MM's Mission to Mindanao

[MM]

Flying the Milviz P-38L using ASN weather in FSX. We shall run the kickoff legs in a multiplayer session.
--M

[MM]

Departing AGGT-AGGA once we get our gaggle together.

[MM]

Safely arrived.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...1xI5WgZGlajJIM

[MM]

Departing AGGA-AGGF in a moment.

[MM]

Had to abort. Active Sky connection was broken. (Lost the high crosswinds and storms in FSX default and I thought the weather was too nice!)

Restarting AGGA-AGGF.

[MM]

Down safely at AGGF.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...YnxIaWL9jeVfAI

[MM]

Flying AGGF-AGGV shortly.

[MM]

Landed.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...K3JjCd1Ki7Hh4M

[MM]

Heading over to Munda to get out of this thunderstorm. AGGV-AGGM.

[MM]

Down at Munda.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...ecdGVU45DFLnbg

[PRB]

Had to abort. Active Sky connection was broken. (Lost the high crosswinds and storms in FSX default and I thought the weather was too nice!)...

Definitely something wrong when FS says the weather is nice...!

[MM]

A few snapshots of a small kickoff event on multiplayer. (DC was in FSX Steam, but technology prevents a FSX Classic and FSX-SE connection.)

First, the four starters at Santa Anna on FSX. Then single views of Jeff, Mike (P-38), Ron and Josh.

[MM]

Then a few action shots. (1) Josh landing at Auki (AGGA). Note the windsock showing the strong crosswinds. (2) Ron circling to land at Auki. (3) Josh and Mike at Maringe (AGGF) waiting for Ron – who took a different approach. (4) Mike trying to fly straight and level in the turbulence over Munda. And (5) Jeff landing smoothly at Munda (AGGM).

[MM]

Drop duplicate post.

[MM]

Departing AGGM-AGGE. Hmmm. A P-38 to Ballalae...not a good day for visiting Japanese admirals to be punctual.

[MM]

Up and down through the clouds safely into AGGE.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...SrmAzDfuWHUwpI

[MM]

Next to Buka where, one hopes, there is a hotel bar. AGGE-AYBK.

[MM]

And then safely down at Buka where the possibility of a comfortable bar seem promising.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...NcgQxOtoEe5i0c

[MM]

Some Kodaks of the trip from Munda to Buka. The skies were turbulent all throughout – as the entire SWPAC 2.0 pilot roster can attest.

Below, the Lockheed's radical design, penned by Hall Hibbard and Kelly Johnson, flies over the clouds and jungle of the Slot. The first part of the trip was accompanied by an undercast that made for poor sightseeing. But the occasional glimpses of the islands along the Slot were enough to make VFR navigation doable.

Then the familiar landing at Ballalae. The Japanese ran a major airbase on the island with some 95 aircraft based here during 1943. After the fall of Singapore, some 517 British POWs were transferred here to build the airfield. Many died of starvation and disease and Allied bombing before March, 1943, when the survivors were summarily executed and buried in a mass grave.

On April 18, 1943, the brilliant Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was scheduled to land here on a morale-building inspection tour. When his radio communications were deciphered by US Intelligence on April 14, Roosevelt's order was "Get Yamamoto." Four days later, eighteen P-38G pilots of the 347th Fighter Group flew a low-level mission out over the Coral Sea from Guadalcanal to the Ballalae area. Taking advantage of Yamamoto's legendary punctuality, they successfully intercepted and shot down Yamamoto's Mitsubishi G4M1 Betty over southern Bougainville. In some ways, this was a psychological turning point in the Pacific war.

The airport at Ballalae is now in bi-weekly use. However, "no one lives on Ballalae, and the rest of the island has reverted to dense jungle. Full of swamp and dense jungle, Ballalae is notorious for scrub typhus, and other varieties of insects, diseases and dangers. Two anthologists stayed overnight on the island and died soon afterwards from the tropical aliments. Others report strange rashes, bites and infections from insects of the island. " Pacific Wrecks

Not wishing to linger, I quickly took off for Buka…but found myself unable to gain any airspeed. Gear and flaps were up (duh!), props were fine and manifold pressure high. This made no sense…but wait…how about the dive flaps? Yup. Somehow I had inadvertently triggered the dive flaps. Up they went and all returned to normal.

Flew up over the hills of Bougainville, passing Empress Augusta Bay (below). This was the spot where the US Marines landed at Cape Torokina in November 1943. The Marines, then the Army, and then the Australian Army established and maintained a wide perimeter in which four airfields were constructed. The mission was to destroy the Japanese naval and air power at Rabaul. (The legendary Jolly Rogers, VF-17 of Tommy Blackburn, flew from Piva field here.) During this time, the Japanese Army continued to hold most of Bougainville. The two sides were stalemated – with the Japanese surrendering only when the war formally ended.

Empress Augusta Bay constitutes an important site for local fishermen. It was the pollution of the Bay from the huge Panguna Mine that prompted a brutal ten-year rebellion with the local Bougainville forces seeking independence from Papua New Guinea. Although a ceasefire has lasted a decade now, the matter remains to be settled. Armed guerilla forces continue to control high mountain jungle areas that include the Panguna Mine.

[MM]

After flying at altitude, I descended "with all deliberate speed" skimming the mountainsides on the northern end of Bougainville almost as though it were a downhill ski run. Then a quick turn to bleed off speed, lower gear and flaps, and stick a landing.




The approach into Buka gave a welcome sight of civilization. At the left of the airport, on the waterway, stands the charming Reasons Bar & Grill. Just the spot for a bit of refreshment and clean accommodations.




Of course, there were substantial crosswinds at the field, as evinced by the stiff windsock in the picture above. This challenge of crabbing into stiff crosswinds is now familiar to all our SWPAC pilots.




No worries.

[Ron Attwood]

A fine post. Thanks.

[MM]

Thank you.

On to Malekolon. AYBK-MKO.

[MM]

Stormy all the way. Safely down as the storm was rolling on on Molokolon. A little turbulence on landing as landed softly on the dirt strip.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...dECF4b9IDgpdkw

[MM]

Not wanting to get caught by the storm, I'm off for Rabaul's promised better weather.
MKO-AYTK

[MM]

Over New Ireland and Beaudoin's Rift into AYTK. Stiff winds on the deck but the turbulence did not follow me down. All is good.
http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFli...mWhrpPG1byCOJU