AVSIM's Round the World Race Forum

246nm of extreme riding of elevators. Lots of up 'n' downs. I don't think there are any 'I can't see the bloody airport' stops but they are fairly close together. So by the time you've set your APs it'll be time to turn them off. 😎 If you have any old Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile or Buick spares in your garage, bring them with you, you'll get a good price for them. Oh yes. Aircraft: If you are thinking CJ4s and up, forget it. Think the other end of the spectrum. Flight plan HERE All you want to know about Cuba HERE

Japan - Nine Provinces Kyushu - meaning Nine Provinces - is the third largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (excluding Okinawa). Our departure airport is Kitakyushu (RJFR). We head west and cross the Kamnon Bridge and land at Ashiya (RJFA). About 20 miles to the southwest we land at Fukuoka (RJFF). Before landing at Saga (RJFS) we overfly the River Lift Bridge near Okawa. We head northwest and reach the Ikitsuki Bridge where we turn southeast. The next landing is at Chisun-Inn-Omura (RJFU), the airport serving the Nagasaki area. We overfly the city of Nagasaki and head out over the water to find …

Shangri-La This flight starts in Kunming in Yunan province and finishes in Qamdo in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. On the final leg we will overfly the Three Parallel Rivers protected region. Here, for a distance of over 300 km, three of Asia's great rivers (Yangze, Mekong, & Salween) run roughly parallel to one another separated by high mountain ranges with peaks over 6,000 meters. Flightplan & Pilots Guide: HERE Aircraft I plan to fly the PMDG DC-6A in Steve Dra’s USAF Day-Go livery. The high terrain will require significant climbs, high cruise levels (think 2nd stage superchargers) and situational awareness. The TBM will also be a go…

South of the Border This tour starts at Gilespie Field (KSEE) near San Diego and finishes in Tuscon Arizona (KTUS). We will file a VFR flight plan with the relevant authorities. While en route we may elect to land at the occasional small rural airstrip. No more than nine landings. Nothing suspicious whatsoever about the routing. All perfectly innocent. Flightplan: HERE Aircraft The route is 346 miles and an aircraft aircraft capable a cruise speed of 150 knots. Good cargo capacity and decent short field performance are also desirable. I plan to fly the Cessna Caravan in Highland livery. Required Additional Freeware Scenery …

Two Passes through the Canadian Rockies (Scheduled for Wednesday September 22, 2021) We shall fly through a part of the Canadian Rockies along the Alberta-British Columbia border. [Three years ago, we flew this area in Orbx P3D. We now get a comparison.] We start at Valemount [CAH4]. Then we pick up Yellowhead Pass [YHEAD] which is the main northern pass through the Rocky Mountains. (Its gentle slope made it the favorite as the Canadian Pacific decided how to cross the Rockies. The Kicking Horse Pass won because the more challenging Southern route would be faster ... and would fend off the US railroad industry. The Canadian Northern would later run through Yellowhead…

For this Saturday flight we shall continue our exploring of the Alps heading west to check out the French Alps . We shall depart Geneva ( LSGG ) and head S to Meythet (LFLP) and the beautiful Haute Savoie City of Annecy. Departing we continue S to Aix-Les-Bains (LFLB) the International airport serving Chambery and surrounding area. Next we head deep into the mountains to Albertville (LFKA) Departing we reverse course to Saint Remy De Maurienne (LFKR) and have a strong coffee in preparation for what lies ahead !...... Departing we head south then UP to the beautiful Ski Resort of L'Alpe d'Huez (LFHU) landing at the Henri Giraud (sloping runway) Altiport. Departing down th…

Algeria – North to South Flightplan: HERE Aircraft The route is 1081 nm and a will likely take two sessions to complete. Because of the longish legs a fast aircraft is preferred. The route begins in Algiers on the Mediterranean coast and proceeds 95 miles over the Tell Atlas to the first stop Bou Saada. The next stop is Laghouat an oasis on the north edge of the Sahara Desert and then to Ghardaia. Continuing south across the Sahara to I-N-Salah thenTamanrasset and finishing at Guezzam near the border of Niger. I plan to fly the Working Title CJ4 in “Kestrel” livery but the MB339 would also be a fine choice. Recommend Departure time of…

High Alps For Saturday, September 11, 2021 We shall visit the high Alps of Switzerland. In this week's World Update 6, MFS has enhanced Switzerland. We shall take a look. After passing Mont Blanc, we visit the towering massifs of the Pennine and Bernese Alps. Then over the Gotthard Pass and down the Ticino Valley to the castles of Bellinzona before heading for the elegance of St. Mortiz. We depart from Megève [LFHM], the altiport which hosts the Megève Flying Club (for mountain flying) and discovery flights over Mont Blanc, as well as "a convivial restaurant and terrasse." We climb up to fly past the Mont Blanc massif [BLANC] over the high ridge near the Domes de M…

Wednesdays Flight is a much more serene affair compared to recent flights at Kodiak . We shall be cruising amongst the western part of the Tien Chan (celestial) mountain range (Celestial Mountains | NASA) . We shall depart from Tashkent in Uzbekistan from Yuzhny airport ( UTTT ) and climb East to 12000ft to our first stop at Kerben Airport ( UAKR ) in Kyrgyzstan . From here a short 50 mile leg East to Toktogul Airport ( UATO ) on the northern shore of Toktogul Reservoir. From here another 50 mile leg NE to Sosnovka Airport (UASV). This is a short runway for the DC-6, however,we are blessed with a long grass threshold to enable a successful takeoff. Next we travel North ,c…

Todays Flight is a continuation ( After extensive repairs) of our Amphibian tour of the of Kodiak Island in Alaska. This will be a multi-stop multiple short legged route with a combination of water and land departure/landings with some amphibian activities at stops. Carnage is to be expected . We depart from our destination from Pt1 from the substantial international airport at Kizhuyak Airport (KZH) an 820ft grass (snow) strip and head south further up into the mountains to land at Koniaq Peak (PZ03) From here we head NW to Zachar Bay Lodge Seaplane base (ZHR) for a Water landing. From here we head south to Alf Island airpark (ALF) a 762ft gravel landing. Departing her…

Today we will be touring the greater Los Angeles Area. WE will start at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana and work our way around the city. We will see all the sights and history of the area with some local knowledge. We will finish the flight at Santa Catalina. We want to fly a plane like the Piaggio or similar for touring with good visuals. We will depart at 10AM for this 3 hour tour. FlightPlan: https://www.mediafire.com/file/baxlsrrtjynrodu/LaLaLand.zip/file Scenery: None needed but for better experience you may want ORBX'S LA Airports. I found the sceneries on the TO site to be problematic for this flight. Flight Time : is at Sept 1 at 1pm cen…

Todays Flight is an Amphibian tour of the Northern half of Kodiak Island in Alaska. This will be a multi-stop multiple short legged route with a combination of water and land departure/landings with some amphibian activities at stops . We depart from the water at Port Williams (KPR) and hop southwest to Blue Fox Bay Seaplane base (BFB) for a water landing. From here we depart SE to Waterfall Lake (PZ05) . We land on the 820ft grass strip (taking care not to land long, to avoid as steep descent into a field with a grumpy elk) We taxi back down RWY04 into the drink (lake) to explore the shoreline before departing from the water. We continue on for 16 miles SE to Afognak I…

Baja by Jet Flightplan: HERE Aircraft The route is 703 nm and a fast aircraft is preferred. I plan to fly the Working Title CJ4 in “Kestrel” livery but the MB339 would also be a fine choice. The legs are pretty short for jets and so we will not get to their best cruise altitude. Be prepared to check your fuel status at each airport. Additional Freeware Scenery (not required) Tijuana Intl. Airport MMTJ (MMLP) La Paz International, Mexico (MMSD) San Jose Los Cabos International Recommend Departure time of 4:30PM local Particulars: · Date and time: Wednesday Aug 25, 18:00 UTC · …

Time to try the amphibians! Even though there is a lack of RTMM style float plane destinations in MSFS at present, I believe we can have a fun flight in our amphibian C172, XCub or Husky.. Here is a flightplan to look at.. Starting In Port Hardy, visiting Port mcNeill and Alert Bay, crossing over to the west coast via Woss, and ending up at the northern endpoint of the ever popular West Coast Trail, in Bamfield. Flight plan: https://www.dropbox.com/s/x3lpvl0dck6qg3g/VFR Port Hardy Seaplane Base (CAW5) to Bamfield Seaplane Base (CAE9).pln?dl=0 More details to follow.. 😉

The Northern Isles. And Back Again. (Scheduled for August 18, 2021) We shall spend a late summer's morning enjoying the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Last year (2020) we flew the islands from south to north in P3D. This year we shall go back, this time from north to south, in MFS. These low-lying archipelagos are windswept and largely devoid of trees. Rather than marveling at grand scenery, our emphasis will be hopping into and out of the small airports that are scattered around the islands. The combination of modestly-sized runways (many are less than 2,000 feet) and breezy conditions will make for an engaging experience. We begin our flight at the Shetland Isla…

Todays Flight departs from Pau / Pyrenees Airport ( LFBP ). From here we have a short hop south to Mirepeix ( LFVQ ) to dust off the cobwebs with a gentle grass runway. Continuing south into the foothills we fly to Argeles-Gazost Airport ( LFJN ). Next leg is a bit more complex , flying west to the town of Argeles-Gazost then turning south up a valley until we reach the town of Luz San-Sauveur where we turn NNE and continue up the valley to Col du Tourmalet (passing our next Airport) . We then turn north and climb aggressively to circle the Pic Du Midi de Bigorre Observatory . After completing the circuit we dive back down the valley to land at Castillon De La Laquette …

Flying Down to Rio – Redux Recycling a flight from a couple of years ago. Starting from São Pedro da Aldeia (SBES) we head for Rio de Janeiro. EVSOB is the initial approach fix for our visit to Rio de Janeiro. Fly past Sugar Loaf on your left and do a circuit around the bay to appreciate the many fine views before landing at Santos Dumont (SBRJ). Winds permitting we will attempt the fun and challenging circle to land 02 approach. Departing Santos Dumont we will fly over Botafogo (to the right of Sugarloaf – please don’t hit the cable car) and out to the beaches of the Copacabana and Ipanema. I am told the sight-seeing opportunities in this area are outstandin…

This trip starts in Bristol (Ooh aar, ooh aar) and ends in Chock's home airport EGCB (Like that an' what have you) (Sorry Alan 😛) It's only 250 nm so no need to rush about. Anyone who has ever read the Bible will get the inference in the title. Flight plan HERE EGCB (Barton) Not checked with Update 5, you know, the one that's causing all the grief! I'll check it out.

Iceland – Part 3 The tour starts at Djúpivogur (BIDV) follows the 105km stretch around Iceland's southeast corner, between Djúpivogur and Höfn. This is another impossibly scenic stretch, with the road curving past only a handful of farms backed by precipitous peaks. There are black-sand beaches and bird-filled wetlands to add plenty of 'oooh' moments. From Höfn(BIHN) we follow Rt 1 westward past glaciers flowing down from the immense Vatnajökull ice cap. Two quick stops near Skaftafell Park, then we cross the desolate Sandar with a couple of landings and then arrive at Vik (BIVI) (the southernmost settlement in Iceland). A quick tour of Katla, Thórsmörk, and Skoga…

With this flight we visit the south of Norway and some of the inland provinces. We depart from Fagernes Airport (ENFG), a GA airport near the city of Leirin. It was a used as a commercial airport, but commercial activities ceased in 2018. For the next 19 waypoints we cross westbound and later southbound over the country. We follow the Sørfjord south, overfly the Old Town of Stavanger [STAV], and land at the airport of Sola (ENZV). We depart Stavanger, overfly the Stadium [STADI], and head east. We enter the Lysefjord and look out for the Preikestolen [PREIK], the " priests chair". Preikestolen is a steep cliff which rises 604 metres (1,982 ft) above Lysef…

California Adventure #3 Piaggios Today we fly down the central eastern side of the Sierras. This flight will be flying Piaggio's with the canopy open. We will start the flight in the Fire ravaged area near Reno. WE proceed down to Reno/Stead airport were we will land. At this point we will all be required to fly 3 circuits in a left pattern around the yellow pylons and then meetup over the lake east of the field to continue our adventure. We will fly over downtown Reno and Carson city on our way down the east side. WE will then continue to explore the area and even visit the Old western Town of Bodi , We will then fly over Mono Lake on our way to Mammoth MT where we…

The Namib For July 21, 2021 Today we take a look at the Namib, Africa's coastal southern desert. At 55-80 million years old, this may be the world's oldest desert; only the Atacama challenges it for age and aridity. The heart of the Namib, between Lüderitz and Walvis Bay, is made up of an enormous dune sea with some of the most spectacular sand dunes in the world. They are often tall and sharply edged with colors ranging from yellow to pink to orange. The complexity in their patterns is not yet scientifically understood. These will be the highlight of our trip. On the dry rocky fringes of the Namib lie minerals that represent the greatest monetary wealth of Namibia,…

Iceland – Part 2 The tour starts at Akureyri and proceeds north down Eyjafjörður before turning southeast towards Godafoss (GDF), then turning back north for the first landing at Husavik (BIHU). We continue by overflying the harbor at Husavik and the BakkiSilicon plant before heading east to Asbyrgi, then turning south passing Dettifoss and on to Mývatn. The next long section of our route takes us into the desolate, volcanic desert north of Vatnajökull National Park. Passing the massive Kárahnjúkavirkjun Hydro Power Plant, the route turns north for our next landing at Egilsstadir (BIEG). The remainder of the route is in the Austurland’s Eastfjords. Our first sto…

Todays Flight departs from the Black Sea resort of Sochi (URSS) in Russia. From here we fly east heading into Georgia and up into the Caucasian mountains. After a climb up and over the lower foothills we descend into the Bzipi river valley at WP1 and follow the river East to our first stop at at a small grass airstrip near the village of Pskhu (UGST). Departing here we follow the Bzipi river to its source and cross over the ridge. Dropping down the other side brings us to the Chkhalta River , a major tributary of the mighty Kodori River. We follow the river, joining the Kodori Valley( Battle of the Kodori Valley is an interesting read) , and continue to our second stop a…

Iceland – Part 1 The tour starts at Keflavik International Airport and proceeds southward across the Reykjanes Peninsula to the fishing port of Grindavik, then turns towards Iceland’s newest tourist destination: the Fagradalsfjall Volcano. Continuing on we fly to Reykjavik and land at the capital city’s domestic airport. We follow the Golden Circle tourist route east to Thingviller, Geysir, and Gullfoss, then turn back to the west with several landings before heading northeast to Blönduós, and Sauðárkrókur. The final portion of the route features the impressive scenery of the Tröllaskagi Peninsula with a landing at Siglufjordur before heading to the final desti…