So, Chris (@BeachAV8R) , any thoughts on a destination for a Christmas Trek?.. The earlier we start, the slower we can fly 
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Hmm…yes…definitely time to dig into that. Lemme put my thinking cap on.
I have a shiny new sim and I need somewhere to go! I have to admit I’m hoping we get some 3rd party aircraft before I start the trek though.
I’m hopeful that this one will be ready in time…
I am in agreement. The majority of the current crop of AC are not my usual types, though I am having fun with the Shock Ultra doing some bush flying. Also the general lack of steam gauges across the entire fleet is glaring.
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Some ideas…
Luckla VNLK : Stunning scenery but not suitable for all aircraft. We could alternatively use Kathmandu VNKT for those who want to fly an airliner.
Punta Arenas, Chile (SCCI). This would give us a scenic route either down the length of the Andes, or across the Amazon region. It would be a long trek from Europe though…
Queenstown, New Zealand (NZQN)…a favorite of mine, but maybe too short a hop for @Bearhedge.
Cape Town, South Africa (FACT). Suggested mainly because I haven’t really done much sim flying in Africa.
Seychelles Islands (FSIA) This would also give us a long trek, across Africa.
Mauritius ( FIMP), another exotic spot in the Indian Ocean…
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It’s 2. September. In three months it will be 2. December. Christmas is 24/25. December…
— Santa
I’m going to get my Christmas lights up early this year…the sooner we get to Dec 31st 2020 the better .
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I don’t mind if it’s Queenstown - I’ll fly a little GA plane and use the opportunity to practice flight planning with a more detailed approach with actual sectional charts etc. 
May have to get FS2020 for that…
If it’s further afield, the plan is to use the XP Flyjsim 727 with the CIVA INS…which will be a slightly daunting but fun learning exercise.
So - no bad options there!
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For historical reasons I was going to suggest Howland Island but it is nothing but a stripped bare rock formation now. From Google satellite I do not even see a single tree, building, or roadway left.
Wheels
I think…given the excitement and drama that was part of the MSFS release, we should honor our time zone benefactors in Kiribati with a visit for the Mudspike 2020 Christmas Flight. Whatchya think? Specifically, the appropriately named Christmas Island (ICAO CODE: PLCH) (Kiritimati) (not to be confused with our 3rd Annual Flight to Christmas Island of Australian governance)
Kiribati consists of 32 atolls and one solitary island Banaba, extending into the eastern and western hemispheres, as well as the northern and southern hemispheres. It is the only country that is situated within all four hemispheres.
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Sigh… I’ll be over here building more orthos…
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Looks good to me. I might even download microsoft flight sim for this one.
So, looking at PLCH, the only thing that might be an issue is it’s how remote it is from the rest of the world… the nearest airports are Kona and Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. These airports are about 1200nm distant, which would limit the aircraft types that could get there. Hawaii itself isn’t easy to get to in a small airplane. If we do go to PLCH, I think I’ll have to dust off the Almanac and brush up on my Celestial Navigation. That will mean flying the oceanic legs in XP11, but that’s really not a show stopper.
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In the Freeware PBY, that should be… 9 hours?
It’s a big ocean…even when you are in a jet.
Have to be honest, not interested in spending 9 hours flying over water. lol.
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Autolevel and bedtime @Rhinosaurus. There should be less than an hour left to fly when you get up after your 8 hours.
Wheels
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Or just timewarp.
Since that place is almost as far away from Germany as possible on our planet I will most likely fly it using the Citation Longitude in FS2020.
Unless there is another good business jet released soon. Would love to fly the Challenger 300 in FS2020, I like it in XP11.
Or a Citation X…, or a Falcon 50…
Also:
I am just not sure which route to fly…
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I would vote for somewhere with a bit more landmass involved getting to it. One of the benefits of MSFS is that full world ortho. Flying at least 2900nm or water seems like kind of a waste. I’d suggest something near one of the poles. For most of us, that’s going to take some flying to get that far N/S and depending on the sim we use plenty of opportunity for sight seeing.
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so you could go Island hopping from Sydney, with the longest leg being 683
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