Next to last leg of the trip. BGSF-BIIS
Cold and Dark -27C morning in Greenland. Little warmer in Iceland at -7C.
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EHRD (Rotterdam) => EHSB (Svalbard):
Leg 1: EHRD (Rotterdam) => EDWR (Borkum), MSFS2020, real-day, real-time, real-weather, C172, VFR
Departure EHRD:
Rotterdam ATC allowed me to follow the river at 500 ft 
:
En-route, climbing to 6000 ft:
More clouds when approaching Borkum:
Dutch and German wetlands, approaching Borkum:
Final EDWR RW31, wind about 25 kts, on the nose:
Done, finding a hotel in Borkum!
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Nice job and way to make an entrance! Welcome!
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Thanks for joining the fun and welcome to the asylum 
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This leg initially started out in the wake of Storm Bert (sidenote: I still can’t get used to this naming of storms nonsense. It makes me cringe to think of the rest of the world that suffer Hurricane’s and Cyclone’s with us complaining about a bit of winter wind and rain), but having took off, I failed to engage the autopilot correctly (could be a MSFS2024 bug - more likely a Keets bug) I ran out of time and returned to Brize chuntering about storms and autopilots.
Stubborn George not flying the right course
What then followed involved being captured for the week by a mad mechanic with an obsession for collecting Renault Scenic vans. Eventually I managed to sober up enough and got a ride back to Brize.
Leg 2: EGVN (RAF Brize Norton) → EGQS (RAF Lossiemouth)
The route
Following the checklist seemed to work this time and I managed to get the Simbrief into the A400 EFB ok and engines started. I’m still not sure about the ATC in MSFS2024 and seemed only to be able to hear my pilots voice.
A much better day for it.
Taxying to Runway 25
Last time I flew the A400 it was the excellent Roland Laborie’s version, on my first Xmas flight when we went down to Antartica. The iniBuilds version is superb and brought back a lot of memories.
Love a HUD
Airborne
This time around things didn’t seem as rushed getting airborne and engaging the autopilot resulted in success and we started to follow the flightplan.
Rural Oxfordshire, you can just see the 50ft high pile of Renault van’s in the background.
Slight course change over Manchester
If you are used to the A3xx airliners, the A400 unsurprisingly is an easy transition and nice to work round.
Airbus cockpit
Continuing up the left hand side of the UK, the view of the Lake district with the sun going down is stunning.
Ullswater to the front of the nose, Windermere just visible below the left wing
As we reached the ToD, I checked all the config for the approach and made sure all the approach speeds were set.
Heading to the coast to intercept the localiser
On the glideslope, configured for landing
Down…
After an uneventful landing, taxy to the parking its off to find a local bar.
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Great report! Curious me wonders if you had any engine sounds for the A400? When I tested it a few days ago I had none.
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Yep, all nice and throaty. It sounded really good.
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Leg 2: EDWR (Borkum) => EDXH (Helgoland), XP11, real-day, real-time, real-weather, DHC63, VFR
Helgoland is the one after smallest commercial airport in the world:
Departure EDWR, fair weather:
En-route, at 4000 ft, following German Wadden Islands:
Approaching Helgoland:
Final RW15, wind calm:
Done, taking the ferry to Helgoland city:
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I got the final leg in this morning. BIIS-ENSB in a SAS 736. Also probably the last MSFS 2020 Flight I take.
Not much going on this flight luckily BIIS wasn’t dark but it was snowy.
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Beautiful! And congratulations.
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Leg 2 of 3 today: AMS-OSL (EHAM-ENGM).
I started out in the same place I left off…only in a much smaller airplane than the 747. This flight is done in both 737 and a320. I chose the 737 in KLM livery just to pay homage to them.
Let’s get this show on the road! Throttle up and haul @$$!
Away we go!
Smooth cruise established. Gorgeous weather leaving Amsterdam. Little did I know what was waiting for me in Oslo.
About time to head on down. I do NOT like these clouds
Down through the layers
Now it was about this point I realized this cloud was probably going down to ground level and I had a choice to make. Do I abort and go alternate or do I take 5 minutes to look up the ILS frequency and fly the ILS in? Then I remembered I was in X-Plane and this was supposed to be fun, so I opened the instructor station and cleared the weather. 
Landing and taxi was uneventful. I did, however, taxi on blue instead of orange. My bad! I’m actually pretty pleased with the airport scenery. For being default, it looks good.
And that concludes leg 2. Leg 3 should be interesting, as it’s cold, wet, and dark up there at LYR.
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Part 21 - A Transatlantic Tunnel crossing, Hurrah!
- Apologies to Harry Harrison.
Next stop, merry old England. Where I am sure that more than a few US servicemen have discovered that ‘spotted dick’ isn’t just a steamed pudding.
I have to admit that my enthusiasm had started to flag, but I am determined to see it through and get to Svalbard before Christmas.
To keep things interesting, I purchased the Khamsin Studio B-25. They also did the Albatross I flew earlier and it got decent reviews, besides I have always liked the Mitchell - It confirms my philosphy that there is no such thing as too much gun.
So here we go. Tally-Ho chaps. It’s time for bangers & mash with a decent pint of ale in the mess at RAF Valley.
Scottish coast
Somewhere over there is Ben Nevis. One thing Australian’s share with our UK antecedants - we wouldn’t know what a decent mountain is if we fell off it.
The Isle of Man. Getting there for the TT is another thing on my bucket list. My brother made it to the 100th anniversary 2007.
One advantage to the shorter daylight hours is that the runway lights come on early, making it a lot easier to see the runway on my system. On approach into EGOV.
A bouncy landing. Not sure how well Khamsim have modelled the B-25, but it seems awfully sluggish in roll?
Parked… Now where’s that pint.
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Leg 3: EDXH (Helgoland, heliport) => Oil Rig => Vessel => EDXW (Sylt), MSFS2020, real-day, real-time, real-weather, H135, VFR:
Departure EDXH, from heliport at Helgoland centre:
Approaching Oil Rig:
Departure Oil Rig:
Approaching Vessel at windfarm:
Departure Vessel:
En-route, at 5000 ft, approaching mainland:
Final RW32 at Sylt:
Done, some nice aircraft here for next leg 
.
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Velocity Twin!! Love you’re style. I’ve liked the Vari-EZ, Long- EZ, Berkut style for a while now. Really loved the Berkut with the twin canopies. Also got pretty close to being serious about building a Cozy Mark IV using Mazda Rotary.
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Another design I LOVE and wish would have succeeded!
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Sooo. Has anyone looked at what time the sun rises in Svalbard this time of year?
Hint: it doesn’t
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Part 22 - Mach Loop
I chose RAF Valley (EGOV) as my UK destination because it was on the WWII ferry route and gets me close to my next bucket list item…
But first a quick hop to Llanbedr (EGFD) in the trusty 172.
Getting back into an aircraft with a glass cockpit almost feels like cheating?
Now to choose the aircraft. Something appropriate for the loop?
According to the map…
If I follow the coast in this direction
And turn in at this inlet
Follow it to this Village
Then all I have to do is basically turn South(ish), and follow the road along the valley and that is the Mach Loop:
You could do this in a car, I reckon my VW would be quicker!
From here it is retrace my steps back to Llanbedr.
Got a feeling that this won’t be my only lap… In something a bit faster next time. But after I have finished this holiday flight.
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I don’t think it does?
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