Official 6th Annual Mudspike Christmas Flight 2020 - Discussion & AAR Thread

[Navynuke99]

Leg 13: FQMA - FALE

Since I’ll be in South Africa soon, I figured it’d be a good time to have some fun with planes I have in my hangar, but haven’t really played much with recently.

First up, the first twin-engine plane I ever bought in the Org store, Carenado’s Piper Cheyenne II.

Leaving Maputo, next stop Durban.

The very picturesque Lake St. Lucia

Richard’s Bay.

Overflying King Shaka International, to set up for the arrival and approach via runway 06

This scenery is all courtesy of a single South Africa scenery pack I found on the org site, and almost all the airports are freeware from there as well. I’m quite impressed (still don’t know what happened in Ghana though).

Dirtied up and on final. After this, things got weird- I touched down, but both engines immediately died and wouldn’t restart (I don’t think I landed THAT hard). Then my keyboard and mouse both stopped responding, so I just quit out on the runway. So, no picture of getting down, but definitely made it on the ground to Durban.

[Navynuke99]

Leg 14: FALE - FABM

I picked up the Quest Kodiak a while ago, but I’m a bit embarrassed with how little time I’ve spent with her. After @apollon01 mentioned The Amphitheatre in Lesotho, and finding this scenery package on the forum, I thought I’d add a scenic detour to the flight.

Provided, of course, the weather cooperated.

It really is a pretty plane. All the things open, with all the cargo loaded aboard.

Taking off, and heading for Lesotho.

Trying to save on the frames, so I passed on the synthetic vision this time (I really need to upgrade the system).

Huh. This doesn’t look good.

I’m fairly certain The Amphitheatre would be over there somewhere. I’ll have to come back and try again another time.

On the ground at Bethlehem, Lesotho.

[Navynuke99]

Leg 15: FABM - FABL

Another quick hop in the Quest to get back on track for Cape Town. Bethlehem airport’s main runway is this lovely grass strip:

Still enjoying this scenery pack.

Short final into Bram Fischer International/ Bloemfontein.

I’ll definitely be posting up more pics in the XP11 photo thread of the adventures I’ve already started with the Kodiak around other parts of the Continent, but for now, we left her here.

[Navynuke99]

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.

[BeachAV8R]

The Quest really is one of the nicest X-Plane aircraft…just a real cool plane that performs well. Nice shots in a cool location…

[Navynuke99]

Leg 17: FAPE - FACT

Last leg. For this one, after a much, much more careful look at weather along the entire route, I’m loading up another classic I’ve not done much with yet. This is the VSkylabs version.

Runway clear, ready to take off on the last leg of this flight.

Leaving Port Elizabeth behind for a roughly 300 mile flight to Cape Town, to be navigated via VOR stations (the DC3 does have optional G530’s available if really necessary).

There’s a bit of scattered cloud cover over the coastal ranges, but nothing serious. The topography makes me think of coastal California, and I wonder if the coastal eddies/ marine layers are similar.

Finally, swinging northeast of Cape Town to make the approach to runway 19. Again, this scenery is simply gorgeous.

Gear down on a long, gradual final into Cape Town.

There’s a little bit of a crosswind, and I have no clue what that tower is doing right on the approach end of the runway.

On the ground, and waiting for all the vehicle traffic to pass before taxiing to a parking space.

Parked and shutting down. About ready to get the party started.

Thanks all for a great trip! I definitely had a lot of fun and learned a lot. Now, who wants to help unload the beer, whiskey, and cigars?

[Deacon211]

Awesome!

I love those old planes and really hope we can a
get some into MSFS soon.

My round the world tour which I started in FS98 has been stymied in Calcutta for almost a decade waiting for a good DC-3 to fly the hump.