Is it the new server? Is there a bigger plane we can use? 
LOL…good guesses!
On our way westward…weather is a bit miserable enroute, so keeping an eye on each sector minimum safe altitude and weighing whether to file a pop-up IFR flight plan…
Just about there…!
Welcome to our western operations base…at Longview Ranch, Oregon (OG39)…!
On the downwind…surveying the scene. We haven’t bought it yet…so making an appraisal of how we can operate here…
You can see the 5335’ x 75’ main asphalt runway with a parallel 3200’ x 120’ artificial water runway…gorgeous!
Helipad - a nice hangar and some crop duster in attendance…
So a few things…75’ isn’t the widest runway in the world…nor is it the narrowest. No runway centerline markings, or runway lights. It is advertised as a VFR only, daytime airport…
Cool scenery…!
And they have a mechanic and an airport dog…sold…!
We’ll tie down here and spend the night…
While we haven’t made it to the 40% reputation level yet, so we don’t have funds for a bigger airplane, the cost to open another base is minimal (in the big scheme of things) since this is a bit of a po-dunk field…
It looks like some multi-engine pistons, and even some larger regional type turboprops could fit in here and make the turns…
The plan is to perhaps use a utility to add an offset ILS to the airport. At the minimum, there is a VOR just two miles west of the field (Kimberly / IMB) from which I can build a simple VOR/DME approach or something. The lighting is another matter that hopefully I can add using a utility. I’m not sure how moddable ORBX are though…so we’ll see…
I guess I’ll have to lease the house overlooking the valley. Not that I’ll be in it much…
The hit to cash is only $25,000 and it’s actually probably better to keep Mud Lake open as well since it has minimal monthly overhead (less than $5,000) and I can generate and pick up jobs from there when I’m east of the area.
This field will allow me to explore more of Oregon, Idaho, and get into the $300 worth of Orbx airports I bought in the Pacific Northwest…LOL…there is a method to my madness! Trips won’t be available out of Longview until the building is complete in a few hours.
want. ah2. for xplane11.
So while I slept, the base was built…and…tada…MAC has expanded operations to the west and now features two hubs. Now, the flight generated don’t really reflect the minuscule capability of the company. Like I said, I’m keeping it to one pilot and one aircraft for now. I might dabble in hiring other pilots and managing other aircraft at some point down the road. But having this huge selection of routes and destinations is going to be great…!
Something tells me I’m going to have to spend some hours getting ah1 to work with xp11. Sigh. More time I don’t have 
Too bad the developer jumped on X-Plane 1 or 2 versions ahead of XP11. The makeover and new technologies have really done it wonders. Might the developer consider doing it with crowd funding?
Tell me about it. Any word on when they will be compatible with v4? I’ve got a ton of Orbx scenery, including the Chipwich Air Cargo domicile, KBVS, are still not showing updated in Orbx Central. Or are you installing them manually?
You could easily operate the ERJ series from there. I was able to use one from CAF2 (just…) so you should be OK - once you have the means to buy one 
Just looked it up:
1126.5 x 22.9m 3696’ x 75’ft
sorry - I’m getting old ya know! 
You can opt in to the ORBX beta thing on the ORBX user page - that will give you an updated version of FTX Central and they are now injecting the airports into that with the caveat that it IS in beta. I think some of the changes had to do with ObjectFlow and stuff. From what I can tell so far though, everything looks to be fine. I have all my ORBX add-on airports working with P3D v4 now…
For a slight increase in the pucker factor you should try it with a carrier landing as your final destination.
Well, after weeks of craziness at work…finally got to settle down and jump back into my virtual company… Currently on the way from ID11 to KPSC (Tri-Cities / Pasco, WA) to pick up some glass to deliver back to my new home base OG39. A blue bird day!
Oooh…! Winter is coming…! Some light snow showers in eastern Idaho today…!
1400 lbs. of glass delivered…I’m assuming it will be melted down and made into whisky bottles…
Reputation back on the climb again…a bit of a plateau there for the past couple weeks while I was out of town…still aiming for the 40% rep level where I can start to visit the bank loan officer…!
Looks like a fun one - short, 76NM flight to deliver 1097 lbs. of ice to OG45 (Bald Mountain)…I’m assuming to pack their harvested game in coolers…
2,700’ dirt runway - might as well be an international airport compared to some in this area…!
All worked out well…nice little strip with a healthy uphill slope to the south…made the approach and landing easy…
Departing Longview Ranch…
Makes me wonder if ORBX depicts early fall colors changing - looks like Aspen groves almost…
Field in sight…on the right downwind…
Just two notches of flaps since I don’t need the short stopping performance…
Always hoping there aren’t any jaggy terrain seams to mess me up…
Shut her down and unloading…
Well, it’s never too early to start planning for upgrades! Our awesome C-185F has been serving us faithfully for a few months after upgrading from the M7 Maule. While we still have a few more hours to put on her before we reach a reputation level where we can perhaps consider upgrading, it is never too soon to start planning ahead…! So the search is on for the next MAC hauler…!
With the word out on the street that we might be looking to upgrade, brokers are pounding on our door and lighting up our phones. The first contender came out to the Ranch to let us take a demo flight. With a purchase price of just over $2.23 million, the venerable Short Skyvan SC.7 isn’t the most beautiful horse in the stable, but it has some impressive load and performance qualities.
For our demo flight, I’ve decided to load it up with 50% fuel, and 4,240 lbs. of cargo (you can sacrifice fuel for cargo in Air Hauler) to see what she’s got at her maximum certified gross weight.
Winds are calm and we taxi to the end of the 5,335’ long runway at Longview Ranch, hold the brakes, run up the engines, and let her rip…
With two notches of flaps - we are airborne by the second hash mark - probably no more than 1,100 - 1,200’ of takeoff roll…!
She’s no speed demon for sure. We climb up just slightly in the valley, wheel around, and set up for a landing to the north…
The VirtualCol Shorts package has a pretty rough cockpit - but I’m a simple man. I hold the recommended 65 knots or so down the pipe, try to plant it on the end, and use maximum reverse and braking to bring her to a stop - again, in a stunningly short distance of about 800’…!
Very impressive. 2.2+ million is nothing to sneeze at though. But if I can stuff 4,000 lbs. of cargo in her - I can expect to make around $20,000 to $35,000 per trip perhaps. We’ll put her stats in a column and over the next couple of weeks we’ll have some additional platforms to consider…
@BeachAV8R, you might of been scammed. I’m waiting for the response from the FAA, but I don’t think you’re actually allowed to duct tape wings onto a Winnebago and fly it.
It does defy all sense of aerodynamic decency doesn’t it?