Flight 19 European Vacation

[Willy]

Left Rhinelander for the B-24 factory at Willow Run in Detroit. It got dark on us and the closer we got, the worse the weather got. Could'nt see the runyway until we were about 1.5 miles out. I wasn't properly lined up but did set down on the runway, but then went off of it and hit something that I never saw. Hope there's some PB4Y-2 parts here...

[Taco]

Just a couple of snaps of last nights flight.

[Willy]

Left Detroit behind and headed on east to Toronto. Nice flight but watching the weather deteriorate more and more the closer we got was a bit disturbing. Discovered that if you get on the Privateer's brakes hard, it goes into a crash. I was planning on switching to a DC-4 for the trip on into Boston anyway.

[Taco]

A few snaps of the last nights flight. Man, sure tired of landing or trying to land in the fog. Had a break last night the fog lifted just enough in order to get lined up on the runway at CYTZ.

[Willy]

Filed a flight plan on into Boston with some intermediate stops and attached it.

[srgalahad]

Got a deal on a DC-4 being held for unpaid bills, but had to ferry it back from Montana

Attachment 51632 Attachment 51633 Attachment 51634

[MM]

Hmmm. Flying short hauls into small Pennsylvania and New York cities. And it is almost wintertime. A change is in order.

Here is an "AI" for a Mohawk Airlines Convair CV-240:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ztgjnf4j363r35z

Here is the title:
title=CV-240 MOA_N1019C_01

[Willy]

Well that was an interesting flight in the DC-4, especially the last few minutes. The flight to Johnstown PA (KJST) went well enough although I was tail end charlie and a bit behind the others. After having given the passengers the "Get right with God" announcement, I was setting up into the approach to Runway 23, I heard over the radio about a telephone pole on the threshold so I figured to come in a bit high. That went well enough, but once I touched down it was like the brakes had been greased. I just wasn't losing near enough speed to keep from going off the end of the runway, so I went full throttle and barely cleared the trees at the end of the runway.

Figuring that 23 wasn't going to work, I swung out a bit and made a "Spitfire approach" onto 33 setting down close to the numbers. Standing on the brakes, I ran off the other end of the runway but that time I was going slow enough to make a 180* turn onto the taxiway to come to a stop.

Got to find me a good brakes mechanic before someone gets hurt....

Pics are scrambled

[srgalahad]

Ah yes... another NOTAM someone failed to issue. "70ft high wooden pole 75 ft from threshhold Rwy 23, 10 ft from centerline".

Mostly nice flight in-and-out of cloud and rain, IFR @ 7000'.

Attachment 51660

Good ceiling and vis so we elected a visual Rwy 23.

Attachment 51661 ... as I started to reduce power near the threshold (remembering the lousy brakes) I saw a 'line/shadow' that quickly became a dark pole. Quick push on the throttles, a wiggle and corrected to land about 1/3 down the runway. F/O is shrieking into the radio to warn the rest of the group (didn't know he could hit those high notes so well...) and we taxied to the ramp and the dry-cleaners. In replay our right wing cleared the pole by (maybe) 10 feet and the #4 prop by less.

Attachment 51662 here you can see Willy trying to err on the side (up) of caution.... and here's the view later Attachment 51663

[Moses03]

Great flight out of snowy Johnstown to Binghamton. A collection of short haul Convairs, along with an odd Douglas and Lockheed. Welcome back P!

[Willy]

Nice flight to Binghamton NY, original home of Flight Simulation. And welcome back to PRB!

[Taco]

Welcome back PRB! A few photos of the last flight from Johnstown, where it was snowing, to Binghamton where the weather was a little better. Nice flight. Wow! the pictures are in order!

[PRB]

Thanks all! It's good to be flying again, yay! Got bit by the Convair bug going around, evidently. Fun flight into New York. Looks like we're headed north a bit more.

[Moses03]

For Mike (and all). Some great stuff here:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...ohawk-Airlines

[Willy]

We left Binghamton and headed north to Montreal, landing at Dorval airport. Other than a minor foo fighter problem at Dorval, it was a nice flight.

Pics are a bit scrambled up.

[PRB]

Fun filled flight to Dorval (Montreal). Pretty cloud formations to fly through and look at most of the way. Snuck up on this big green tri-tailed Lockheed. That was fun.

[Moses03]

The comings and goings at Presque Isle, Maine.

[Willy]

Nice flight to Presque Isle, Maine.

[Peacemaker]

Attachment 51884

[Willy]

We flew on into Augusta Maine with local guide service. Nice flight and interesting tour.

[MM]

Learned a great deal about Maine, Calgary, and Hawaii. PRB and SrG put on a show of close-in formation flying. And Willy showed his mastery of Real Engine. Delightful flight.

[PRB]

Fun filled flight from Presque Isle to Augusta (KAUG). Intercepted the Kennebec River a bit north of Waterville, slid west a bit, flying over the Messalonskee Lake, to set up for an approach to 17. Saw what looked like a gravel pit off the end of 17, and I'm not sure, but I thought I saw two kids huddled at the rim of the pit, watching us as we landed. After we landed I drove out there, and there was no gravel pit. It must have been my imagination... Got a pic of SrG and MM doing some formation stuff.

[Willy]

We left Augusta and flew down to Boston where this started. It's been a fun flight, but it's time to move on to something else.

The last pic is a preview of what's to come...

[srgalahad]

Finally got the snaps back from the lab..

Attachment 52164 enroute from KPQI to KAUG, got to spend some formation time with MM's CV240

Attachment 52165 departing KAUG, traffic required a right turn and got a glimpse of the Maine Capitol as we climbed out

Attachment 52166 a nice evening, perfect for some more Attachment 52167 formation flying, first with MM and then

Attachment 52168 with Willy's 'no-brakes' Douglas

Now to grab a sked flight out of here for...

[teson1]

I understand you guys are home, right ?

What an amazing trip ! And what a show of team spirit !
Impressive.
Congratulations to a great team !

Did anybody maintain a map of your flights?

It's been a pleasure to follow you along on your wanderings.
Great photos, interesting and enjoyable stories (you seem to have trailed Achmed, or what did you do to him?)
I wouldn't have imagined that you would make it all around the world. For an european vacation that was quite a trip. And in record time, with always a complete team showing up.

Frankly - Hats off to Flight 19 !!!

:salute: :salute: :salute: