Willy's Cape to Cape Bonanza

[Willy]

Since Miss Nellie approved the two week extension for the completion of the race, I figured that I'd see how far I could get in the Modern era with the Carenado V35 Bonanza.

Leaving Cape Town...

Edited to add that Modern Era for me is in FS 1954

[Willy]

Well, I'm thinking Murphy has taken up homesteading the right seat. Or whoever else is responsible for headwinds.

Still somewhere over South Africa and a bit over an hour to Kimberly. I'll say one thing for the Bonanza, it's excellent range...

[Willy]

Landed safely at Johannesburg Rand (FAGM).

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=HhRtekTovmFLsym3kU8fRCKx9Eg

[salt_air]

Nice!



Good Luck .... again .... :wavey:

[CavalierDuck]

Nice to have another competitor in the modern era race. Good luck, I hope you get to finish in time!

[Willy]

Thanks yall!

Doing a pre-dawn takeoff and heading on north to FLLI

[Willy]

About an hour and half till I get to Livingston. Starting to wonder just what was going through my mind when I took this bet back at the hotel to fly back up to Norway.....

[Willy]

Made it in to Livingston with no major problems. (the pics are in reverse order)

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=QUzHKsDPTCFH9cyapYK26JmyC8

[Willy]

Time to head a bit farther northish. Going to FLKW.

[Willy]

Diverting to FLLC

[Willy]

Down safe at FLLC (Lusaka?).

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=CHxO8tHhaLekIRPWhKFaJvIGrGo

[PRB]

Wow, lots of cool airplanes there!

[Willy]

Thanks P! L to R DC-3, Grumman Goose (way in the back), Avro York, another DC-3, Junkers Ju 52 and of course the Beech Bonanza in front.

[Willy]

Heading on to HTMB.

[Willy]

Had a little trouble spotting the airport, but made it into HTMB with no major problems.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=IIx9HuzhD1FyBZAd3w0i87lp2U

[Willy]

Off to Nairobi (HKNW)

[Willy]

Landed safely in Nairobi. Flew over a big ditch on the way here....

I think that Lockheed twin was parked there when I flew down to Cape Town in the Golden Era!

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=cyG2vsDimrM8oVUJh9ELmvgKT9I

[Willy]

Loading up for an early morning flight to HKKI.

[Willy]

Down safe in HKKI although the ground sure got tall on the way over. Also ran into the first bit of strong weather so far. Going to take a short break and then head on to Entebbe.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=i14vfkK9XycjToy9IWH1CluRzI

[Willy]

Landed at Entebbe in the middle of a thunderstorm. I've got a feeling that between here and the Sahara, the weather is going to get very interesting.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=Mu7M7pbrhu3sGgngmOXGcA0da3M

[Willy]

Loading up on coffee and donuts for the trip to Stanleyville (FZIA)

[Willy]

Ete: 30 mins + landing

[Willy]

Safe in Stanleyville. The only mountain on the whole route was dead in the middle of my flight path. Had to go around it. At least the weather was excellent.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=JubCoRzoJlo70y5AXDuUM3Hs

Pics are out of order. #2 should have been the first.

[Willy]

Heading on down the Congo to FZGA

[Willy]

Made it safely down to FZGA. Took me a few minutes to find the airfield though. Last time I was here, I landed in the river.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=jiPHkl1KGwl7Vf3NP4KhrLaC5aw

[Willy]

Time to head on downriver to FZAB.

[Willy]

Made it on in to Kinshasa (FZAB). The weather wasn't a problem either. But another problem has reared it's head. Where to go from here? Following the route listed in the rules, it's recommended to stop in Lagos Nigeria and risk a run in with the local authorities before proceeding on to the next checkpoint at DRRN. Only thing is the flight planner says I'll need 95gl of avgas and my max capacity is 80. So, it looks like I'll have to make an unplanned stop somewhere between here and Nigeria. Time to break out the map and the rulebook and see what I can do.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=rypnbeNIqqq9GN9KImcTceUQ

[Willy]

Got it figured out. And for the record, my precision guesstimate is 42 hours even.

[Willy]

Leaving the Congo River shortly to go FOOL around.

[Willy]

Made it to Libreville (FOOL).

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=26MeFmychTXmVWdCUsoB5nqNcvw

Pics are backwards (again)

[Willy]

Just left FOOL heading NW to Lagos. Nice longish overwater flight in a thunderstorm. Kind of wishing the Bonanza had floaties about this point.

[Willy]

Going for broke here. Diverting to DRRN. (sure hope this works out)

[Willy]

Feet dry over the Nigerian coast. Went up to 9500ft to stretch my fuel when I diverted. I just hope the tailwind stays with me.

[Willy]

Nigerian Center has such a deal for me. If I send them $10,000, then I can get a share of the Nigerian President's millions from his Uncle's niece's Aunt.

[Willy]

Made it to the checkpoint at DRRN. Now to start working my way across the desert...

Messed up the camera somehow and the only pic I have is the first one I took just after leaving Gabon in the t-storm.

900 miles in 5 hours. I'm in no hurry to repeat that. But I dodged that penalty I'd have picked up if I'd have landed in Nigeria as originally planned.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=nSuY8QTpta87HfUamK8c8ZQ4Ldk
(http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=nSuY8QTpta87HfUamK8c8ZQ4Ldk)

[Willy]

Decided to get an early start and try to get ahead of the plan. On to DAUA. The Bonanza may not be that fast, but it's got legs.

[Moses03]

Nice screenie Willy! Great to see you taking advantage of that nuclear powered confutor.

[Willy]

Thanks Moses!

Made it in to DAUA, but forums were down and it's only a couple hundred more miles so I took back off for Behar.


http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=cxBB7Gd5hzGPbndNjoFbO2NID1o

[Willy]

Down safe at the Bechar (DAOR) checkpoint. Now to do some figuring on where to go next. I'm ready to put this desert behind me, but I think I'll just overnight here and get an early start tomorrow.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=UOSeI8Wu3ij7CcbDWaIDClCxCyI

[Willy]

Going for a 2am start out of Bechar and heading for France.

[Willy]

Lost my internet last night during the flight a little while after I was out over the Med. I diverted to Palma de Mallorca (LEPA) and landed as normal. Everything was looking normal but I did have a ctd after stopping and then taxiing to off the runway but that was after I got the green line at the top of the screen saying the baton was dropped. I went to look at the Duenna and didn't have anything but a system log that says the duenna started up at 00:14:23Z and it says


Finished leg, on-ground

at 03:42:09 which gives me a flight time of 03:27:46 by my calculating. Flight planner says it's 533.5nm distance from DAOR to LEPA.

I'd like to have Miss Murphy look at this and make a decision on whether or not the leg is valid. I've attached the SystemLog file and a screenshot of the approach into LEPA (not that I figure the screenshot is going to be much help).

I'll be at the bar on the beach watching the "scenery"

[MM]

After Miss Nellie's spartan office, it is impressive to see Miss Murphy's shop. A flowered vase colors her workstation to offset the electronic wizardry of a real-time weather display and the telemetry markers for en route aircraft. Abstract modern art graces the walls.

After a few minutes' thought, Miss Murphy allowed that Willy may proceed without delay. "If this were the Round the World Race, Captain Willy would be in serious trouble. But in our more generous format, the Duenna log shows enough evidence of a completed flight for it to pass muster. The documentation does not prove the case. But, coupled with the pilot's testimony, it does constitute sufficient circumstantial evidence of completion that the headquarters staff are satisfied. Lots of determined flying by that fellow! Please pass on our best wishes."

[Willy]

Tell Miss Murphy I said thanks!

Time to get back airborne and head on farther. Wonder how Merc Air's Swiss bank accounts are doing?

[Willy]

Nothing like landing in Interlaken in a thick fog. Especially when you come in from the north and have to turn around in the valley to make your approach. Good thing the Bonanza isn't a big aircraft.

I've decided that as the cutoff date is getting darn close, I'm going to skip the bonus airports and make a beeline for Norway. Right now I'm concentrating on the finish line. Now to figure out just how to do that.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=fdT9mkM1FVbYV8r7HXDbQNcRzq4

[Willy]

Looks like I'm going to be way over my declared time of 42 hours. Still looking for bragging rights to "Fastest Piston Engine" in the Modern Era :icon_lol:

[jt_dub]

I think you've got the fastest Beechcraft in the Modern Era locked up too!:salute:

[Willy]

Thanks Jeff!

Going for another longish haul. This time we'll see if we can make it to Copenhagen.

[Willy]

Took off from Interlaken the hard way so that I wouldn't have to turn around between the mountains again. Actually, taking off toward the mountain is easier than it looks. Just start veering to the right as soon as you're clear of the trees. Sure beats trying to find a low pass.

Just crossed the German border, 500nm to go.

[Willy]

Made it to Copenhagen just fine and this time there wasn't one of those deadly Fw 200s waiting for me. Just a Ju 52.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=3D2ZqVlGfdfsNI4jcFgjlqpd3EM

[Willy]

Heading on north to ESNX.

[Willy]

Lots of fog and headwinds. I must be living right.

[Willy]

Despite the weather, I made it fine to ESNX. Next stop, ENHV! But we'll save that one for tomorrow.


http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=ZBMO8imzQOjEyQMNdVL1CLJQNsU

[Willy]

Let's wrap this up. Enroute to the finish line at ENHV.

[Willy]

Flying through a 36kt crosswind. Crabbing in mid-air.

[PRB]

Good luck on the final lap!

[Willy]

Thanks Paul! I'm just cruising along kind of sideways at 5500ft with the 8 track playing some good tunes.

[Willy]

Raining at the Finnish border.... Crosswind is now 43kts

Edit: Oops, that was the Norwegian border!

[Willy]

15 minutes + landing.

[Willy]

Down safe. I flew over the airport first to get an idea on how to make my approach as there's hills on both ends of the runway. But in the end, the winds on the ground at 37kts from the west made the decision for me land on Rwy 26.

http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?detail=flight&value=9kUG83OqyQnRjA5NTfkGd4DL1IE

[Willy]

8984.9nm in 52:11:06 hours. Over 10 hours more than my "Precision Guesstimate"

[MM]

Congratulations, Willy. Cape-to-Cape-to-Cape in Beech and Beech.

Hope Jeff is still buying!

[PRB]

Bravo Zulu Willy!

:icon29::guinness:

[robert41]

Congrats Willy. :ernae:

[Great Ozzie]

Congratulations, Willy. Cape-to-Cape-to-Cape in Beech and Beech.

Hope Jeff is still buying!

The good news he is...

The bad (well... could be good) news is he's at the Sunset Beach Bar (St. Maarten).

[CavalierDuck]

Well done Willy! That's some impressive flying stamina completing both Golden Age and Modern Era events. Congratulations!! :salute:

[jt_dub]

The good news he is...

The bad (well... could be good) news is he's at the Sunset Beach Bar (St. Maarten).

Nope, The (bad/good) news is that I am back from paradise. The North Cape Bar is open and the tab is mine.

Nice job Willy. I'd say you done some flying!

Jeff

[Moses03]

Good job Willy. :guinness:

[Willy]

Thanks guys! I'm still thinking I probably should have had my head examined for flying both ways...

[RedGreen]

Willy, you sir indeed deserve a special level of congratulations for being the only pilot to successfully complete both a Golden Age and a Modern Era run. You have my utmost respect and admiration. :ernae:

[oldpropfan]

South and then back up North, that is some amazing flying, I'm in awe that you made the double run.:salute:

[MM]

Not so sure that it's a good idea to have one's head examined. Dangerous to find out what is actually rattling around inside...