Leg 16: FABL - FAPE
For the last couple of legs, I decided to go properly old-school; for the most part, the weather had held up, and there were some old tail-draggers in the hangar that hadn’t gotten much action recently. First up, the OlixSim Lockheed L-18 Lodestar. It’s a new plane, but I picked it up on sale over Labor Day (I have a weakness for old planes).
Taking off and heading south to Port Elizabeth. The sky looks mostly clear the whole way, so this should be an easy trip.
Definitely digging the vintage skin (in USAAF service, the Lodestar was the C-60).
Fairly clear skies crossing over the plateaus and plains of South Africa.
…and about twenty minutes later. Huh. That’s…slightly disconcerting. Though as nervous as those low-lying clouds are making me, Skymaxx Pro is doing a gorgeous job of it.
By the way, did I mention that I loaded the plane with mostly vintage (circa 1942) instruments, aside from a backup G430 that’s not tied to any HSI, because there really isn’t a proper HSI?
…and the clouds are getting thicker. I’m picking up the VOR from Port Elizabeth, so I know I’m getting close, but not picking up anything yet from the ATIS with information on weather over my destination field.
Finally picking up ATIS from Port Elizabeth- cloud cover all the way down to 300 ft. In a plane with no ability to navigate or land with ILS. Put off starting my descent as long as possible, but I finally need to try and see if there’s ANY bottom to this cloud deck.
And here’s the bottom of the cloud deck.
Using the VOR, I extended well south and lines up with where I think the runway was, then figured I could use the DME to carefully pick my way over the airport and hopefully maybe see something.
Gear and flaps fully down, so if I can’t find the airport, I can just set down in a field.
Barely clearing the treetops. But what’s that I see up ahead?
I’ve never been so happy to see a runway.
So very happy to find a place to park and shut down. I could use a very stiff drink.
