Third entry for the Christmas Challenge.
Click to reveal AAR
For that one, I’ve decided to take the mighty Tomcat in preparation to Heatblur’s F-14B. I took the Aerosoft F-14A Block 100, which had the older and less reliable Pratt & Whitney TF30 engines.
Time to do some VOR bunny hopping.
Preparing my flight in Wichita, with maximum fuel and some Phoenix missiles. You’re never too safe!
Weather isn’t really great… low cloud level, pouring rain and 15+ kts crosswind on takeoff.
Prepping the plane, cold & dark style.
After much going through a bunch of checklists 3-4 times, I feel like I know how to fire up the engines and set my aircraft for takeoff. This makes the wait for Heatblur’s Tomcat all the more unbearable.
Taxiing to runway 19 Left.
Water splashing everywhere
Crossing the runway threshold
Throttling up, waiting for the “click, click!” of the afterburner detents.
Let 'er rip!
(Cue for that song about a zone of danger)
Climbing up to 30000 ft. A nasty crosswind forces me to stay cautious and avoid using the autopilot
Through the cloud layer
Some sun, at last!
I may or may not have overused afterburners during the cruise over New Mexico
Approaching Runway 26 of Alburquerque
This RIO is no JESTER. Not a single word throughout the flight.
Checking the landing checklist. Not very useful… I don’t think I can find a carrier in the middle of the desert.
The moon
Crossing Runway 26 to turn into the Downwind for Runway 3
Adjusting my altimeter by consulting the KABQ ATIS on 118.0. Gotta watch that runway elevation.
On final, Runway 3
15 kts crosswind. That Tomcat handles like a real pig at low speeds.
Almost there…
Ooompf!
Landing successful!
Taxiing to the gate
That was fun… but that Tomcat was no DCS Tomcat.
