AVSIM's Round the World Race Forum

For this trip, we fly along the Andes in the western provinces of Argentina. We depart from Malargue (SAMM), in the Province Mendoza. From here we head north and land at Mendoza’s airport El Plumerillo (SAME), San Juan (SANU), La Rioja (SANL), and Catamarca (SANC). Many pilgrims come to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca to visit the Church of the Virgin of the Valley (1694), which contains a statue of Nuestra Señora del Valle (Our Lady of the Valley). Catamarca is also the tourist center of the province, with its colonial architecture, and serves as a hub for many tourist points and excursions, hiking, mountain bike tours, horse riding, and wine tasting. We land at Tuc…

Mexico, two coasts and large cities We depart from Puerto Escondido (MMPS), a resort town on the Pacific Coast, very popular for swimming and surfing. We head north and land at Xoxocotlan (MMOX), serving Oaxaca. The airport serves as the hub for the regional airline Aerotucán and offers passenger services for both domestic and international destinations. Additionally, it hosts military facilities for the Mexican Army, logistics, and courier companies, and supports various aviation-related activities, such as tourism, flight training, executive, and general aviation. Oaxaca Airport has experienced rapid growth, mainly due to Oaxaca's popularity as a tourist dest…

Picking up where we left off last week, we meet up at Nassau International airport and continue our journey, first heading for North Eleuthera Island and then following the island chain south, ending up at the well named Deadman's Cay on Long Island. Here are the flight plans, subject to some revisions as we survey the individual airstrips... https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cw8huj6nwwpmfvsqi6l64/VFR-Lynden-Pindling-Intl-MYNN-to-Deadmans-Cay-MYLD.zip?rlkey=f81jutky7a0b5ukd0bykusl1t&dl=0 Suitable aircraft... Bonanza or similar, 150 kts cruise or better. No additional scenery required, the airports should all be in the sim.. Particulars: …

We will fly in Nepal and visit one of the deepest gorges in the world. Our departure airport is Manang (VNMA), an important point on the Annapurna Trekking Circuit. Unfortunately, the airport hasn't seen any commercial flights since 2012 which causes trouble to the local population. We follow a valley west and reach Jomsom (VNJS). Here we meet the Kali Gandaki River. The river forms a magnificent canyon or gorge, and we want to see this during the next part of the flight. The river then flows southward through a steep gorge known as the Kali Gandaki Gorge, or Andha Galchi, between the mountains Dhaulagiri, elevation 8,167 meters (26,795 ft) to the west, and Ann…

Biplanes over California Today's Flight we will be back in California re doing a flight we did 3 yrs ago with some new twists. On this flight we will try to stay 500' or lower to the terrain. The flight is 248 miles with 10 landings. The plane of choice will be a Stearman/Standard cruising about 100K+ if you don't have that plane then anything that cruises about 100k+ like the Huskey. The Tiger Moth is just abit slow for this flight. Flight Plan: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mni1qoqzcsjnvrogwn4zc/h?rlkey=cw8kcwz17wvyqtfgol2c9qpep&dl=0 Scenerys: https://flightsim.to/file/24026/santa-paula-airport-kszp https://flightsim.to/file/38786/kiza-sant…

Who would not want to leave the cold, snowy weather for a nice trip to Treasure Cay, and Nassau, Bahamas? Well, that is our goal today.. Starting at Palm Beach International, we head east for Freeport and the Abocos.. Here is the flight plan, subject to some revisions as we survey the individual airstrips... https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bzj9u1dsmd6buvf0bxyac/VFR-Palm-Beach-Intl-KPBI-to-Lynden-Pindling-Intl-MYNN.pln?rlkey=2hbdfq3k3snfbmrd6n6pdcsj7&dl=0 Suitable aircraft... Bonanza or similar, 150 kts cruise or better. No additional scenery required, the airports should all be in the sim.. Particulars: Date and time: Sa…

Scotland Tigers-5: UK Scotland: Perth (Scone) (EGPT) to Aberdeen (Dyce) (EGPD) For AVSIM Wed March 13th Flight: Perth (Scone) Airport EGPT Today we bring out the old bi-planes once again to continue this low and slow UK-journey- Scotland Tigers-Part 5 exploring the country of Scotland. We are in the extreme northeast quadrant of the Scotland mainland. This NE area is much more rural that our previous trips. It is much more wilderness, parkland namely Cairngorms National Park as well as farm land. We start this part five trip in Perth, Scotland which is the 13th largest city in Scotland. Once upon a time, Perth was the capital of Scotland and a pictur…

This is the first of some flights in India! We depart from Tiruchirappalli (VOTR) in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The city is credited with being the best livable city, the cleanest city in Tamil Nadu, as well as the fifth safest city for women in India. It is the fourth largest city as well as the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state. The city occupies an area of 167.23 square kilometers (64.57 sq mi) and had a population of 916,857 in 2011. It is an important educational center in the state of Tamil Nadu, and houses nationally recognized institutions such as the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Inst…

We are back in South America for another flight in Brazil. Today we visit the Espraiado Canyon not far from the Atlantic coast. I couldn’t find any details about this canyon except for many YouTube videos in Spanish or Portuguese language. This video shows a drone view of parts of that canyon. We depart from Palhoca (SSKT) and head southwest and then west. We land at the Fazenda Belluno Airport (SJHN) and then follow the canyon south. To get a break we head back toward the coast and land at Ciricuma (SBCN). We turn back west, follow the canyon for a while, and return to the coast to land at Torres (SBTR). Again we turn west and land at Canela (SSCN) before reach…

Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico For Wednesday, March 6, 2024 We visit the last vestiges of British and American colonialism in the Caribbean. Starting at St. Croix, we visit the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands – and then the “Spanish” Virgin Islands. In the last part of the day, we come to the main island of Puerto Rico to take a look at San Juan and Ponce. We finish with a trip through the rugged interior to land at Arecibo. The clear waters off Caracas Beach, Vieques We start in St. Croix, the largest of the US Virgin Islands. The islands are a United States territory that was purchased in 1917 from the long-time colonial ruler Denmark. In a stor…

Patagonia - Part 3 We depart from Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (SAWC) in the city of El Calafate. El Calafate began in the first decades of the twentieth century. Originally, it was simply a sheltering place for wool traders and has developed into an important tourist destination as the hub to visit different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park, including Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chaltén, and Cerro Torre. The most recent World Altitude Gliding record of 74,333 ft was set near El Calafate on September 2, 2018 by Jim Payne and Tim Gardner in the new Perlan 2 glider (with pressurized cabin). Lago Argentino is the largest freshwater lake…

Inspired by the very watchable video of a German RV-8 pilot visiting his "favorite airstrip" Johnson Creek 3U2, I have put together a brief flightplan which we can fly in VANs RV14 aircraft, or similar.. like a P149 for example. We will touch down in some of the same airstrips, featured in the video: Johnson Creek, Smiley Creek, Big Creek, and McCall airport. At the end we may well have time to explore the Idaho scenery further as a "scramble".. As a reference, here is the video which I encourage you to watch: Also, here is the actual airplane featured in the video: https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-8/ Proposed flightplan: https://www.dropbox.c…

Today we will visit the Azore Islands. The islands are one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km (870 mi) west of Lisbon, about 1,500 km (930 mi) northwest of Morocco, and about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. Its main industries are agriculture, dairy farming, livestock, fishing, and tourism, which has become a major service activity in the region. In the 20th century and to some extent into the 21st, they have served as a waypoint for refueling aircraft flying between Europe and North America.…

For Wed. Feb 28: Scotland Tigers-4: UK Edinburgh (EGPH) to Scone (EGPT) Edinburgh Airport (EGPH): Today we bring out the old bi-planes once again to continue this low and slow Scotland Tigers-Part 4 of our journey exploring the country of Scotland. We start this part four in the second largest city in Scotland and the nation’s capital: the city of Edinburgh where we left off in the last trip. Today we’ll depart Edinburgh and cover the northwest side of the city as well as the harbour and port areas and weave to the northeast. There are a few poi/landmarks along the way in this historic area, to say the least. The entire trip is scenic and explores va…

Patagonia - Part 2 The route is in the Chilean province of Aysén and the Argentinian province of Santa Cruz. Both provinces share the distinction of being the least populated regions in their respective countries. Our route will traverse rugged mountain valleys with many lakes – large and small and culminate with a flyby of the impressive Fitz Roy in the southern Patagonian Ice Field. We start at the tourist airport of Balmaceda (SCBA) located near the Argentinian Frontier and proceed southward for a series of landings (4) at small airstrips around General Carrera Lake (Lake Buenos Aires). The lake is of glacial origin and is surrounded by the Andes mountain…

Hi everyone, For this flight, we are on the Colombian Coast of the Caribbean Sea and end in Venezuela. We depart from Corozal’s airport Las Brujas (SKCZ). From here we head north and land at Cartagena (SKCG). The city is one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, along the Caribbean Sea. Cartagena's past role as a link in the route to the West Indies provides it with important historical value for world exploration and preservation of heritage from the great commercial maritime routes. As a former Spanish colony, it was a key port for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans under…

Columbia River Run NE Today we will be flying down the Columbia river and some of its tributaries starting from Kaslo to Stehekin State Park. The flight is 272 miles with 11 stops. There will be some snow at the start of the flight. Take off time is 10AM and we will be flying in Comanches. Scenery: https://flightsim.to/file/62518/cbr2-kaslo https://flightsim.to/file/3948/cznl-nelson-british-columbia https://flightsim.to/file/15613/castlegar-cycg https://flightsim.to/file/26789/cad4-trail-airport-british-columbia https://flightsim.to/file/49521/flat-creek-field-05wn https://flightsim.to/file/51395/seven-bays-wa-73wa https://flig…

Here we are again in Namibia. We depart from Uis Mine Airport (FYUS). Uis is located at the foot of the Brandberg, Namibia's highest mountain. The Brandberg is home to the world-famous The White Lady rock painting, said by some to be over 20,000 years old. Being also situated on the C36, the main road between the coast and the Damaraland interior, there is a reasonable amount of traffic, by far the main source of economic activity in Uis. The settlement holds a small supermarket, guesthouses, a rest camp, a bakery, and a petrol station, together with a few other small shops. The ephemeral Uis River, a tributary to the Ugab River, passes the settlement. Tin has been m…

Windward Islands Shuttle For Saturday, February 17, 2024 We continue our return to the Caribbean with a sequence of island-hopping flights. We begin in Dominica and continue southward through Martinique, Saint Lucia, and the Grenadines to Grenada. Along the way, we pick up and let off passengers at the airports along the way. Finals, Union Island, The Grenadines We depart from Dominica’s international airport Douglas-Charles [TDPD] and cross over the island’s northern tip, circling over Portsmouth (now an “ecotourism” site) and Fort Shirley. The latter was built by the English and enhanced by the French when the island changed hands in the eighteenth century. (Onc…

Anguilla to Guadeloupe: first part of revisiting the Eastern Caribbean after WU16! We start at Wallblake – TQPF and work our way south, via Saint Maarten, St. Kitts, and Guadeloupe, ending at Les Saintes – TFFS. Considering the short airstrip at Saba enroute, I will fly my RV14, but any aircraft cruising at 180 knots should be suitable. Recommended scenery packages: https://flightsim.to/file/14685/clayton-j-lloyd-international-tqpf-updated-scenery-project-v1-0 https://flightsim.to/file/41965/tnce-aroport-f-d-roosevelt-sint-eustatius https://flightsim.to/file/8259/trpg-john-a-osborne https://flightsim.to/file/27072/pointe-pitre-…

Rome to Venice – small airports in northern Italy We fly from Rome to Venice, across the Italian peninsula, and along the Adriatic Coast. We land mostly at smaller airports. The deviation from the rule is our departure airport, Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino International Airport (LIRF). It is Italy's busiest airport and the biggest one of the two airports serving Rome. We overfly the city of Rome – the Eternal City - with its overwhelming number of sights before landing at Urbe (LIRU). This airport is mainly used for aeroclubs, flight schools, and air taxi flights. We leave the metropolitan area of Rome and head northwest. We land at the Aviosuperfic…

This is part II of our Thailand excursion. We depart from Mae Sot Aero (VTPM), where we finished last Sunday's flight. We head south, cross the border to Myanmar, and land at Dawei (VYDW). Only recently was Dawei connected to the rest of Myanmar by road and rail. A transnational highway and a railway line across the Tenasserim Hills connecting Dawei and Bangkok are planned if a proposed deepwater port project goes ahead. This port could significantly reduce Singapore-bound traffic when completed. In November 2010, the Myanmar Port Authority signed a US$8.6 billion deal with Italian-Thai Development to develop the seaport at Dawei. The Dawei Special Economic Zone woul…

Portugal North (continuation of Lusitania tour) This route features a lot of wandering about. We will explore the far northeast of Portugal before heading back to the Atlantic coastal region. We depart from Coimbra (LPCO) and proceed to Coja (LPAN). The route continues on into the Serra da Estrela (the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal) before turning back to the west for a landing at De Viseu (LPVZ). Sixty two miles to the northwest lies the Aldeadavila Dam on the Duro which is also the frontier with Spain and then an additional 11 miles to Mogadouro (LPMU). Continuing north we reach far northeastern Portugal at Braganca (LPBG). …

For a few Sunday flights, we will be in Thailand. For the first flight, we depart from Mae Hong Son (VTCH), a town in the north of Thailand, close to the border with Burma. The town is a popular tourist center and a jumping-off point for tours to visit hill tribe villages, caves, and waterfalls in the area. There are also some hot springs nearby. Another important factor is the trade with Burma, which is not always controlled by both customs offices. We head east and land at Pai (VTCI), another tourist town. Pai Airport, which had been decommissioned for 20 years, was paved and refurbished in 2005–2006, and on 1 February 2007, Siam General Aviation began daily…

Papua. A Cargo Challenge for the Canadians For Saturday, January 27, 2024 Today we revisit Papua, the Indonesian provinces on the western side of New Guinea. Over the last few years, the central Indonesian government has committed itself to modernizing the infrastructure in Papua. They have developed the bigger towns’ aviation facilities transforming them from basic airstrips into small airports. And more powerfully, they have devised a plan for a roadway infrastructure so that these towns can be served by motor vehicles – especially commercial trucks. The government’s proclaimed goal is the integration of the countryside into the modern world which would provide read…