PRB's Christmas Challenge, Operation Jurassic Park IV

***PRB*** · December 23rd, 2009, 13:02

Well, this is the only Helicopter on the island, so I couldn't be picky! The Canadian Air Force let me borrow it for a couple hours. Well, maybe “borrow” isn't 100% technically accurate. But I will bring it back! I think it has enough seats too.

The weather started out very hazy at dawn, when we left SEGS and headed south west. By the time we got to Isabela, the mist had already burned away, and the visibility at SEII was fine. Saw no iguanadons on the runway, but the “scientists” assured me they were there. Frankly, I don't know what to make of this bunch. I'm going to have my co-pilot keep an eye on em as we head back to SEGS.

***PRB*** · December 23rd, 2009, 17:22

Hey, I'm starting to get the hang of these confounded helicopters. I didn't even crash on two consecutive flights! And this one is so pretty. Shame I have to return it to the Canadian Air Force. Oh, they found out about my borrowing of the little beastie, and they're not too happy about it. I had hoped to get it parked back where I found it before they woke up, but it was not to be... If I can just get these “scientists” on board the transport before they call the local police, everything should be fine. It's not like I broke it or anything. I was very careful!

And do you think these “scientists” appreciate all the trouble they're getting me into? Ha, not a chance. All they do is complain. It's too cold in the back of the helicopter. “Are we there yet?” they keep sending their “spokesman” up to the cockpit to ask. And what's with all the gear they insisted on taking with them from Isabela? I tell ya, they're up to no good.

***srgalahad*** · December 23rd, 2009, 18:31

I love the Flying Banana! Never got the FS9 one to fly well, but I heard the FSX flight dynamics are a lot better (must be, huh?)

As for the 'short term loan' don't worry too much.. we'll just increase the price of the gas we ship south when it gets cold.

***PRB*** · December 24th, 2009, 09:48

Hmm. Decisions, decisions... These are the only transport type airplanes on the island. I've taken the Boeing into and out of Isla Maria Madre, and the Antonov actually has a slower stalling speed, although I have not tried getting in and out in the giant beast. With all the crates and stuff those scientists are wanting to bring along, the Antonov is starting to look better...

**EasyEd** · December 24th, 2009, 10:47

Hey All,

Which one can you land in 3300 ft (MX85)? I think you need to use the same plane for the next leg - does it matter?

I been thinking on just what to do as well. Wondering about a regional jet maybe.

-Ed-

***PRB*** · December 26th, 2009, 18:22

Ok, you'll never believe what happened. We tried to get the Antonov, but the Russian crew were sleeping in their plane. Can you believe that? I thought only I did that! By the time we lost 'em, the 707 had left, so we were stuck without a transport, and the “scientists” were getting nervous. So we're sitting around wondering what we're going to do when the 727 from Venezuela lands. Venezuela! We figured this was just too good to be true. We borrowed some Hugo Chevez t-shirts from the “scientists” and pretended to be the ground crew. We got the ship fueled up and were out of there before they even knew what happened. It was an uneventful flight to Isla Maria Madre. You have to land on runway 19, which butts up against a cliff face. I'm telling you, I'm sure this is where the dinosaur experiments took place. Or at least they escaped to here at some point. We're all watching nervously out the windows, armed to the teeth, waiting for the scientists to get the you know what squared away so we can get the heck out of here.

***PRB*** · December 27th, 2009, 06:13

That was awesome! I gave myself 1 in 5 chances of getting the Boeing three-holer into Penita De Jaltemba (MX85) in one piece. All the way over I thought “what the heck, they're going to blow up the plane anyway, who cares if I crash?” At the same time I was devising a hair-raising plan to pop the spoilers just as I got over the trees, in the hopes that the ship would plunge over the top of the tress and hit the ground with room to stop, provided I could pull the ship out of it's spoiler-induced rate of descent enough to not crash first. When you pop the “boards” on these things, they tend to fall out of the sky like one of Wile E. Coyote's famous anvils. On top of that, I wanted to be a little fast, so that when I did pop the spoilers, it wouldn't slow me down below stall speed... So anyway, it all worked. Amazing. Dang, that was fun.