OK, here we go. I’m about to do something stupid, and there’s no sense in waiting!
Leg 1: Philadelphia International (KPHL) TO Altoona-Blair County (AOO)
My original plan was to head west to Colombus, OH. The aircraft I chose is the old Boeing 247D in Pennsylvania Central Airlines colors. I had always intended to try “radio range” navigation and this seemed like a good time to start.
Luckily, the weather was good…
I prepared with my usual thoroughness (i.e. none at all), but I did plot out a course using the charts kindly provided by Wing42.
Well, this looks straightforward enough (mishap pilot was heard to say 
)
Off on a lovely August morning, trailing oil smoke.
The first thing I’ll say is that radio range nav is harder than I thought. If it had been IMC and I hadn’t spotted the Susquehanna River, I’d be in Cuba by now.
Ah, Harrisburg!
(10 minutes later…)
Wait. Isn’t that 3 Mile Island ahead?
Ah, Harrisburg! 
I wandered back and forth quite a bit trying to tune my ear for the “AN” tones in my headset. I was weaving over some of the very interesting narrow mountain chains near Cumberland, when I began to lose power.
It looks like I’ve lost oil pressure on number 2. Don’t know why. Understanding that I’m no expert in the 247D, I had really tried to baby the motors.
I must have pushed something too hard. 
Luckily, I looked over my nose and saw Altoona Airfield. Might as well drop in and call dispatch.
Some, but not too much, yaw out of this one. The right engine failed on rollout.
Think there’s a Jiffy Lube in town?
And so ends my first leg. Lost. Engine failure.
Seems about right for me on the Christmas Flight! 