens yesterday I was also wondering if I was going to hit a mountain in the clouds. Only lucky cloud-gaps, and trusting my course was OK, helped me to to stay safe.

Anyhow I am going to have to aim for at most 03:15:00 to catch up to you by Allepo. Hope to fly Leg that Sat (family and work duties mean no flying right now). The race is on!

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Lucky cloud gaps is becoming something of a thing on this race so far!

You actually have a bit more leeway than that; I incurred a 15 minute penalty at Rome, so I'm about 12 minutes behind your time at LGTT. I'm hoping I can catch some favorable winds to Rasheed; at least it's close enough that I can run at full speed and not concern myself with fuel burn.

The race is on indeed, good sir!

OK the weather chaps at Messrs. Hi Fi ASN predicting reasonable weather en-route, with very favourable winds at 11000ft. Guess Lady Jane and the purser are just going to have to take deep breaths and an occasional sniff at the oxygen tanks. Hope no turbulence, do not want an updraft to kick me through the "soft ceiling" at 12000, and have to explain to Miss Nelie.

Taking Off LGTT to OSAP now.

Here's hoping your flight goes well!

Landed safely at OSAP. Flight not as good as I'd hoped for. Could not get that GS up to 200kts and a bit off track at times!

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Oops nearly forgot this again:

Flight Time: 03:25:57
Routine Ground Time: 00:45:00
Special Ground Time: 00:00:00
Penalty Time: 00:00:00





May try for Baghdad Later!

Quick refuel at Allepo, check over flight plans and weather. No time to grab some food even! Got to push on a bit.

Laeving to the sounds of thunder (at least that's what I hope it is!)

Taking off OSAP to OR1A (Rasheed)

OK, well not so OK. First Crash, but as far as I can make out some kind of P3D problem.

30Nm out of Rasheed, descending at +-600ft/min, all under control, at alt 4583ft when window pops up asking me if I want to save recording, which means P3d wants to exit. I click NO and P3D ends flight and returns me to start at OSAP!

Here are the logs in any case.

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What is the ruling on this? Invoke Rookie crash penalty of 30 mins and refly the leg, or count as system failure and refly the leg with no penalty?

Looking carefully at the Log I was at 176KIAS, only 4kts under VNE (although guage is relined at 190KIAS). Looks like I overstressed the airframe, causing P3D to exit. So counts as a crash, I will return to departure, and take the 30 mins Rookie crash penalty.

Tomorrow that is!

Seems like my navigator ("Reguit" Spies - english straight arrow) does actually do something, been getting the feeling I do all his work! He is keeping 10s logs with something called LUA of all legs.

His analysis shows a definite overspeed (181kts) at last point recorded before all H--ll broke loose on board.

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Talk about bad Karma! Look where at the name of the closest town!.

So Oily has spent the last 24hours repairing the damage (mimimal, but he is muttering about possible damage that we cannot see). I have been warned about "racing downhill" and pushing the Old Bird too hard.

Setting up for another shot at the leg.



Getting ready for another shot at the leg

Taking Off OSAP-OR1A

Landed safely at OR1A/OROG

Like pea soup today coming into Baghdad. Had to get down low, slow down and follow the River in.

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Flight Time: 02:11:01
Routine Ground Time: 00:45:00
Special Ground Time: 00:00:00
Penalty Time: 00:30:00

Quick turnaround at Baghdad. Winds not really favorable but must press on. Looks like Jask is also foggy at the moment.

Taking off now OR1A - OIZJ (Jask)

Well that was an adventure. Flight went well until descent into solid fog approaching Jask, and just could not find the airport. Searching in the fading light and mist, back and forth along the coast (all that could be seen). Eventually getting low on fuel and with the sun setting, decided to save the ship, select a beach and make an off-field landing.

Ship in one piece, and will have to camp out the night in the desert, and figure out how to get to Jask in the morning. Should be able to takeoff from here.

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Flight Time: 05:12:16
Routine Ground Time: 00:45:00
Special Ground Time: 00:00:00
Penalty Time: 00:00:00

Will work out penalties etc later. 3am here and I am bushed!

Cool. :cool:

Please take a look at Appendix C to see what to do. (While on the ground, you may consult your "map" to find out where you landed and how to get to Jask.)

The main point is: Do not refuel. Be sure to take off from the desert with the same (or less) fuel weight that you had on landing.

Initiate your second-half-leg from same spot and with the same fuel and then proceed to Jask. Use the Duenna to authenticate this second-half-leg.

Then, politely, ask for Miss Nellie's mercy and you are likely to receive a smallish "extra" assessment on your "Special Ground Time". (As opposed to counting a running clock or treating this as a crash.) She seems to be in a good frame of mind today.

Yes I read Appendix C and realise waiting out the weather accumulates time. So have set up at same spot with 514 lbs of fuel (landed with 515), and 1 hour plus on the clock and heading to Jask now. Try to save the situation.

Ok made it to Jask and now I see why I battled to find it.

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Crashed on landing. Here is why! This is what Jask looks like in day time in my sim - tried to dodge the trees coming in from the NE to no avail.

Attachment 14349

Looks like it pays to have scouts ahead!


Flight Time: 00:21:21
Routine Ground Time: 00:00:00
Special Ground Time: 00:00:00
Penalty Time: 00:30:00

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...7BXypfXXTx8XAA

Will work out Special Ground Time after posting this

OK see if I get this right.

Time of first post take of Baghdad

14:07

Landing post Jask

21:45

Total time 8:52:00

Total flight Time

5:43:37

Makes Special Ground Time

03:08:23

I respectfully plead with Miss Nellie for a fixed half hour penalty, and for a full review of this leg and a decision re: the crash landing.

Help Please and sorry for the mess :sorrow:

The case will find its way to Miss Nellie. This is merely a matter of closely examining the record and making a time assessment.

Your off-field landing and subsequent recovery were well-executed.

Please proceed from Jask with a repaired airframe, full fuel, and a spring in your step.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MM

The case will find its way to Miss Nellie. This is merely a matter of closely examining the record and making a time assessment.

Your off-field landing and subsequent recovery were well-executed.

Please proceed from Jask with a repaired airframe, full fuel, and a spring in your step.

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Thank you Mike and Miss Nellie. I eagerly await your decision.

Meantime Messrs Ace Demolition and Engineering (ADE) have been dispatched post haste by Flying Clipper out of India, to do some clearing of trees and buildings at the air-field at Jask so as to enable a departure hopefully within a day or so!

Accident assessment is meanwhile ongoing. Review of footage taken from the cockpit of the crash landing at Jask is under way (Lady Jane was too shaken after the beach landing / lost in the mist incident and forgot to get her external recorders running!) As pilot I recall landing on grass left of the runway and stopping just short of some trees ahead. There was however one tree to the left that the wing clipped, or else I it was a DAK hard- braking, nose over.