Probably late in the game to be mentioning this…but Traffic Global really does add a TON to X-Plane with regards to using it for Air Hauler 2 stuff. There is GA traffic at my home airport (Pullman/Moscow Field)…and I flew that trip up to Everett and you really do have to have your head on a swivel because X-Plane does recognize the collisions and Air Hauler 2 will know if you crash. I find it a nice addition for sure…
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LOL, about that well!!!
Going for a little change of pace here this winter. I’ve sold the base in Anchorage (never really did much flying out of it to be honest) and idled the PDX base. Time to get back to a little of that grass roots flying…figuratively and literally. So I sent Destiny off to visit a far off land and open us up a base of operations.
This is a scenery package that has been in my X-Plane install for many years…but I never took the time to really explore it:
The package consists of about 30 airfields of varying difficulty scattered throughout Papua. I’m going to see what Air Hauler 2 throws at me with regards to destinations and routes. Some of the default airfields will no doubt be just plain strips carved out of the landscape. I’ll fly with real weather on…so that should make it somewhat interesting but I assume 99% of the flying will require VFR-ish conditions.
I have the base open, but have not purchased or moved an aircraft to the base to start operations. I’ve been having fun with my new Quest 3 exploring all of the potential candidates for this harsh and demanding environment. Here are some of the contenders. Cost really isn’t much of a factor since I have a pretty healthy (virtual…lol…) bank account right now (if my ex ever wins half of my X-Plane collection in court I’ll be a truly broken man…)…
Factors to consider in aircraft selection:
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Cost - N/A
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Size - Definitely a factor. Some of these airfields are tiny with very tight ramps.
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Performance - A significant factor. Some of the airfields and mountain ranges in the region extend to over 14,000’…while passes are available, piston aircraft will have particular challenges.
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Cargo Capacity - Not really a factor. Making money isn’t a huge part of this adventure, but it would be nice to bring in a little bit of cash.
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Ruggedness - I would lump this in with maneuverability in that Air Hauler tracks things like flap speeds and landing roughness…so these strips will probably be fairly hard to keep the cargo intact and not get deductions or, worse yet, damage the aircraft.
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Flight Model - I have literally dozens of aircraft for X-Plane. Some are very well modeled, some are not. Freeware, payware…modded aircraft. Some have very strict engine operating parameters. Twin engines are nice…offering differential thrust for taxiing, but also tend to have slightly higher approach and takeoff speeds and associated performance (distance) calculations. Speed is nice…but not really necessary on what I feel will mostly be short route legs.
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Visibility - Pretty important with all of the maneuvering in tight terrain.
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VR Integration - I have to admit…I’m tending to like @smokinhole’s take on virtual flying these days with using the hand controllers for stick and throttle. Not all add-on aircraft are as well suited to it as others.
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Avionics - I don’t anticipate shooting a lot of approaches. An autopilot would be nice. A moving map would be really nice. Unfortunately the planes I have that integrate the RealityXP GTN 750 aren’t all that helpful since the GTN does not have very many of the Papua airports in its database. I could probably make custom user defined waypoints for each airport…but that sounds like work. A shame though because the situational awareness, moving map, and terrain features of the GTN are superb.
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Engine(s) - As mentioned, piston aircraft have that nice, classic feel to them, but would have to be leaned significantly and would suffer from the high density altitudes. Turboprops generally offer better performance and the added benefit of having beta range for quickly slowing down.
So with all of that in mind…well…sort of in mind…let’s take a look at the candidates:
BN-2T Islander
This one is definitely one of my favorites. This one is a payware from TorqueSim I believe it is. The cockpit is cozy and fun with an old school panel with the basic Garmin 530. There is something awfully fun about this cockpit and airplane. It does feature some advanced engine modeling so it requires careful attention to torque settings or you will blow the engines. Good short field capability…good cargo capability. Definitely a contender.
Cessna 208 Caravan
This offering is the Carenado Caravan. A good performer for these mountain strips but the flight model does feel kind of…I don’t know how to describe it…generic? It flies a bit on rails and I just feel you can put it anywhere you like without much thought. Great cargo capacity…fantastic engine performance…and a clean and basic panel with good visibility.
Cessna 185F
The Carenado Cessna 185F is as classic as they come. With tundra tires and a cargo pod…this thing is genuine old school. With a throaty growl…this airplane is fun. The biggest drawback…no moving map GPS and there are really no traditional navaids to use in Papua (at least not in the highlands). I could pop-out the GTN 750 into a window in VR (which works great)…or just go really old school and do some pilotage and dead reckoning. It also suffers from struggling at high altitudes with the piston engine. At very heavy loads I wonder if it will even be able to stagger off some of the airfields…
Cessna 172
This is the amazing and fun Propstrike Cessna 172 Bush variant. This plane is so simple and loads of fun. Again though, no panel mounted GPS and the same piston engine limitations. Loaded up…this thing flies a bit mushy and could be a disaster at high altitudes. The AOA indicator on the panel is really cool…
Do-228
A serious contender. An amazing old school panel with the ability to use its own FMC or the GTN 750…this plane has awesome performance. It stops on a dime with props in reverse. Retractable landing gear makes it speedy enroute. Performance is very good but speeds are a bit high…but once the plane is on the ground it stops so fast with amazing brakes and reverse. This is another one that can carry a big load…but also has delicate engines that require close torque monitoring. Very high on the list of contenders.
Quest Kodiak
This is a plane I love to hate. The Thranda Designs Quest Kodiak has great performance - it was MADE for this environment. High load capability…amazing short field performance…rugged. But the panel is F-UGLY. All that glass. Ewwww…(I know…I fly a PC-24…it doesn’t make sense…). The instrumentation is pretty hard to read but the big map does have all of the airfields on it and a nice terrain/topo display. I just struggle to like it despite it being a workhorse…
Cessna 337
This is a plane that I WISH were more capable in a bush environment. A Carenado product…the cockpit is beautiful…and the sounds of those twin piston engines is rumble-tastic. I love everything about this plane. But it has horrible short field performance and you have to really keep the speed up to get a soft touchdown…and once you are down…the brakes or horrible. This would be a dangerous plane in Papua.
Cessna 207 Skywagon
A classic bush plane. No…not a taildragger…but it sure looks like one with its squatting stance. The Alabeo Skywagon has awesome sounds and a beautiful old-school panel. If it fits through the door…it can carry it. It can sport the GTN 750 and has a great curbside appeal. Piston limitations but it could be fun to try to wrangle this one around the high altitudes of Papua.
I have a few more to test…a decision is forthcoming… Opinions so far?
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The Islander!
The twin engine with single engine performance… 
BTW, several of my younger colleagues started their careers with Susi! 
@BeachAV8R, why again are you not using X-Plane 12? I know @NEVO had a different experience, but for me -12 looks considerably better and runs at least as well. Weather is greatly improved. Most of your mods and scenery can be shared between between -11 and -12 using a symbolic link or similar trick.
Oh, wasn’t a choice but Tw’otter all the way.