AVSIM's Round the World Race Forum

Here is the chance to take the recently released Beaver for a flight, in the country where it was born. We'll meet up in Nanaimo Harbour, and go clockwise around the southern tip of Vancouver Island, via Maple Bay, Shawnigan Lake, Victoria Harbour, and Nitinat Lake, before landing wheels down at CYCD Nanaimo Airport. Flightplan here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uiuljt42kyd0mjb/IFR Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport (CAC8) to Nanaimo Airport (CYCD).zip?dl=0 Recommended scenery packages (you may already have some of these..) Nanaimo: https://flightsim.to/file/15172/downtown-nanaimo-photogrammetry https://flightsim.to/file/9479/cycd-nanaimo-airp…

An AVSIM RTWR Debut Presentation - Heli Tours! Welcome to Arizona! For our first ever helicopter excursion, we try to hone our rotor skills in a location where there is no forgiveness.. It is either make it or break it time for the team! This is "Arizona" and the rugged and very scenic Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon is widely considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the canyon, formed by millions of years of erosion, wind, rain and the Colorado River, stretches an impressive 227 miles long and averages over ten miles wide. The Grand Canyon is an unbelievable spectacle of nature. It is a great, huge slash in the surface of the earth with the Color…

Northern Ireland, has had its share of difficulties. However, the only difficulties we'll have will be spotting two or three little strips.Emerald green runways set in an emerald green landscape! Flyovers would be prudent. The rest will present no problem to our band of intrepid aviators. There is one two incursions into Eire. While you are in Ireland be aware of the parking restrictions. One yellow line along the road means: No Parking at all Two yellow lines along the road means: No Parking at all, at all. I haven't flown the route, I've only checked it out in Google Earth, so I'm looking forward to being surprised and amazed, as I know you are as w…

Outback Queensland (YLRE-YBMA) For November 19, 2022 Michael MacKuen Today we fly in Outback Queensland. We shall see the territory of classic station life that has lent so much to the national Australian culture. And we shall get a chance to see mines that have produced some of contemporary Australia’s wealth. Of special interest, we shall see two historical landmarks of Australian aviation: the birthplace of Qantas (the national airline) and the initial operating base for the Royal Australian Doctor Service. Climbing out of Coolullah Station In 1920, two wartime pilots and a partner took a chance on the future of aviation. It was in Winton (see ahead) that they…

A low level (1000 ft AGL) scenic flight out of Copenhagen to take in some of the sights and attractions in eastern Denmark. Perfect opportunity to take an aircraft with good visibility, like the RV14, for a pleasant flight. We first visit the residence of the Danish royal family at Amalienborg, and progress up the coast to Kronborg, the site of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Then we take a left turn and visit first Fredensborg, and then Frederiksborg, before landing at Roskilde airport. By now you will have gathered that "borg" is the Danish word for "castle". Then we turn West, stopping at a lovely little airfield at Ringsted, before examining the three i…

Allegheny & Potomac Highlands Starting from Greenbrier Valley (KLWB) we make a quick detour to White Sulphur Springs (site of the Greenbrier Resort Hotel), then proceed to Ingalls (KHSP) and the Homestead Resort near Hot Springs. The route continues north to NRAO Green Bank, then crossing several ridges reaches the upper drainage of the Potomac River at waypoint EVERS. We follow the Strait Fork north to its junction with the North Fork South Branch of the Potomac River. The ridge to the left of the track is the Allegheny Front. We land at Grant County Airport near Petersburg West Virginia. Turning East Southeast we overfly multiple ridges and Lost River Stat…

2022-11-05_PNG North Coast Aviation 2 (AYWS-AYNZ) For November 5, 2022 Michael MacKuen We return to Papua New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula to focus on the Sarawaged and Cromwell ranges. We shall visit small village strips which will engage our mountain flying skills. In addition, we’ll take a “nostalgic look” at the airfields at Finschhafen and Lae Aerodrome for a taste of the region’s aviation history. And finally, we’ll climb Mount Sarawaget itself. Again, this is part of the territory flown by the small independent airline North Coast Aviation, based in Lae. They are currently flying the PAC P-750. Hats off to these people for maintaining links between rural villag…

Red Sea – Part 4 “Into Remote Places” Part 4 of our Red Sea Tour starts in Ethiopia and finishes in Yeman. Starting in the important railway town of Dire Dawa (HADR) we head north to Djibouti (HDAM). The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway provides landlocked Ethiopia with access to the sea, linking Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa with the Djibouti Port of Doraleh. More than 95% of Ethiopia's trade passes through Djibouti, accounting for 70% of the activity at the Port of Djibouti. Djibouti is near some of the world's busiest shipping lanes, controlling access to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. It serves as a key refuelling and transshipment center, and the p…

Red Sea – Part 3 Part 3 of our Red Sea Tour starts in Sudan, traverses the Eritrean highlands, and finishes in Ethiopia. The flight starts in the dry savannah belt of northeastern Sudan at Khashm el-Girba (HSKG) and heads northeast to Kassala (HSKA) located on the Gash river and the location of the ancient settlement of Mahal Teglinos which flourished here during the neolithic period (ca. 2800–2500 BC). The route turns southeast – entering Eritrea – with a landing at Barentu (HHBA) – whose rapid expansion is partly attributed to the Eritrean returnees from Sudan who established their home in the town after years of migration spent in Sudan. Co…

The Dominican Republic shares an island in the Ca-RIB-i-an or Carry-be-un, take your pick, with Haiti. French speaking on the small bit and Spanish on the much bigger bit. Missed a trick there France. 😜 There are no tricky landings to be made so you'll save hours in your week by not having to do a recce. 👍 The trip is about 380nm so any GA with a cruise speed of around 150-160kts will do it. Suggest 0700hrs local for departure with real weather. (How could it be otherwise?) Flight Plan HERE Particulars: Date and time: Saturday October 29th, 19:00 UTC Where: AVSIM RTWR Teamspeak - Casual Flights Channel …

2022-10-22_PNG North Coast Aviation 1 (AYDY-AYWS) For October 22, 2022 Michael MacKuen Today (and the next time) we shall return to Papua New Guinea to explore the northern mountains, first the Kratke and the Finisterre ranges on each side of the Markham Valley. And then later, the Sarawaged and Cromwell ranges further east on the Huon Peninsula. For our pilots, this means hillside and ridgetop village airstrips that will engage different talents and skills. And they will provide spectacular views of the peaks, ravines, ridges, valleys and the surrounding ocean. This is part of the territory flown by the small independent airline North Coast Aviation, based in La…

We tried this kind of setup on our August 6 flight, also in the South of England. It was good fun, let's do it again! For this event we start at Redhill (EGKR), the route depends upon the decisions made during the flight. I could not describe the procedure nearly as good, so I copied Mike's description from his post: The Scramble Setup The “instigator” takes the lead by announcing the initial departure airport to set the stage before the event begins. On the day of the event, he will write down the names of the arriving participants and then randomly order those names in a sequenced “planner roster”. At departure time, the list will be published on T…

Burning Man September is Burning Man and Reno Air Race month so this flight will feature a visit to Stead and Black Rock City Airport. Starting from South Lake Tahoe (KTVL) we head to Carson City (KCXP) then to Stead (KRTS) the site of the air races. The next part of the route features a series of mostly dusty Nevada bush strips enroute to Buring Man and then a few more after. We finish at Cedarville (O95) – because I don’t think we’ve ever been there. Flightplan HERE Freeware Addons: · Dead Cow Lake Bed Airstrip (Required) · Black Rock City - 88NV - Burning Man (Required) …

Red Sea – Part 2 Starting from Ras Banas (HE14) the first leg is 143nm across the Red Sea to Yenbo (OYEN) in Saudia Arabia. The route continues inland to Medina (considered to be the second-holiest of three key cities in Islamic tradition). Next is a longish (175nm) leg to Jeddah on the Red Sea. A brief sightseeing tour of Jeddah landmarks before turning inland to Mecca. A slow counterclockwise circle over the Kaaba seems appropriate then we head further inland for a landing at Taif. The final leg is the longest (223nm) as we turn back to the west and over the Red Sea to our destination Port Sudan (HSPN) Flightplan HERE Freeware Addons: …

Hi all, My flying group ( mainly VR ) needs some advice. We are based here in Australia. We have been flying fortnightly VR flights using P3D V5 but have now moved to MSFS and are running into some 'problems'. I know you all specialise in flying in a wonderful group, so whom better to ask. For our first official flight yesterday, I threw them into the deep end with the Idaho Dirt Strips Revisited flight plan ! Well needless to say we all crashed at certain airports, (did anyone mention Dewey Moore 😲). My/our question is, if you can't already guess, choosing Restart after crashing will take you back to the original airport and then you need to slew to …

Hudson Bridges (KLDJ-KALB) For October 8, 2022 Michael MacKuen Today we shall fly “low and slow” up the Hudson River from New York Bay northward toward Albany. Along the way, we shall have the opportunity to view eleven bridges that span the river and give a sense of the long history involved. And we shall take a quick look at some of the sights along both sides of the historic river valley. All this should be made more attractive by the crisp Fall colors of October. George Washington Bridge We start at Linden [KLDJ] in a not especially beautiful section of New Jersey. Flying east, we cross Staten Island and turn to fly under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge [VZB]. …

Upcoming flight to try out WU11 in Western Canada. Starting in the nickel mining town of Trail, BC, home of the famed "Trail Smoke Eaters". Exploring the course of the Columbia River... https://www.americanrivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Columbia-river-map-snake-river-highlighted.png Here a teaser: The ten-day World Championship Tournament started on February 3, 1939, and was held in Basel and Zurich; two of the greatest little cities perched in the picturesque Swiss Alps. Before the tournament ended on February 12th, the Trail Smoke Eaters had won the hearts of all the Swiss fans, and went about the business of winning the championship in methodical …

Red Sea – Part 1 This is the first part of a route that will crisscross the Red Sea from north to south. Starting from Aqaba (OJAQ) the first stop is St Catherine (HESC). We ovefly Mt Sinai enroute to El Tor (HETR) on the Red Sea side of the Sinai peninsula, then cross back to land at the resort city of Sharm El Sheikh (HESH). Continuing acrosss the Red Sea to Hurghada (HEGN), then inland to the Nile at Luxor (HELX). Down the Nile to Aswan (HESN) the back across the desert to the Red Sea for a finish at Ras Banas (HE14) Flightplan HERE Freeware Addons: Aqaba OJAQ HEMA - Marsa Alam International Luxor Inter…

Hi all, A couple of weeks ago a City Update Germany became available for MSFS. This update covered Bonn, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, and Hannover and provided photogrammetry data for these cities. It was not advertised and so many users missed it. It is available at the Marketplace, there may be updates in the Content Manager. We depart from Bonn-Hangelar (EDKB). The airport is home to some maintenance facilities, a Federal Police Helicopter Squadron, and some flight schools. It is the base for GA and business aircraft in the Cologne-Bonn region. We head south for a couple of miles and then follow the river Rhine northbound. On the western side of the r…

South Caucasus The South Caucasus spans the southern portion of the Caucasus Mountains and their lowlands, straddling the border between the continents of Europe and Asia. Located on the peripheries of Iran, Russia and Turkey, the region has been an arena for political, military, religious, and cultural rivalries and expansionism for centuries. This tour begins in Armenia, enters Turkey for a flyby of Mt Ararat (reputed to be the resting place of Noah's Ark) before crossing the border landing at Yeravan (the capital of Armenia). The route continues crossing back and forth from Armenia to Azerbaijan, with landings or touch and go’s at eight airports and finishing B…

Balochistan is an arid desert and mountainous geographic historical region in South and Western Asia. It comprises the Pakistani province of Balochistan, the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, and the southern areas of Afghanistan, which include Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.Balochistan borders the Pashtunistan region to the north, Sindh and Punjab to the east, and Iranian regions to the west. Its southern coastline, including the Makran Coast, is washed by the Arabian Sea, in particular by its western part, the Gulf of Oman. I doubt any of us have a desire to visit this area in person so here is a once in a lifetime chance to experience this part o…

San Diego GA San Diego County has more than 70 miles coastline. This forms the most densely populated region of the county, which has a mild Mediterranean to semiarid climate and extensive chaparral vegetation, similar to the rest of the western portion of Southern California. Precipitation and temperature extremes increase to the east, with mountains that receive frost and snow in the winter. These lushly forested mountains receive more rainfall than average in Southern California, while the desert region of the county lies in a rain shadow to the east, which extends into the Desert Southwest region of North America. There are 16 military installations, of the …

The Southern Tip of Africa (FACG-FAPX) For September 17, 2022 Michael MacKuen This afternoon, we shall take a look at Africa’s Southern Tip. We’ll see the “Whale Coast” and Cape Agulhas, pop north to experience the “Little Karoo”, and then back to the Indian Ocean along the “Garden Route” to finish at the Surfer’s haven Jeffreys Bay. Bloukrans Bridge We shall meet up at Caledon [FACG], a well-maintained turf airport near the prosperous agricultural town Caledon. (You may fly in from Cape Town or Johannesburg or Durban.) After gathering, we head south past the Kleinrivier Mountains down onto the southern coast at Hermanus [HERM], the very successful beach town th…

Warbirds! Time to put on your 'real man's trousers' (pants if you must!) and strap yourself in behind a proper engine. 425 nm trip around North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. An interesting upshot of the Scramble format was the differing opinions of the best routes to take. I think we should maybe try to encourage that. This plan is just straight lines from place to place. There is a long final leg where we'll have an opportunity to practice our formation skills. You know, that thing where you keep your buddies in sight! I'll be using the Milviz Corsair which I can recommend, but you will likely need to put a couple of hours on your log book in it.…

Idaho Backcountry Scramble For September 10, 2022 Michael MacKuen Today we have some fun flying a Scramble in Idaho’s Backcountry. We revisited this area two months ago (Idaho Bush Strips) and had a great time. We go back again to enjoy the area once more before the weather changes. However, this time we change the format to a scramble just to shake things up a bit. (A delightful idea suggested by JTW.) Mile High in Idaho We start at Sulphur Creek Ranch [ID74]. This is a popular fly-in destination venue that normally requires advance booking. We were able to reserve the location “as a group” and will enjoy a good ranch breakfast in preparation for the day’s flyin…