Having become familiar with an aircraft and having a flight going to plan, for the return I felt the need to inject a bit of chaos. Reading the reviews and seeing the great potential and opportunity for calamity, I decided to treat myself to the DC-6.
EDDM → EGLK (Blackbushe Airport)

The first hurdle I had to overcome was to work out how to program the flight plan into the Garmin. This took quite a while, but reviewing videos and a bit of reading I managed to get the everything sorted. I made good use of the get ready for flight aids, selected some flaps and opened the throttles.

The Douglas Hedgetrimmer
What a nice feeling to be in something a little slower, I thought as we rumbled down the runway. Pulling back on the stick I was expecting a gentle climb out, but this didn’t happen. With the hedges trimmed at the end of runway 26R and the plane safely retrieved back to the threshold, I had another go…
and another go…
Some time later and with nothing taller than the wing of the DC-6 at the end of the runway, I noticed the control column wasn’t moving. Lets have a look at the checklist, I knew it was there for a reason and not just to act as a coaster.
The control column lock was still engaged. 
Removing this made all the difference and we were soon underway balancing the prop pitch and the throttles to get the best rate of climb.

We’re on our way home - nursing it up to 20,000ft
I spent a while trying to figure out the autopilot but having done what it said in the manual and still not getting the right result, I put the switches and levers back to the original positions and decided to leave well alone.
The trouble is with a long slow flight and all those buttons… nope. I resisted the urge and just stuck to following the course and enjoying the late evening sunshine.

Crossing the Belgium coast at Zeebrugge

Clacton-on-sea somewhere down below

Midhurst beacon in the descent
I began descending as I crossed the coast I knew approximately how long I would have to land once I reached Midhurst. Farnborough airport came and went on the right, then I misread the map and confused Odiham with my home aiport, its quite easy as they are all within a few miles of each other.

Turning finals - finally

Crossing the A30 on approach
Coming in to land at a nice approach speed, I put the DC-6 down for a lovely landing. There was no fanfare or anyone there to recognise the achievement, but I had a big grin on my face. I’d made it! Anarctic and back. Woohoo!

Home
Over the last four months, I’ve learnt a ton about air navigation, aircraft systems and have an even greater appreciation for everyone who does this for real. Thanks again to everyone who has participated in the flight out and flight back. I wouldn’t have started this crazy adventure without you.
I’ve had so much fun doing this, having spent pretty much all my civilian sim hours prior to this adventure flying back and forth between two airfields 70 odd miles apart, this has been something else.
A complete waste of time, but isn’t that what all great hobbies are about. 