British Columbia Tour

**Tako_Kichi** · May 25th, 2009, 11:32

Back at the start of the year I completed a tour of all the FSX airfields in the UK and posted a text file for those that wanted to give it a try and a number of folks did just that. Having completed that tour I then decided to do the same for the province of British Columbia in Canada as I fancied a change of pace and some bush/mountain flying. This time instead of making a text file and having to load the new data into the GPS after every leg I decided to make a complete flight plan from start to finish and then I could just follow the legs in the GPS without having to load anything after each landing. I have been waiting for Ickie and crew to finish rebuilding the site after the crash so that I could attach the plan and share it with you. I flew a wide variety of GA and warbirds (and even some choppers) but you really need something with STOL capabilities in places as some of the dirt strips are tiny and very difficult to spot and get into and out of.

If you would like to fly the tour procede as follows:

1. Download the attached file and save it to a safe location on your computer, ideally in the same location that FSX uses when you save a flight plan (in XP that would be 'C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files' I am not sure of the location for Vista users....sorry).

2. Once saved remove the '.txt' extension at the end of the file name so that you are left with 'BC Tour.PLN'. I had to rename the file in order to upload it.

3. Start FSX, go to the 'Free Flight' screen then select your initial aircraft, the time and season and your weather preferences (I used real weather to add some variety during the tour and some days were really bad and added an extra dimension to the flying!)

4. When you have the above set click on the 'Flight Planner' button then click on the 'Load' button at the bottom of the screen. Navigate to the 'BC Tour.PLN' file and double-click it.

5. Click on the 'Find Route' button and you should see the same as the screenshot below.....

NOTE: The flight plan only shows the start and finish locations at this point.

6. Click on the 'Load' button on this window and reload the 'BC Tour.PLN' file. You should now see the entire flight plan as shown below....

7. Click on 'OK' and then click on 'YES' on the notification pop-up window.

8. Click on 'Fly Now' when you are ready to start the tour.

9. When you reach a point where you want to stop for that session (it took me 30+ sessions to complete the tour as there are 137 airfields to visit!) simply save your flight with a suitable name and it will also save the flight plan at your current location. When you want to continue the tour simply reload the saved flight using the 'Load' button on the 'Free Flight' screen and the GPS will already have the flight plan in it and will show the next leg to fly.

Hopefully a few of you will give it a try and maybe even leave feedback as to what you think of the tour.

I am already mid way through my next tour and this one should appeal to all the owners of the new Cat, Albatross and Kodiak (I have been using the Beaver and Twotter as I have those in my hangar, one day I may be able to afford all the new AC

). I have created a tour of all the FSX water runways in Minnesota (the land of 1,000 lakes) and it is proving to be quite a challenge as it is sometimes difficult to work out just which lake you are supposed to be landing on as there are so many to choose from! I will start a new thread featuring the 'lakes' tour shortly (if anyone is interested of course

).

**txnetcop** · May 25th, 2009, 11:52

Hey thanks Larry, I think I will do that this week. Nice setup
Ted

**Marlin** · May 25th, 2009, 12:10

137 stop tour huh?

Hummmm, might be a good one for the PC-12

**Tako_Kichi** · May 25th, 2009, 12:31

Originally Posted by Marlin

137 stop tour huh?

Hummmm, might be a good one for the PC-12

The PC-12 would be a good one for sure (as would Bill's Epic). Great in STOL situations, fairly fast for the longer legs and has the ability to go 'over the top' in the mountainous areas.

I had a lot of fun in Piglet's Meyers 200D and the 'Twinkie' especially when staying below 10,000 ft and threading my way through the mountain valleys in bad weather. You really need to turn on 'terrain' in the GPS to do that safely!

The tour has a huge amount of variation in terms of landscape and I was amazed at times. High mountains in the west, a high plateau in the middle and rolling hills/mountains in the east and from high altitude gravel strips in the interior to sea level asphalt airports on the west coast. The tour has something for everybody.

harleyman · May 25th, 2009, 14:14

I'm in too...Thanks for this..Its the kind of thing I really like to do....

I did about half your other one, then had some real life things that stopped me dead in the air so far....

**Warrant** · May 25th, 2009, 14:51

Looks like fun to do! Thanks for sharing

Will remove the canvas from my Kodiak and start planning (that includes a huge amount of coffee-pads to purchase)

**Reddog** · May 25th, 2009, 15:19

Ok after D/l this to my desktop how do I change it from a txt file to a pln file?? Everything I'vr tried doesn't work.

**BASys** · May 25th, 2009, 15:32

Hi Folks

Larry -
Congrats on completing your tour of all the FSX airfields in the UK.

I think you're the first person I've come across
who's completed the entire UK.

British Columbia sounds a worthwhile followup.

If you're interested, (and haven't downloaded yet),
there's various sets of FSX Pilot-Record Postcard rewards,
which you've already earned, (no need to refly),
that'll commemorate your accomplishment.

Available from -
FS-Shipyards - Downloads - Rewards - Visit Series
PS
You need to install them in order,
as some include corrections for earlier versions.

HTH
ATB
Paul

**Tako_Kichi** · May 25th, 2009, 15:51

Originally Posted by Reddog

Ok after D/l this to my desktop how do I change it from a txt file to a pln file?? Everything I'vr tried doesn't work.

All you have to do is rename the file.

Left click on the file TWICE in fairly quick succession but not so fast that it registers as a double-click and then you are able to edit the file name. Then either highlight the '.txt' bit at the end and hit the 'Delete' key or position the cursor at the far right hand side and hit the 'Backspace' key four times to delete the '.txt' bit. Once you have done that you should end up with a file name that says 'BC Tour.PLN' and the file is good to go.

**Reddog** · May 25th, 2009, 18:27

Nope, when I do that it opens it and no where do Isee .txt anyplace. Across the top it says BC tour.PLN-notepad and thats all.

**jetstreamsky** · May 25th, 2009, 18:42

Cool idea,

I'll be trying this tomorrow with a buddy on our weekly multiplayer session.

Thanks

**Tako_Kichi** · May 25th, 2009, 19:33

Originally Posted by Reddog

Nope, when I do that it opens it and no where do Isee .txt anyplace. Across the top it says BC tour.PLN-notepad and thats all.

OK let's try it this way for you assuming you can open a standard '.zip' file.

Save the attached file, unzip it and then place the 'BC Tour.PLN' file in your 'C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files' folder (assuming you are running XP and not Vista), then follow Steps 3-9 above.

**Naismith** · May 25th, 2009, 21:26

And tomorrow (Tues) the Wx is very variable throughout the entire Province with thunderstorms predicted in the northern 1/2 and on/off showers in the south along the Fraser Valley. Should be interesting for real Wx fliers.
Huh? rain in BC? who'd have thunk it?

**Tako_Kichi** · May 25th, 2009, 21:36

Originally Posted by BASys

Congrats on completing your tour of all the FSX airfields in the UK.

I think you're the first person I've come across
who's completed the entire UK.

British Columbia sounds a worthwhile followup.

Thanks Paul, I just DL'd all the rewards packs to take a look at too.

**Reddog** · May 26th, 2009, 05:27

Originally Posted by Tako_Kichi

OK let's try it this way for you assuming you can open a standard '.zip' file.

Save the attached file, unzip it and then place the 'BC Tour.PLN' file in your 'C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files' folder (assuming you are running XP and not Vista), then follow Steps 3-9 above.

Thank you very much I now have a .pln file will check it out this after noon.

**lucas81** · May 26th, 2009, 06:20

Great idea with the flightplan! I am going to try it once i will finish my route from Europe to South America.

abrussell · May 26th, 2009, 09:25

Huh? rain in BC? who'd have thunk it?

Here on the wet coast, the winter rains come sideways at 30 to 40 mph. Put your hat on lock and put a brick in each pocket to keep your feet on the ground.

Bruce

harleyman · July 6th, 2009, 07:42

Hey Latty...This is a blast..On my 9th leg and having a blast.

Ever consider an East Coast one?????????? YES YES PLEASE...

Like one in the Annorandaks..

Or down the Appliacians

Or the Blue Ridge

OK... Just a poke at it ...LOL

These are a real blast.. Many thanks,

**LTCSZ** · July 6th, 2009, 08:00

Looking forward to the Minnesota tour...Northern New England would be great too! Thanks for all the hard work...

Steve in Kansas

**Tako_Kichi** · July 6th, 2009, 08:58

Originally Posted by LTCSZ

Looking forward to the Minnesota tour...Northern New England would be great too! Thanks for all the hard work...

I posted the Minnesota lakes tour a while ago, it can be found here...

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...ad.php?t=16864

**Tako_Kichi** · July 6th, 2009, 09:14

A US east coast mountain tour could be a possibility or maybe a tour of New England (which states make up New England anyway?)

I had thought of an island hopping tour of the Caribbean but they are pretty well covered by online 'hop lists' already (plus I did several for MoCat's island sceneries a while back and several for his Alaska sceneries too but since my last re-install I haven't put his areas back in yet).

Hmmm....maybe a tour of all the airports in Italy could be fun or perhaps a trip around the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea starting and ending at Gibraltar.

So many places to fly and so little time! :isadizzy:

**LTCSZ** · July 6th, 2009, 10:06

Out o'sight!...My vote for the next tour would be Italy!...Thanks so much...

Steve in Kansas (Where you probably won't find any seaplane bases!)

harleyman · July 6th, 2009, 10:18

New england would be ..

Maine
New hampshire
Vermont
UpState New York ????

Maybe Mass and Rhode Island......??? Not sure iof they are considered New England area proper