Manfredc3, Rookie started his LM adventure.

[spokes2112]

Well done! Almost there

[manfredc3]

Thanks Roman,

It surely is giving us a great deal of respect for the pilots that flew this race in 1934, because we are pretty darm tired.

After a short nap, and checking the "Uiver" on it's status, we quickly loaded back up for our next trip to Charleville.

Departing!
YCCY-YBCV

ETA: 12:45pm

[manfredc3]

Arrived at Charleville airport after a very smooth flight. THe longest legs are now behind us. Two more shorter hops to go and we will be in Melbourne.

We better not waste any time, have the airplane checked, and prepare our paperwork and flightplan for the next leg.
The sooner we head out the more chance we have of arriving in Narromine before mother nature turns off the lights.

We are all very tired, if not exhausted, but the idea of reaching Melbourne tomorrow, before the deadline ends, is giving us all such an adrenaline kick, that we do not feel the pain and fatique.

ATA: 12:46:23

Flight Time: 3:40:21
Routine Ground Time: 00:45:00
Special Ground Time:
Penalty time:

FlightLog_11-27-42.TXT

[manfredc3]

After checking the airplane, and a mechanic fixing one of the flap mounts, that seems a bit loose, We are ready for our last flight, before the big day tomorrow.

We are actually making it to Melbourne on time, YAHOO!!


YBCV - YNRM

ETA: 16:50

Update!!

Oh boy, had a scary departure. Right after take-off the battery power went down to 17.7 Volts, no power to the radio, and no juice from the generators. Sperry non-functional, and no power to the brakes.
So I decided to turn around and go back.

Right at that moment the airplane went in to a stall. Stue started screaming "I thought you checked EVERYTHING!!"
Well I did, but didn't find anything wrong.
Managed to pull out of the stall, and all of a sudden the generators started to work again, so the battery power was creeping op. Got power back to the brakes, and and the Sperry came back alive.
So I decided to turn back on course and continue the flight.

Phew, that was a scary minute that felt like it took forever, and having a Freaked out stewardess screaming in your ear did not help the situation.

Hoprfully we will make it safely to Narromine. And there I will have a mechanic check out the battery, connections and generators.

Come on lady, don't die on us that close to the finish line.

Now I need a strong cup of coffee. I was surprised at my own reaction during this event as I managed to stay calm and focussed. I think that's what kept us alive, and in the race.

Okay, btb..., Let's keep my a-game up, and get us to Narromine.

[manfredc3]

Made it in to Narromine without any further issues. Still want to know what happened after departure with the generators and battery. Might be a long night figuring that one out, but I want to make sure this does not happen again on our final flight in to Melbourne, tomorrow.

But I don't think that hickup earlier will change the crew's enthausiasm. We are all very excited.

ATA: 16:43:29.

Flight Time: 2:39:00
Routine Ground Time: 00:45:00
Special Ground Time:
Penalty time:

FlightLog_14-43-41.TXT

[Dil52]

Bring her home today Sir! Enjoying your story in the Melbourne news rag!

[manfredc3]

Bring her home today Sir! Enjoying your story in the Melbourne news rag!

I will certainly do my best Sir, Oh, And I'll make sure to pick up that newspaper.

[manfredc3]

Okay, we are all ready and very excited that we are now anle to make that final flight in to Melbourne.

Quick update on our issue with the generators and battery yesterdat; After several hours of searching and test flying. between me and a volunteer mechanic, we finally found the cause of the problem.
A connector of one of the power cords from the generators got loose, resulting in the insulation being scraped off. That caused a disconnect every time we banked above a certain angle.
It's one of those thing that's really hard to find.

But with that fixed we are confident that our final flight in to Melbourne will be successful.

Okay just filed my flightplan, s owe are heading out, and looking forward to a pleasant arrival and party this afternoon.

DEPARTING!!

YNRM - YMEN

ETA: 13:30

We hope to see you all in Melbourne to share our stories.

[manfredc3]

Oh, wow. Unbelievable, the feeling when we touched down at Essendon, Melbourne.

WE MADE IT!!

I will post more about our final flight later, as the adrenaline is still rushing though me, and my crew. And the news reporters are al over us.

ATA: 13:17:51

Flight Time: 2:34:05
Routine Ground Time:
Special Ground Time:
Penalty time:

FlightLog_11-00-21.TXT

[Spookster67]

Well done!! Your determination is impressive, and I'm looking forward to the full story of the last leg.

[robert41]

Welcome to Melbourne. A great run. Congrats.

[manfredc3]

Well done!! Your determination is impressive, and I'm looking forward to the full story of the last leg.

Welcome to Melbourne. A great run. Congrats.

Thanks for the compliments and welcome, gentlemen.

It was quite the journey.

[PRB]

A right splendid show, and a hearty Navy Bravo Zulu to all on board!

[manfredc3]

So, now that we finally have some privacy, after all the attention we got after our arrival in Essendon, am sitting down with a well deserved (I think so) beer.
That gives me the chance to recap our final leg of the London to Melbourne race.

Departing from Narromine was without any issue, so the generator problem seemed to be resolved successfully. Only thing different for previous departures, was that me and the crew were extremely excited to finally make it to Melbourne, and on the deadline date. If anyone would have told me a week or so ago that we would make it to Melbourne, then I would have called them crazy.

About 30 minutes before entering Melbourne airspace we were joined by a P3 Orion from theRoyal Australian Air Force. Over the radio they informed us that we were their escort in to Essendon. Now that was a welcome surprise. The pilot found it, and I quote, "a privilege to to join such an iconic aircraft on it's final leg to the finish line".

The Orion crew took some pictures, of our beloved "Uiver", as we made our way to Melbourne.





As we announces our approach to the tower, they re-directed all inbound traffic away from runway 25, giving is a clear entry in to Essendon.

Due to the strong crosswind I had to do some crabbing to safely land on runway 25.



Stue could not stay away from the cockpit during that time, as she wanted to see is touch-down.

All in all this was an incredible experience, and I want to thank the Australian authorities for their support and hospitality.

The mayor of Melbourne offered us a welcoming dinner with all other pilots that made it in to Melbourne, but we all agreed that some well deserved sleep would be first on our list. Yje mayor understood, and we are now all invited next Wednesday for dinner. I hope to be able to share experienced with all pilots at that time.

Now it's time for a few more drinks with the crew and others, and then sleep and rest .

[rwhsim]

"Congratulations on bringing Uiver back to Melbourne. Really an amazing accomplishment. We are glad you did not have to make use of our racecourse, all prepared for you just in case. We would like to invite you and Stue to visit us at your convenience to celebrate your accomplishment. A day-time visit would be preferred; just give us a few hours advance notice, and we will get the "barbie" going. Drinks of course are on us!"

Well done!

Sorry that should be telegram "From" Albury

[manfredc3]

Thank you for the invite. I love "Barbie" food. After checking with Stue, Friday 12/05 would be fine, and any time after 14:00 will work for us.

[manfredc3]

After a good night sleep, and taking the time for a good breakfast, it's time to give kudo's.

We want to thank Miss Nellie and her staff for an excellent job organizing and managing this great event. A personal thanks goes to Miss Nelly for keeping me out of jail (even though she used my wine as leverage)

I want to thank my crew members for a job well performed, and especially Stue for keeping me on my toe's.

And last, but not least, our beloved Douglas DC-2 "Uiver" for enduring my rookie mistakes, and keeping us all safe.

Looking forward to the next London to Melbourne event in a year or so, but I guess I will not be able to enter as a rookie again


So, now I have to figure out the route to get the "Uiver" back to the Netherlands. We did not work on that before the race, as we were not sure how our grande old lady would do. Well, she certainly surprised us all.
But for now, the airplane will stay in Melbourne, while we fly back on a commercial flight next weekend, to celebrate the Holidays with our families.

[manfredc3]

A right splendid show, and a hearty Navy Bravo Zulu to all on board!

Thanks from all of us. We really appreciate the compliments

[robcap]

Congratulations on a job well done.

Rob!

[manfredc3]

Congratulations on a job well done.

Rob!

Thanks for the compliment Rob.

It was a steep learning curve, flying you and your team's excellent rendition of the DC-2 "Uiver" by the numbers. But that was the reason I entered the race with this graceful lady, to learn the in's and out's of my most favorite aircraft. And the legacy of the "Uiver" is unprecedented. I can only hope that I did it justice.

But now I can call myself an experienced "Virtual" DC-2 pilot.

[spokes2112]

Spectacular run! Kudos for hitting all the "original" airfields! Bravo Zulu!

[robcap]

But now I can call myself an experienced "Virtual" DC-2 pilot.

Good on you! Thank YOU for the compliment.

Cheers, Rob

[manfredc3]

Spectacular run! Kudos for hitting all the "original" airfields! Bravo Zulu!

Thanks Roman,

The run certainly had it's challenges, but it was an unforgettable experience. The "Uiver" team did an amazing job bringing this wonderful airplane to the virtual world. It is definitely a "must have" for anyone that loves the vintage props.

[manfredc3]

Thank YOU for the compliment.

Cheers, Rob

Rob, the compliment is well deserved.

Anyone who loves vintage props should have this one in their hangar.

Happy flying,

Manfred

[manfredc3]

With an enjoyable dinner at the Lord Major's house (his wife is an excellent cook!) we established everlasting contacts for us personal, as well as London's commercial aviation. Heck, we even set dates for the KLM to meet with local Airlines and businesses. Aviation future between Europe and Australia is looking promising.

I have been in contact with KLM regarding the return flight to the Netherlands. They pretty much agreed to fund the continuation of our trip east wards.

This means, that the London to Melbourne Race ends where the trip around the world continues. KLM did demand promotional stops at certain cities, to which I was happy to agree.
I mow have to talk to the crew, and find out if they are interested to continue the journey with me, or that I will have to find a new crew. I'll discuss that with them tomorrow, after the bbq.

Then they have the Holidays to think about it. Plan is to depart fro Essendon by the end of January 2015. I'm not sure where I will be reporting about that. It might be in this thread, or I may have to start a new one. (That is, if anyone is interested in reading about it!?)

For now I wish everyone Happy Holiday's. Oh, that's from all crew members!

Happy flying,

Manfred