I still have so far to go… Good progress Chris!
That X-plane 9 screenshot reminds me how far X-plane has come. version 8 and 9 never really looked better or even on par with 2004/FSX. 10 and 11 for me blow both out of the water.
The final push! Pangkalan Bun / Iskandar to CHRISTMAS ISLAND!!! (yes, I’m excited to finally be at the destination).
Our route has us crossing the Java Sea. I planned on using the Karimunjawa archipelago as a visual reference point before crossing Java itself. Mount Slamet seemed like a nice prominent feature to fly past before flying over the Cilacap VOR (CLP) . From there it would be a simple case of following the 229 radial out to sea and hopefully pick up the Christmas Island VOR about an hour later.
For a change, the Sun was already up as I took the runway at Pangkalan Bun airport…
Coasting out
It was very hazy as I coasted in over Java. Weather conditions prevented me from seeing the archipelago which was a bit disappointing.
With all the haze, and a low cloud layer, I thought it best to steer farther West than originally planned because I knew there was a rather large Volcano hiding somewhere ahead, and I couldn’t see it…
Yep, that was a good move… LOL.
Once clear of the mountainous terrain, I took up a Southerly heading until I intercepted the 229 Radial from the Cilacap VOR.
I trudged along on that radial until I lost reception with the VOR, at which point I just maintained heading until at last, I picked up the VOR on Christmas Island!
Could that be land at my 12 o’clock? I think it is!
Final destination in sight!
I allowed myself the indulgence of a pass down the runway…
After which I came around and landed uneventfully.
All shut down, and ready for a well earned beverage of the alcoholic variety.
What a trip it has been! While I am not sure I would repeat the trip in the DC3, it has been a lot of fun flying it.
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Congrats on making it to Christmas Island!
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Thanks Chuck!
Thanks CP. It has been an enjoyable adventure. The navigation was interesting at times, especially the extended water crossings. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that on the very last leg, I was reading a forum post about the VSKYLABS DC3 and learned that heading and altitude hold has been implemented with the last update. I just didn’t know it! 
I’ll be here propping up the bar until you get here! 
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Great report…! I was hoping that the YPXM VOR wasn’t NOTAM’d out of service and that you wouldn’t end up wandering around in the wastelands where they think MH370 might have gone down…!
Congrats on the safe arrival… With quite some time to spare as well. I’m firing up the engines as I write this to complete my leg:
http://xfsd.ansorg-web.de/fsdmap/
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Congrats on your arrival! Very interesting journey, loved following it
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Paro, Bhutan, early next morning.
Sleeping high in the mountains can be a very unpleasant experience. The lower oxygen levels can cause a hangover-like headache, especially if you’ve spent the rest of your life below sea level.
Lukla with its 2680 m of elevation was quite a hangover. Paro is not that bad on its own at 2235 m, but sleeping there after Lukla is like partying on all weekend.
I was relieved to be leaving the Himalaya, with Sittwe, Myanmar as our destination (VYSW). Rising early is not that bad when you can’t get a good night’s sleep anyways.
Needless to say, Henk is pilot in command today.
As I’m starting to wake up, I notice looks a bit unhappy though. Whatever, he’s probably sad we’re leaving the mountains. Henk is not looking forward to the more tropical climates we’re about to fly into I guess.
As we are flying over the coast of Bangladesh some hours later, Henk remarks:
“If you want to fly into Indonesia, you either need to paint the plane or find someone else to fly there with you.”
It turns out Henk was afraid to fly into a former colony in a pseudo-military plane with military looking Dutch markings on it. The Dutchness of the plane was also obvious from the numerous orange painted parts on it.
“But there’s probably no aircraft paint in Sittwe.”
Henk: “That’s why I propose landing right here at Chittagong”
"But how do we deviate from the filed flight plan now? What to tell ATC? "
“I know some handles I can pull to reconstruct a believable emergency without too much of a hassle. They’ll let us land at the nearest airfield without too many problems.”
After landing, Henk went into the city and came back with some red, green and brown paint. He started painting red over all orange surfaces, and I was tasked with creating an appropriate substitute for the tail emblem.
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Ha…that’s awesome. I do the same thing with some existing paint jobs…just make it look like they were hurriedly patched over… 
I’m currently coming up on the north coast of Indonesia a good bit east of Jakarta…a little over one hour remaining in my journey…
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@BeachAV8R Mind dropping me off in WIII? Kinda fell asleep in the back hold after patching up your aircraft… I’ve got a 407 waiting there so that I can still make the last leg myself!
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So I quickly flew some more legs today. First VGEG (Chittagong, Bangladesh) to VTPM (Mae Sot airport, Thailand).
Turning inland over Cox’s Bazaar
Some clouds made the RNAV approach difficult, but I haven’t really gotten the GNS, radios and flight director to all work together at the same time, so was relieved to be able to land it visually. (no screens of that unfortunately).
After a quick refuel, we’re off to VTSP (Phuket Intl, Thailand).
Cruising over the coast of Thailand.
The airport is in the haze, let’s hope I don’t screw up the altitudes.
Lovely bay…
Visual!
3 more legs! Getting close now!
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Turning around…! Heading to WIII…! I’d only do this for you!
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So there I was…peering ahead into the undercast layer…hoping to spot my first glimpse of Christmas Island. After nearly 10,000 miles, and hours and hours aloft…I am close. Only 30 minutes out…trying to spot it out on the distant horizon…
Then…I hear banging in the back of the airplane. I look over the cargo. @TheAlmightySnark is peering at me over the pallets of beer. He crawls forward between the ceiling and the cargo…plops himself into the right seat.
“Any chance you can drop me off in Jakarta?”
I look at my fuel gauges, reprogram the GTN 750…yeah…we can make it…
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The only drawback…I don’t have any custom Jakarta scenery installed… 
Sizes up @TheAlmightySnark - “Hmm…now where DID I put that parachute??”
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I should have integrated Euro Truck Sim 2 into this Christmas Adventure…then I could have dropped him off at WICN and made him drive to Jakarta.
All of that said, this airport looks really interesting. Perhaps a future Challenging Airports destination…
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I do have a skydive license… If you’ve got a chute that looks okay’ish then I’m game! No backsies though, can’t guarantee this aircraft will make Christmas Island in one piece!
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I’ll land and drop you off. This chute has a tag that says “Packed in 1968”…probably not super reliable…
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