I’m getting there! 34.63 REP…
1 Like
Been all over today. I currently have my Husky stuck at Spokane with a load that is .8 lbs. short of completion. I tried to get my AI pilot to go retrieve the last bit that apparently is still at Pullman but no luck. So I’m using the MAD Bush 172 to get back down there to see if I can find the missing cargo…
2 Likes
Looks like a heroic effort!
You should have enough money to buy stuff already 
OK - looks like I reached 40.03 with my final Husky flight into KPUW. The old Husky did a fine job. By my count we flew 39 real time hours on it and flew 65 contracts to get to a cargo REP of 80.10 and an overall REP of 40.03.
Company Cash (MAC) is at about 180K…
The dip in revenue toward the beginning was the result of a 50K cash transfer to MAD and the 125K base building at Pullman. Revenue generated from commodities was modest and I didn’t game that part - about 20K in gains on moving a few hundred pounds of commodities between bases…usually I didn’t have room for much weight.
To my great amazement - no landings worse than OK - my worst being a 272 FPM landing at 53WA. Overall:
42 - Greaser
32 - Smooth
11 - OK
No damage to either the Husky or the 172 Bush that I occasionally borrowed from the VA.
The Husky performed great - I’m not sure what I’ll be leasing next…or outright buying. I’m sticking with the plan to pretty much fly all legs myself. I have an AI pilot that I used about three times to position airplanes or finish a haul where I got paged out and I couldn’t complete in time.
4 Likes
So with the Lease option now available…these are some possibilities:
Cessna 207 - $52K deposit - $23K monthly rental - 1406 lbs. cargo
Cessna 185 - $45K deposit - $20K monthly rental - 1202 lbs. cargo
Cessna 208B - $126K deposit - $56K monthly rental - 1950 lbs. cargo
Twin Otter - $186K deposit - $82K monthly rental - 2386 lbs. cargo
Quest Kodiak - $88K deposit - $39K monthly rental - 797 lbs. cargo
Do228 - $196K deposit - $87K monthly rental - 2196 lbs. cargo
- I believe the cargo numbers are for cargo available with maximum fuel…but I could be wrong on that…so there is room to carry more if you are carrying 30 - 50% fuel loads typically…
Anyone know what the cost of the PC-6 is and how much cargo it can haul? I don’t own it…but it is on my radar as a possibility too…
It looks like if I sell the Husky I’ll get about 95K for it…
Yeah those load capacities are with full fuel. I’ve had 1700+ in the Quest so far. It’s listed range is 1132nm @ 797 lbs … so it’s numbers are better than they look. I don’t have any of the others, so I don’t have any other opinions 
1 Like
Just FYI on the Thranda PC6 and the vFlyteAir-DHC3 (formerly the MilVizSim model).
EDIT: Realize that this is on the upped end of your lease cost options but that’s the only relevant shoes I have in the closet
1 Like
90K for the initial lease - that doesn’t seem too bad. And a 2270 lb. load with full fuel…impressive!
I’m leaning toward the 206. Unfortunately, my version is not updateable to the GTN 750 panel capable model for some reason (might be the X-Plane 10 version instead of the X-Plane 11 version). BUT - everything still appears to work OK, just using the default Garmin 430 in the panel. It hauls a ton…and I love the old school look of the cockpit.
The Cessna 185 is near and dear to my heart, but the lack of a GPS at this point…with so many fields either not showing up on the map or being named something different…I do feel I need the utility of the GPS. As well, the autopilot panel on the 185 is way down below the throttles and it is pretty bare bones (no altitude sel/capture). As well, the 185 is a handful with the rudder…so the 206 is definitely a bit easier to handle, but perhaps not as suited to really rough bush fields.
I’d like to fly a bigger piston plane before I hop up to a Kodiak or Caravan…another bit of climbing the ladder so to speak…
3 Likes
Took the TBM down the coast for a bit. First stop was 4S1 along the southern coast of Oregon. It’s a neat little airport just off the water, definitely recomend checking it out if you find a job that takes you there.
Currently got the aircraft parked at Half Moon Bay and ran out of time, I’ll have one of my minions ferry it up to KEAT in the morning.
5 Likes
Welcome to the newest MAC aircraft - I shall call her: Dos Ocho…! Type rating ride went fine - can’t wait to haul my first load of shrimp and DVDs to those seafood and entertainment starved Idahoans!
4 Likes
Alrighty…taking the inaugural flight in Dos Ocho! Finally able to haul a good bit of gear compared to the Husky.
353 lbs. to 1U1
935 lbs. to S90
Both airports are interesting…so it should be fun. Not sure about the weather though. Nearby TAFs indicated the possibility of 6,000’ overcast and gusty winds, which could present a problem at these Forestry Service type strips…
Ha! That felt realistic! Fired up the 207 in VR…grey and rainy day in Pullman. First issue was the cockpit was not set up for VR…again…I have an old version of this plane…but I thought it would be good enough. Not true. The GPS database must not be compatible with XP11…since that was showing me 6,000 miles away from the airport I was at. No worries…we will just old school green needle it. Plugged in the VOR and say the ID. Great.
Took off and started my turn to pick up the VOR radial…but spinning the OBS resulted in no CDI movement. Argh! No GPS. No VOR. Overcast and raining…probably not a good idea to head into the mountains using pilotage and dead reckoning! 
Guess I’ll bite the bullet and buy the XP11 updated 207 to (hopefully) fix my issues.
Into the shop she goes!
4 Likes
So - Pullman has a great aviation maintenance facility…! 
I wheeled it in, and 20 minutes later they had fixed all the VR issues, updated the cockpit and externals, and even added a Garmin GTN 750! All for $29.95. I’m bringing all my business here! I don’t think even @TheAlmightySnark can provide such cheap labor and parts…
Works great in VR…!
5 Likes
29.95 gets you a singular tire fill up. Without manpower factored in 
3 Likes
Well - that was about as much fun as I’ve had in a flight sim in a long time. The combination of the 207, VR, the Idaho back-country, and the marginal weather all combined for just an awesome couple of legs. Sorry…the VR screen captures don’t really do it all justice…
Climbing out of Pullman, I’m getting used to the 207. It is sooooo much fun to fly, and just feels more realistic than my old Husky. Keeping an eye on the cowl flaps, fuel flow, and thankfully it has a decent autopilot (although I could not get it to capture my GTN 750 CDI…I’ll have to look into that)…
Got squeezed between the clouds and terrain for a bit…but the ceilings were high enough for me to make it over the mountains. Elk City (S90) is a wonderfully quirky strip with a bend in the middle. It was a blast coming over the treeline, putting it a little bank and setting it down right after the elbow…
Manipulating the panel mounted GTN with the hand controllers is perfect. I know @smokinhole has mentioned it many times…but the act of using your hand to do things in the cockpit instead of a mouse adds immensely to the experience. It really feels like you are doing it. Anyway…programming in the next leg over to Moose Creek (1U1)…
Another perfect flight with moody weather and just a fantastic feeling of flight and taking in the close hills and mountains…
You cross the mountains and there is Moose Creek waaaaaay down there. I elected to fly the right downwind toward the favored 19 and the wind was cooperating with that plan. Down in the valley you have to keep an eye on your airspeed and turn radius. I don’t know that flying sims and X-Plane helps overall pilot judgement…but I really do feel that it does. Maybe not…but I get to do things I otherwise wouldn’t be doing and it is really fun…
On the downwind…the terrain awareness setting on the GTN is suitably red…
Plopped it in and made about $8,000 all told. Really love this 207 and I think I’ll stick with it for a while and build up some cash reserves.
6 Likes
I still can not get the fidelity that I would expect from it. It is, for me, difficult to use the controls and any rotary inputs are very difficult for me to use. I finally received my Point CTRL and need to set that up for DCS. Kinda wish it worked for X-Plane
It could also be that I have a ton of displays and button thing-a-ma-jigs all around me. And I often find myself punching one of those or my center mounted Virpil Stick while trying to find the right VR spot to click. I can usually find the mass of buttons in front of me and navigate those by touch and memory easier than the VR controllers