AVSIM's Round the World Race Forum

Flight Over the Solomons For Saturday, March 7, 2026 Michael MacKuen Today we shall take a look at the historic Solomons Campaign (1942-1944). During World War II, this was the extended conflict in the Solomon Islands, between Rabaul and Guadalcanal, in which the Allies halted and reversed the forces of the Japanese Empire. In late 1942, the Japanese seemed invincible and the efforts of the Allied soldiers, sailors, and airmen were seen as doomed to failure. By early 1944, the tide had turned and the Allies were on their way to victory. For fun, we shall treat this week’s event as a loose reenactment of flying during that time. Several of our airports are imagin…

We’ll be hopping across three very different Gulf of Guinea neighbours, all in a relatively small geographic area, but with very different histories and vibes. We depart from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (DNAA), which serves Abuja, Nigeria’s modern planned capital in the Federal Capital Territory. Abuja was developed from the late 1970s to replace Lagos as the capital. Nigeria is the regional giant: Africa’s most populous state with more than 230 million people and over 250 ethnic groups, including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and many others. It is a federal presidential republic with the economy strongly driven by oil and gas, agriculture, and a big services secto…

The desert teaches silence, resilience, and the beauty of simplicity, offering wisdom to those who venture into its vastness. On Todays flight we will be visiting 2 desert regions in California starting with the Anza-Borrego Desert and then moving on to the Mojave Desert where we will explore and experience the beauty of the desert in the springtime. Documentation The flight plan can be found here. Here: This flight requires to use my preset Alpine which is included. Aircraft: The flight is 374 miles with 11 stops. I will be in the A2A Aerostar so anything that does 200ish Additional Scenery: all are needed https://flightsim.to/addon/…

D'Entrecasteaux (Redux) This is a revisit to an area we toured in Caribou’s in 2023. Situated near the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea the D'Entrecasteaux Islands are volcanic in origin and are separated from the Papua New Guinea mainland by 20 mile wide Ward Hunt Strait in the north and the 11 mile wide Goschen Strait in the south. The tour begins at Tagula Airport (TGL) in the southeast of the Louisiade Archipelago and will finish with a series of landings on the southeastern tip of PNG. The route is 570nm with 14 landings. Most of the airfields have been enhanced by Mountainair – some of which have been updated to version 2 for compatibility wit…

Pacific Coast Highway: Astoria, Oregon to Olympia, Washington USA, then a quick Ferry Ride to Canada to pickup the Start of the Trans-Canada Highway: For Wed. February 25th, 2026 Background These PCH trips (this one #5) total almost 1650 miles from San Diego, South California to Olympia/Seattle, in Northern Washington. This is the last portion of the Pacific Coast and US-101 Highway segment to cover but again a very scenic journey. This trip heads northward from Astoria, Oregon to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington (and more.) The coasts of Oregon and Washington are a virtual microcosm of the Pacific Northwest, containing everything from extensiv…

We continue the tour around New South Wales, simulating the delivery of freight to the towns we visit. We depart from Wellington (YWEL), a town situated at the confluence of the Macquarie and Bell rivers. This location served as an important base for explorer John Oxley's expeditions between 1817 and 1818, and he named the site after the Duke of Wellington. It was also established as a convict settlement between 1823 and 1831, a foundational piece of its early history, and it is near the famous Wellington limestone caves and the large Lake Burrendong. The first stop is Dubbo (YSDU), which acts as the key retail and service centre for a vast area of inland New South W…

This is a helicopter tour around the French Island of La Réunion. It will take us from the western lagoons, through the dramatic volcanic "cirques" and active peaks, and finally to the northern capital. It is a recycled trip; we've been here before. La Réunion is an overseas department and region of France located in the African region with a population of approximately 910,985. Its capital and largest city is Saint-Denis. Before the arrival of French colonial subjects and immigrants in the 17th century, Réunion was an uninhabited island. Its tropical climate led to the development of a plantation economy focused primarily on sugar; slaves from East Africa were impo…

Japan Tour 8 – Ibaraki, Fukushima & Niigata The tour of Japan continues with a departure from Tokyo Haneda (RJTT), then heads north to Hyakuri Aero (RJAH). The route repeatedly crosses Honshu north of Tokyo before finishing in Sendai (RJSS). Flightplan HERE Scenery Recommendations RJTU - Utsunomiya RJSF - Fukushima Aerial and Terrain RJFH - Fukushima-shi RJSN - Niigata Airport RJSN - Niigata Enhancement RJSY - Shonai RJSC - Yamagata RJSC - Yamagata DEM RJSS - Sendai Ibaraki Airport, also known as…

PNG Eastern Highlands. Missionary Pilots Part 2 For Wednesday, February 18, 2026 Michael MacKuen This morning we continue flying through a southern part of the Eastern Highlands. Again, we visit airstrips that are part of the circuits of several missionary aviation teams, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), Ethnos360 Aviation (of Ryan Ferran and Missionary Bush Pilot), Adventist Aviation, and SIL Aviation. This time we fly a circle roughly counter-clockwise east-to-west from Aiyura back to Goroka. Again, this flight features a mixture of Ken Hall’s Highland Bush Strips Pack 3 and Highland Bush Strips Pack 4 (payware at Orbx). Out of Sindeni Another e…

This is a repeat flight of Jeff's with some changes. For all those who want to get warm we will head to the Atlantic Ocean for some sightseeing and adventure. I will be in the Aerostar so anything like that will do. The flight is 321 miles with 12 stops. Flight Plan: Here: Scenery: Here This is a all-in one. You most likely have these already. Recommend Departure time of 10:00 AM Weather: Fly what works best for you Particulars: Date and time: Saturday Feb 14, 19:00 UTC RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel MFS Multiplayer: South East Asia Server If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer expe…

We’ll be flying to a mix of classic RAF stations, US Air Force history, and grass‑roots GA fields, all the way from the Midlands down into the Fens and out to mid‑Wales. The flight will be split into two parts. We’ll depart from Turweston (EGBT), a former World War II bomber training base that opened in 1942 as RAF Turweston for Wellington and Mitchell crews under Bomber Command. Today it feels very GA‑friendly, with the modern aerodrome and café sitting on what was once a busy wartime station that closed in 1945 and later lay derelict before reopening for general aviation in the 1990s. Enroute we will fly over Cardington’s giant airship hangars. They date back to t…

Pacific Coast Highway: Between Klamath Glen, California and Astoria, Oregon For Wed. February 11th, 2026 Background The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), primarily California's State Route 1, is a legendary 650+ mile scenic drive famous for dramatic ocean views, rugged cliffs (especially in Big Sur), historic landmarks like Bixby Bridge, redwood forests, and charming coastal towns, offering iconic California experiences from San Francisco to Southern California, ideal for road trips with stops at beaches, aquariums, and state parks for unforgettable sunsets and natural beauty. This is US Highway 101, which stretches on the west coast of the US from Californ…

PNG Eastern Highlands. Missionary Pilots Part 1 For Wednesday, February 4, 2026 Michael MacKuen This morning we fly through a southern part of the Eastern Highlands. In particular, we shall visit several airstrips that were featured in Ryan Ferran’s Missionary Bush Pilot video website. We depart from Goroka and fly to a dozen mountain airstrips before ending our day at Aiyura. This flight and the next in the sequence will feature a mixture of Ken Hall’s Highland Bush Strips Pack 3 and Highland Bush Strips Pack 4 (payware at Orbx). Simogu today is a Porter Palace Early in the morning we depart the aviation center at Goroka [AYGK]. The first stop is A…

We continue our tour around the Black Sea and depart from Chisinau (LUKK), the capital and largest city of Moldova. This city of around 700,000 people sits in the central part of this small Eastern European nation. Moldova is a landlocked country. It gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and is one of Europe's poorest countries, though it has a rich winemaking tradition dating back thousands of years. Chisinau itself features a mix of Soviet-era architecture and modern developments, with wide boulevards and numerous parks. The official language is Romanian, though Russian is also widely spoken. Flying southeast, we reach Odesa (UKOO), Ukraine's third-lar…

Japan Tour 7 – Tokyo Heli Tour Tokyo, located at the head of Tokyo Bay in the Kantō region on Honshu, is part of the world's largest metropolitan area. The Greater Tokyo Area, including Tokyo and six nearby prefectures, had 41 million residents in 2024. We depart from Atsugi Aero (RJTA), head south to the coast, then proceed in a counterclockwise direction. We turn towards Yokahama, then Tokyo Bay, followed by a tour of Tokyo landmarks. Leaving the city center we head west to the Tama River and follow it to our finishing airport Tachikawa (RJTC). Flightplan HERE Naval Air Facility Atsugi (RJTA) is a joint Japan-US naval air base i…

Todays Flight will take us from Texas to Monterrey Mexico. We start in Texas at Port Isabel and head out to South Padre Island and then turn south to go see SpaceX Starbase before heading NW into Mexico as we go up the Rio Grande for a about 80 miles before turning SW towards Monterrey. After that we will tour the area and get into the beautiful mountains before finishing our flight in Monclova. The flight is 362 miles with 8 stops. I will be in the A2A Aerostar so anything that can do 180 to 200 will do. Documentation Flight plan: Here: Additional Scenery https://flightsim.to/file/7349/spacex-boca-chica-launch-site https://flightsim.to/file/2…

It's time to wrap up our flights in the Czech Republic. We depart from Brno (LKTB), the country's second-largest city. We head north and follow the small river Svratka before turning west. Our first POI is the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk atop Zelená Hora, an outstanding example of Baroque Gothic style. After landing in Jihlava (LKJI), a town on the Bohemian-Moravian border, and the stops in Jindřichův Hradec (LKJH) and Hosin (LKHS), we approach the next major POI: Hluboká Chateau (Frauenberg). This Neo-Gothic fairy-tale castle is one of the most visited in the Czech Republic. We continue west to reach Strunkovice (LKSR). Here we turn southwe…

Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)-Part 3: Oakland to Klamath Glen, California For Wed. January 28th, 2026 Background The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), primarily California's State Route 1, is a legendary 650+ mile scenic drive famous for dramatic ocean views, rugged cliffs (especially in Big Sur), historic landmarks like Bixby Bridge, redwood forests, and charming coastal towns, offering iconic California experiences from San Francisco to Southern California, ideal for road trips with stops at beaches, aquariums, and state parks for unforgettable sunsets and natural beauty. This is US Highway 101, which stretches on the west coast of the US from California to …

Pacific Coast Highway- Monterey to Little River, California For Wed. January 21st, 2026 Background The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), primarily California's State Route 1, is a legendary 650+ mile scenic drive famous for dramatic ocean views, rugged cliffs (especially in Big Sur), historic landmarks like Bixby Bridge, redwood forests, and charming coastal towns, offering iconic California experiences from San Francisco to Southern California, ideal for road trips with stops at beaches, aquariums, and state parks for unforgettable sunsets and natural beauty. This is US Highway 101, which stretches on the west coast of the US from California to Washington …

This flight covers a route through the Philippines, starting from the rice plains of Central Luzon, hopping through the tropical "Last Frontier" of Palawan, crossing the agricultural landscapes of Mindoro, and concluding in the megalopolis of Manila. We depart from Rosales Airport (RPRI), also known as the Carmen Airstrip, in the Palawan province of the Philippines. It is a major agricultural hub often called the "Gateway to the North." The airfield itself is primarily used for light general aviation and rotary aircraft. Our first stop is Puerto Princesa International Airport (RPVP). Puerto Princesa is the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines and is home to…

PNG Eastern Highlands. Airplane Coffee and Mt Wilhelm For Saturday, January 24, 2026 Michael MacKuen This morning we shall visit parts of Papua New Guinea’s Central and Eastern Highlands. From Mount Hagen, the capital of the Highlands, we visit villages in the Simbai region, the home of Balus Kopi or “Airplane Coffee.” And then we travel southeast to circle and then surmount Mt Wilhelm before descending to the Bundi District and then Goroka. Morning Airplane Coffee in Dusin With the early morning light we depart the busy commercial airport Mount Hagen [AYMH] to cross over high ridges before landing at Simbai [AYSJ]. It was from the Simbai Valley th…

Deep in the heart of Texas. Todays flight will bring you to my home state of Texas. We will be travelling thru the Heart of Texas to we reach the coast. We leave from Fort Worth and ck out the Fort Worth stockyards and then head over to Arlington to see Texas stadium and Six Flags. We then head over to Dallas and ck out the sites of downtown including Dealey Plaza. We then head south to Hillsboro and then Waco. We then enter the Texas Hill country as we fly down interstate 35 too San Antonio wher we will se the Alamo and River Walk. We then continue to the coast and finish up in Corpus Christi. Flight Plan: Here: Aircraft This route runs 420nm and has 10 s…

We continue our tour through southern England. We depart from Fowlmere (EGMA) and turn southeast to reach our first landing, Earls Colne (EGSR). Just 8 miles west, we arrive at Andrewsfield (EGSL). We stay in the east of London and land at North Weald (EGSX), Stapleford (EGSG), and Damyns Hall (EGML) before heading east. We land at Thurrock (EGMT) and Southend (EGMC) before turning south again. We land at Rochester (EGTO) and overfly the Archbishop's Palace and Leeds Castle before reaching Headcorn (EGKH). Further south, we visit Bodiam Castle and Herstmonceux Castle and finish the flight at Lydd (EGMD). The flight is 153 miles long and has 9 landi…

Japan Tour 6 - Helo Tour of Japan's Northern Alps This tour features landings at two Samurai Castles, seven mountain helo pads, a mountain hotel, and four dams. Departing from Matsumoto (RJAF) it is a short leg to Matsumoto Castle then climb into the alps for a landing at Dakesawa Hut below Mount Hotaka. Climbing steeply up to the main ridge we make our way to Mount Yari before descending to the west down into the steep gorge of the Kanakido River and attempt a landing at the Hokuriku Electric Power Ikenoo Power Station. Heading downstream to the Takahara River junction we turn north and make our way to Kamioka Castle. The route proceeds northward over rugged mou…

This is the first flight of a tour around the Black Sea. We depart from Burgas (LBBS), Bulgaria. The city is a major port on the Black Sea coast, renowned for its stunning lakes and proximity to the Strandzha Mountains. Our first stop is Varna (LBWN), often referred to as the "Maritime Capital of Bulgaria." Varna is a key port, naval base, and seaside resort. It's home to the oldest gold treasure in the world, the Varna Necropolis Gold. We make a short stop at Tuzla (LRTZ) and continue to Constanta (LRCK), Romania. Constanta is Romania's largest seaport. It is a city rich in history, dating back over 2,500 years, and a key commercial and cultural hub. We contin…