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#3867288 - 11/24/13 11:28 PM The Big Tour  
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The Big Tour



A Ridiculously Ambitious Trip Around the World
Flight Plan by Lew Doh at X-Plane.org



I've been on a months' long hiatus from flight simming owing to some recent professional and educational changes that have kept me from the hobby. But, what with my schedule clearing up for the winter and the release of some fantastic new add-ons for X-Plane, I'm making time to get back into flying!

I've chosen to follow Lew Doh's "The Big Tour," a massive, meandering flight plan that circumnavigates the globe in over 700 individual legs and over 100,000 nautical miles. The reasons for this decision are as follows. First, it's absolutely insane. With a distance nearly five times the circumference of the earth to be covered, I would have to be crazy to even attempt it. For some reason, this appeals to me. Second, the individual legs are bite-sized bits of the whole, colossal pie; Lew Doh has done his best to make sure each leg falls within the 1-2 hour range, meaning that I won't have to dedicate 6-plus hours at a time to fly a North Atlantic track. The brevity of the individual flights is definitely an advantage considering my hectic schedule these days. Third, the flight plan is very well structured and organized, allowing me to set aside the project should I need to and then easily return to it later. Fourth, in keeping with the intended spirit, the Tour will provide me the opportunity to fly a variety of different aircraft and use a variety of techniques to navigate unfamiliar terrain. Practice makes perfect!

I realize that this is a bit unusual to include in the After Action Reports forum as there will be very little "action" in the bomb-dropping, missile-launching, SAM-dodging sense; however, I do have a mission--to circumnavigate the earth--that I'd like to document and share with the interested parties here. But that's not to say that this journey will be dull! Following the flight plan will take us to some of the most scenic and dangerous airports on the planet; hopefully I can keep things interesting and return home in one piece too!

__________


"The Big Tour" comes with a number of .PDFs providing all the basic airport and navigation information necessary for the voyage. Among the files is an introductory document by the author, outlining the Tour's scope and historical context. I have included his remarks below for those interested.


Originally Posted By: Lew Doh

Introduction to the Tour


Foreword

There are so many ways to take advantage of the capabilities of a flight simulator like X-Plane that everybody has his or her own 'philosophy' about it : leisurely flying with some general aviation aircraft above one's own favourite region or a beautiful landscape, carefully planning and carrying out a commercial flight from a busy international airport to another one, enjoying an adrenaline-rich jet fighter mission (perhaps including a flight deck and some arrestor cables), mastering those rotorcrafts, tuning the piston engines of an old WW II bomber while dead reckoning, flying together with others over the network… whatever floats your boat.
Here's still another (it's one of mine, as you rightfully guessed) :

1. X-Plane comes with gigabytes and gigabytes of terrain data for the whole Earth to be flown over, and thousands of airports to go to. It would be such a pity not to try to make the most of it !

2. Also, X-Plane comes with lots of planes, and the community that has grown around X-Plane has produced many other great aircrafts and add-ons of all kinds : again, not to put them to use would be a shame...

3. Piloting a wide variety of birds in lots of places would better fit into a common framework or some long-term, wider purpose.

Obviously, a world tour comes to mind.

Such a world tour is by no means incompatible with the 'philosophies' as stated above : spectacular landscapes abound, careful flight planning and following procedures add to the challenge, the right choice of the right aircraft with the right conditions provides the right level of adrenaline, giving up some modern navigation technologies makes it even better and cruising with one or more partners takes it to the nth power. It's all yours !

Thus, this world tour has only one purpose : to suggest you to go from point A to point B, then to point C, etc..., until you're back to point A – you decide before each leg what to make of it. Take your time : there are 704 of them..., yes : seven hundred and four... and 100,000 NM to fly..., yes : one hundred thousand nautical miles. Admittedly, there was another purpose : to design one of the most ambitious tour ever for X-Plane !


Originally Posted By: Lew Doh

Background

Such a tour could, of course, be devised from scratch – with the risk of some personal bias. Some preliminary canvas was to be preferred.

Oddly, that canvas I found in an old collection of french books (published around 1930) titled “L'Oiseau de France – Voyage d'une famille française autour du globe”, by R.A. Hédoin (“The Bird of France – Travel of a french family around the globe”). As the title implies, a french family (presumably wealthy !) hires a plane to make a year-long travel around the five continents. These books, today deliciously outdated, were clearly written as a pedagogic tool for the young boys and girls of France of that time, to teach them geography and give them an idea of the place of their country (and its colonies) in the world – with some self-esteem, but no arrogance... . These books remain a pleasure to read.

This choice as a canvas was factually motivated by the incredible coverage of the world the itinerary of the Oiseau de France provided from the outset, and was technically exciting – and challenging – from a 'translation' point of view into basic flight plans for flight simulation. More subjectively, the reenactement of these 'flight plans' of the thirties, for a simulation tool that was not even dreamt of by that time, added to the charm. Each of the five books of this collection covers a continent : Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe. Per the book, the travel begins at Le Bourget, the historical airport of Paris...


So, as you can see, this is a massive undertaking. I'm not sure when--or even if--I'll finish, but let no one say that I didn't try! Time to spool up the engines and embark on The Big Tour!

__________


Standing Add-ons:
Payware add-ons are marked with an asterisk ("*"); unmarked add-ons are freeware.


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#3867320 - 11/25/13 12:26 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Prologue


Originally Posted By: Lew Doh
Taking off from Paris, we first have to reach the Gates of Africa, our first continent to visit : the Strait of Gibraltar. As a warm-up before the real stuff begins, we are heading to southern France and Spain. Though short, the prologue already features places to be seen : the Pyrenees and the Rock of Gibraltar.

Some statistics :
  • Number of legs : 10
  • Total distance : 1,121.7 NM
  • Shortest leg : Córdoba to Sevilla – 55.8 NM
  • Longest leg : Madrid to Córdoba – 170.0 NM


__________


Leg 1
Depart: Paris-Le Bourget (LFPB)
Arrive: Bourges (LFLD)
Aircraft: Beechcraft Baron B58 (Carenado) *

Flight Plan: LFPB PTV LFLD
Distance: 115.2 nm

Scenery:


The first leg of the Tour is a short jaunt from Paris-Le Bourget to Bourges, a town some hundred miles to the south. I've added in the VOR at Pithiviers as a handy navigation aid--nothing too complicated to begin my long journey.

(Remember: you can always right-click on an image and select "View Image" to see it in greater detail.)



It's bright and early* at Le Bourget: I begin preparations as the sun is beginning to peek over Musée de l'air et de l'espace in the background.

* I accidentally forgot to sync the date, which defaults to June, for this flight; sunrise was about 8:15 am in Paris today, so my 6 am flight should have been in the dark!



Since it's a cold morning (about 7 C), I give the engines plenty of time to warm up before we get going. There's a 4-6 kt wind blowing out of the north and I'm instructed to take-off from runway 030.



And we're away! So begins The Big Tour! The northern wind picks up as we climb and we're blown slightly off course.



I turn south as we continue to climb to 10,000 ft, trying to get above the cloud cover. The trip south takes us right over Paris, making for some great views of the historic districts and landmarks.



After tuning the nav radio to PTV, we intercept our radial to Pithiviers and begin to leave lovely Paris beneath the clouds.



I'd forgotten that the Baron can really book it in cruise! It's not long before we have to begin our descent into Bourges. As we slip beneath the cloud cover again, we're treated to a nice view of the French countryside.



We enter the circuit around Bourges and approach from the south-west for runway 060 on account of that brisk northern wind. It's a bit gusty now, but nothing that can't be managed.



And touchdown! The first leg of The Big Tour is complete! All-in-all, a simple, enjoyable flight and a great start to our quest. Feels good to be simming again!




Next Leg: Bourges (LFLD) to Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne (LFLC)



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Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3867347 - 11/25/13 02:33 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Leg 2
Depart: Bourges (LFLD)
Arrive: Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne (LFLC)
Aircraft: Beechcraft Baron B58 (Carenado) *

Flight Plan: LFLD CFA LFLC
Distance: 85 nm

Scenery: Default

Our second leg is even shorter than the first, but we can't let our guard down: our destination, Clermont-Ferrand, lies in a valley to the east of the Chaîne des Puys, a chain of steep volcanic hills that dominates the landscape. Since the winds are coming out of the north-east, we'll have to negotiate an approach from the west, directly over the hills, and descend into the valley.



Undaunted, we take off into the cold wind in our trusty Baron.



Clouds and rain are the forecast for the day; our view of the countryside will be, for the most part, obscured during our flight south.



Every now and again we catch sight of the Auvergne region below.



As we begin our descent, the ground comes up to meet us. Hopefully there aren't any sudden rises lurking in the low-lying clouds!



The clouds part just in time and I turn on to final approach with the runway unobscured. A gentle touchdown and we've safely arrived in Clermont-Ferrand. Leg two in the books!



Next leg: Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne (LFLC) to Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO)



MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3867408 - 11/25/13 07:49 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Leg 3
Depart: Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne (LFLC)
Arrive: Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO)
Aircraft: Beechcraft Baron B58 (Carenado) *

Flight Plan: LFLC MEN GAI LFBO
Distance: 168 nm

Scenery: Toulouse Overlay 2.1

One final leg for tonight, and the last one for now with the good ol' Baron. This particular flight caused me some trouble not because of the actual flying, but some hiccups with a couple of add-ons. Nevertheless, we made it down without a scratch.

After departing Clermont-Ferrand, I thought it would be a good idea to head due south to see if we could get a scenic view of the Chaîne des Puys by flying down their length. From Mende we'd turn south-west for Gaillac before landing in Toulouse.



It's still very cloudy over Clermont-Ferrand, but we take-off without a hitch. I'm certainly going to miss the Baron's climb rate when I fly in less powerful aircraft.



Once I had finished leaning and configuring the aircraft for cruise, I looked out the window to find that the clouds had thinned as we flew south.



As we pressed on toward Mende, the landscape became steadily more rugged and dramatic.



Just taking a load off in the back seat. Don't worry: the co-pilot can handle things up front for now. (I should really come up with a name for that guy.)



Things are pretty uneventful between Mende and Gaillac and it's not long before we descend into Toulouse. The clouds are back and there's a pretty big system blowing in; still, we're able to catch a glimpse of the city's historic center.



The landing is a bit bumpy, but no major problems and we've beaten the rain. Since Toulouse-Blagnac is home to Airbus' assembly plant, it's only fitting that we get a good look at the ungainly Beluga.



Next leg: Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO) to Pamplona (LEPP)



MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3867429 - 11/25/13 09:18 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Nice report and pictures !
That's a daunting task you are tackling, but it's good to start crazy things sometimes. And it gives you a good reason to fly ( for myself, I carry various cargo around in Air Hauler, so keeping my companies running is a good reason to start the PC )
I live in Toulouse, could recognize somehow the town center (very simplified of course...) Hope you had a good night in Blagnac and wish you a good trip over the Pyrénées ( I fly there often with Condor soaring sim )
If you fly with real weather, I'm affraid you won't see much of it !


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#3867453 - 11/25/13 11:26 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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This is cool.

Now..go sleep in the pilot's lounge at the FBO and eat all of their free cookies and popcorn and you'll really be "living the dream".. <g>

Looking forward to the rest!

BeachAV8R



#3867531 - 11/25/13 02:48 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Nice to see this. I have just re-discovered X-Plane and am finally having a little success in getting from one place to another smile2

Next thing to ask is which add-ons are you using with X-plane? Yours looks pretty good to me.

#3867570 - 11/25/13 04:38 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Originally Posted By: corsaire31
Nice report and pictures !
That's a daunting task you are tackling, but it's good to start crazy things sometimes. And it gives you a good reason to fly ( for myself, I carry various cargo around in Air Hauler, so keeping my companies running is a good reason to start the PC )
I live in Toulouse, could recognize somehow the town center (very simplified of course...) Hope you had a good night in Blagnac and wish you a good trip over the Pyrénées ( I fly there often with Condor soaring sim )
If you fly with real weather, I'm affraid you won't see much of it !


Indeed; I expect the Tour will keep me busy for the foreseeable future! Nice that you recognized the city (at least somewhat)--I've been trying to find scenery for the places that I'll be flying and there was a nice little freeware package for Toulouse that covered the nearby airports and landmarks. As for the weather, I'm currently flying the fourth leg and, as you say, sight-seeing is a bit difficult.

Originally Posted By: BeachAV8R
This is cool.

Now..go sleep in the pilot's lounge at the FBO and eat all of their free cookies and popcorn and you'll really be "living the dream".. <g>

Looking forward to the rest!

BeachAV8R


Between free snacks and a rickety couch, I expect I am living living pretty luxuriously right now; I imagine that once I enter the more remote regions of the world sleeping bags and campfires will be in store for me! Thanks for looking!

Originally Posted By: Bacon41
Nice to see this. I have just re-discovered X-Plane and am finally having a little success in getting from one place to another smile2

Next thing to ask is which add-ons are you using with X-plane? Yours looks pretty good to me.


Always good to see another X-Planer in these parts! I'm actually not using very many add-ons. Beside the payware planes, the only other major one is the recently released SkyMaxx Pro which changes cloud rendering and behavior as well as the world sky colors. Everything else is default or freeware. Enhanced Runways HD is a great texture replacer, and XPScenery.net is a nice, easy-to-use source for locating scenery. Let me know if I can help with other add-on recommendations!


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Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3867607 - 11/25/13 06:12 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Thanks, I'll check those out when I get in from work tonight. I suppose if you have downloaded anything to enhance each section of the flight then you could mention it in your AAR.

Hopefully I will be brave enough to start this lunatic escapade as well in the near future. I can feel some of the time off for Christmas being put to good use whenpigsfly

Last edited by Bacon41; 11/25/13 06:14 PM.
#3867621 - 11/25/13 06:42 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Leg 4
Depart: Toulouse-Blagnac (LFBO)
Arrive: Pamplona (LEPP)
Aircraft: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (Carenado) *

Flight Plan: LFBO TBO HUE LEPP
Distance: 206.9 nm

Scenery:


Following Beach's suggestion, I gorged myself on copious amounts of free cookies and popcorn, but the resulting food-coma delayed my start until about 3:30 pm the next day. I suppose it's good that I planned my general route the night before.

After departing LFBO via runway 32R, we'll turn south-west toward Tarbes and gradually climb to 12,000 ft. From there, rather than take a direct route to Pamplona, we'll turn further south and overfly the higher peaks of the Pyrenees, a detour which will hopefully make for some dramatic panoramas. Once we're over the foothills on the Spanish side, we'll intercept our radial from Huesca and head north-east to our destination, Pamplona.



The aircraft of choice for today is the C208B. It's big, ugly, and slow, but, boy, is it rugged. Hopefully the Grand Caravan can take whatever we throw at it. Apropos our first international flight, I've opted for a French-registered livery which boasts: "Aviation Sans Frontières." These are the colors of an actual, Paris-based NGO that provides air services for humanitarian missions the world over. Hats off to them!



Before long, our turbine has spooled up and we're holding short of runway 32R as we make our final preparations for departure.



Give it a little juice and we're off! With 10 degrees of flaps, the C208B shows off its STOL capabilities, requiring only a few hundred feet of runway before it flies itself off the ground.



As I predicted, I'm already missing the Baron's climbing capabilities. The Cessna houses a capable turbine engine, but its got to pull a heavy load. The climb to 12,000 ft. is a gradual one and as the air becomes thinner I need to decrease the vertical speed to stay aloft.



As we overfly Tarbes and turn south, the mighty Pyrenees loom out of the mist.



As corsaire had advised, much of the mountains are wrapped in a thick layer of cloud, making it difficult to observe the geography. Passing peak after peak, we finally cross the alpine border and enter Spanish airspace.



Adieu, France!



The Spanish side of the Pyrenees are even foggier. Not much to see but clouds and sky as we make our way toward Pamplona.



Once again, we've got to negotiate a tricky approach. There's a stiff wind blowing out of the north so we must approach LEPP from the hills that lie south-east of the city. The descent is rather steep.



As I fly into the valley on final approach, the wind picks up and buffets the plane violently back and forth. I immediately think to myself that I should have paid closer attention to the weather reports. Each boreal blast shifts the plane off course and creates a sudden increase in lift under the Cessna's billboard-like wings; it's impossible to establish a proper glide-slope, let alone even keep the plane pointed in the direction of the runway! Up and down, back and forth--we're at the mercy of the icy, northern wind. Any moment now a massive gust is going to send us into a stall and we'll end up a smoking crater in the foothills of Spain.



We cross the runway threshold, still struggling against the wind. It relents for a moment and the plane veers to the right. But just as suddenly it's back with another powerful, northern gust that takes us over the left edge of the runway. As I bring us back on course and hope for a gentle crash into the asphalt, another gust hits us head on and lifts the plane back into the air. I ease off the power and decide to ride it out, hoping for the best...

Touchdown! It's a bumpy landing, sure, but we've survived. Just look at that flight path!



I wheel the plane around and head for the terminal. Even on the ground the wind is trying to have its way with us. I've got to fight the plane's tendency to fishtail the entire way to the parking area.



Parking brakes set and power down. I think I'll definitely wait for the winds to calm before heading back out again. Such a harrowing experience so early on can't bode well for the remainder of the Tour; but we're safe for now and we can enjoy a beautiful afternoon in Pamplona.



After the fact I review the weather at LEPP. Turns out there is a wind advisory for the area, with gusts as powerful as 30 kts from the north. Lesson learned: pay attention to those weather reports!



Next leg: Pamplona (LEPP) to Zaragoza Air Base (LEZG)



MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3867734 - 11/25/13 10:49 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Yep we had pretty heavy winds around here today, went even up to 50+ knots on the Med coast !


Gigabyte Z87P-D3 - CPU I5 4670 Haswell @ 3.6Ghz - 8 Go Ram - GPU HD 7850 2Go OC - SSD Samsung 128Go - HD 2 x WD Black 1 To - 27" Iiyama Pro Lite - Logitech Extreme 3D Pro - Saitek Pro Flight Yoke - Rudder Pedals - Quadrant - Cessna Trim Wheel - Track IR 5 - Logitech G35 headset ... and a big coffee maker !
Flying in FSX/Air Hauler, Wings over Flanders Fields, Rise of Flight, IL2 1946 Hsfx, Condor soaring.
#3867777 - 11/26/13 01:09 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Originally Posted By: Bacon41
Thanks, I'll check those out when I get in from work tonight. I suppose if you have downloaded anything to enhance each section of the flight then you could mention it in your AAR.

Hopefully I will be brave enough to start this lunatic escapade as well in the near future. I can feel some of the time off for Christmas being put to good use whenpigsfly


Good idea. When I get the chance, I'll update the first post with a list of recurring add-ons and include mention of any specific regional/airport scenery in the relevant posts.

Originally Posted By: corsaire31
Yep we had pretty heavy winds around here today, went even up to 50+ knots on the Med coast !


I'm glad I didn't try to land in that neck of the woods! dizzy


MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3868228 - 11/27/13 01:36 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Leg 5
Depart: Pamplona (LEPP)
Arrive: Zaragoza Air Base (LEZG)
Aircraft: Stampe et Vertongen SV.4C (XPFR)

Flight Plan: LEPP LEZG
Distance: 71.5 nm

Scenery:


The gusting has abated at Pamplona so now's as good a time as any to take to the skies and make our way further south! It'll be a short flight today and we'll be going direct from Pamplona to Zaragoza. That's the plan anyway.



Since we don't have to cover too much distance, I'm trading in all the bells and whistles of the Baron and the Grand Caravan for something a bit more old school. Today's aircraft is the Stampe et Vertongen SV.4C, a Belgian two-seater that served as a military trainer during the 1930s and -40s. A number of SV.4Cs still ply the skies of Europe today. My SV.4C is fitted with only a simple compass for navigation--that and my own two eyeballs.

(Note: I've tweaked the .acf file to the real plane's published specifications; as-is, the aircraft is far too heavy to even get off the ground, let alone cruise with a full tank of gas and two pilots on board.)



My co-pilot didn't want to get up for an early morning flight, so looks like he'll be driving to Zaragoza. I fire up the engine and head to the runway. The north winds are still pretty brisk so keeping that free-castoring tailwheel in check is even more challenging; however, once we line up and give her some gas we're in the air in no time!



I turn due east and climb to about 4,000 ft., hoping to take in the last sights of the Pyrenees while I can. Before long I spot my first landmark below: a small general aviation airfield at Lumbier. This is my indication that it's time to start turning south.



On the ridge a few miles south of Lumbier stands a row of wind turbines. The friendly giants wave as I pass overhead.



Further south I spot another rustic airfield, this one at the small town of Sangüesa.



Such a sleepy village. Seems like they could use a little excitement! Ignoring that niggling, cautionary voice in my head, I decide to buzz the tower.



neeeeeEEEEERRRRRWWWWWmmmmm!



With that, I pass out of Navarra and into the fields of Aragón. I cruise south-east at the SV.C4's top speed of about 190 km/h (just over 100 kts), enjoying the sunny skies. As I pass over the Gállego, I turn due south; following the river will take me directly to Zaragoza.



Sure enough: there's Zaragoza, situated at the confluence of the Gállego and the mighty Erbo. As I draw nearer I descend and skirt the city's south-eastern perimeter.



Zaragoza Air Base lies due west of the city. I line up for landing on runway 30R and take full advantage of the headwind--the plane practically flies itself onto the runway!



Leg 5 is in the books and the Stampe has proven itself to be a capable little aircraft; I expect I'll be taking it up again soon! Now to wait for my lazy co-pilot to show up by car.

Next leg: Zaragoza Air Base (LEZG) to Madrid Barajas (LEMD)



MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3868262 - 11/27/13 04:26 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Tertius Offline
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Tertius  Offline
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KAUS
As per Bacon's request, in each post I have now included links to the scenery files that appear therein. For a list of the "standing" add-ons that I am using (e.g., global texture replacements, libraries, etc.), please refer to the new section in the first post of this thread. I'll do my best to keep this updated as things change.


MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3868387 - 11/27/13 03:44 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
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Tertius Offline
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Tertius  Offline
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KAUS
Leg 6
Depart: Madrid Barajas (LEMD)
Arrive: Córdoba (LEBA)
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air C90B (Carenado) *

Flight Plan: LEZG BAN LEMD
Distance: 140.8 nm

Scenery: Default (Aerosoft LEMD)

Once my sleepyhead co-pilot has decided to rejoin me in Zaragoza, I make our preparations for the next leg of the Tour. Leg 6 will take us over the Meseta Central and into the heart of Spain. Departing from Zaragoza, we'll fly east-south-east toward the VOR/DME at Barahona before turning further south toward Madrid, the capital of Spain and her largest city.



The Spanish Air Force operates four C90s for utility and transport purposes, so it is fitting that we fly one out of Zaragoza Air Base. Looks like we'll be taking some SPAF bigwigs down to a meeting in the capital.

Also, I'm a sucker for twin-turboprops.



With two powerful 550 shp turbine engines mounted on the wings, the King Air makes short work of the climb to 10,000 ft. I configure the aircraft for cruising at about 200 kts. It's going to be a quick trip!

Below us the rugged terrain of the Meseta Central zips by.



Since LEMD is a big international airport, we need to follow the published patterns for a smooth arrival. I select a VOR/DME approach for runway 18L and begin the preparations for landing after passing BAN. I've never actually flown a VOR/DME approach before, so this is all a bit new to me: there's a lot that has to happen in a short amount of time and my co-pilot is too busy picking his nose to tune the radios or dial in altitude constraints. Despite his ineptitude, I get the aircraft established on the glide-slope and configured for landing.



Welcome to Madrid!




Next leg: Madrid Barajas (LEMD) to Córdoba (LEBA)


MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
#3868449 - 11/27/13 06:09 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 11
Bacon41 Offline
Lolcat Emperor
Bacon41  Offline
Lolcat Emperor
Junior Member

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 11
Liverpool, UK
Originally Posted By: Tertius
As per Bacon's request, in each post I have now included links to the scenery files that appear therein. For a list of the "standing" add-ons that I am using (e.g., global texture replacements, libraries, etc.), please refer to the new section in the first post of this thread. I'll do my best to keep this updated as things change.


Hehehe... Nice one Tertius! Loving the whole AAR. I have no excuse now you have updated the posts with the file links. I'll have to have a go at this round the world thing smile2

Of course, now you have awoken the beast, I'll nag you if you slow down at any point wink

Seriously though, this could be a good opportunity to get X-plane configured as I go along and each flight should be long enough to learn systems and procedures and other stuff lol, but still short enough to manage in spare time boing

#3868988 - 11/28/13 10:09 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 19,381
Ajay Offline
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Ajay  Offline
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Posts: 19,381
Brisbane OZ
Very cool, look forward to your continued flights smile


My il2 page
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#3869215 - 11/29/13 05:18 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 128
Lasstmichdurch Offline
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Lasstmichdurch  Offline
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Posts: 128
Germany, Frankfurt
This is great...for you...and for us... wink
I really like this report! Nice work!


Give me one ping Vasili, only one ping...
#3869289 - 11/29/13 08:48 PM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,428
corsaire31 Offline
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corsaire31  Offline
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Toulouse, France
Great, keep them coming !


Gigabyte Z87P-D3 - CPU I5 4670 Haswell @ 3.6Ghz - 8 Go Ram - GPU HD 7850 2Go OC - SSD Samsung 128Go - HD 2 x WD Black 1 To - 27" Iiyama Pro Lite - Logitech Extreme 3D Pro - Saitek Pro Flight Yoke - Rudder Pedals - Quadrant - Cessna Trim Wheel - Track IR 5 - Logitech G35 headset ... and a big coffee maker !
Flying in FSX/Air Hauler, Wings over Flanders Fields, Rise of Flight, IL2 1946 Hsfx, Condor soaring.
#3870805 - 12/03/13 03:01 AM Re: The Big Tour [Re: Tertius]  
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 363
Tertius Offline
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Tertius  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 363
KAUS
Thanks for the encouraging words everyone. Things have been a bit busy with family, work, and the recent holiday in the US, so I haven't had much time for flying. Fear not--I haven't given up already! biggrin

That said, I picked up the LES DC-3 on sale this past weekend and installed all the liveries I could get my hands on. If this baby flies half as good as it looks, I think I'll have found my go-to aircraft for some of the Tour's longer legs.


MSI P67A-GD55 | Intel i5 2500 @ 3.3GHz | MSI GTX 760 4GB GDDR5 | G.SKILL Sniper 16GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz | Corsair TX750 PSU | Corsair Force GT 90GB SSD | WD Black 640GB + 1TB HDDs | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit | Saitek X52 Pro | Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | Saitek Pro Flight Combat Pedals | TrackIR 5 w/ TrackClip Pro

Arma III | DCS A-10C Warthog | DCS Ka-50 Black Shark 2 | DCS P-51D Mustang | Flaming Cliffs 3 | X-Plane 10
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