AVSIM's Round the World Race Forum

Today, we explore the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands are an Atlantic Ocean archipelago and Spain's southernmost Autonomous Community. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the continent being 100 kilometers (62 miles) away. The islands have a population of 2.25 million people and are the most populous overseas special territory of the European Union. The seven main islands are from largest to smallest in area, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The only other populated island is La Graciosa, which administratively depends on Lanzarote. The archipelago includes many smaller island…

Yellowstone an American Treasure For June 18, 2025 Michael MacKuen Today we shall take a couple of hours to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas. Here we resurrect a 2019 flight (in P3D) that explores the Beartooth Highway, Yellowstone Canyon, the Big Sky ski country, the geyser basins including the Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful, and finish in the Grand Tetons. This will work best if we fly low in the valleys where possible to get a good sense of the landscape while, in other areas, we fly high over the mountain ridges. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone We depart from Red Lodge [KRED] to follow the majest…

Mex Jets Tour - 2 This is the second part of a tour down the Pacific coast of Mexico. We depart from the Loreto (MMLT) and continue down Baja Sur to La Paz (MMLP)and then to the tip of the Baja Peninsula to San Jose Los Cabos (MMSD). We cross the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlan (MMMZ) then continue south to Tepic (MMEP) and Puerto Vallarta (MMPR) before heading inland to Guadalajara (MMGL). Our final leg of this tour will take us back to the Pacific coast to Mazanillo (MMZO). FlightPlan(s) Here This tour was designed for business jets. I will fly the default Pilatus PC24 in Ryan B’s N84KE livery. The default Cessna CJ4 is also a good choice a…

Glacier National Park Todays flight will be touring Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks. The flight is 247 miles with 4 stops. I will be in my Piaggio so any plane of your choice flying about 120 to 140 will do. The scenery is breathtaking and is some of the best I have seen, Note: Stay on the flight plan so as not to fly the wrong valleys or passes as you may get yourself in trouble. So bring your camera and be sure to fill up your tanks as there is no place to fuel till the end. Flight Plan: Here: Scenery: Optional https://flightsim.to/file/19153/kgpi-glacier-park-international-airport-kalispell-montana Time and Weather For takeoff on…

We continue our tour around the northwest of Germany. The last flight ended at Rerik (EDCR), and we depart today from here. We overfly the old Hanse City of Rostock and land at Purkshof (EDCX). We follow the coast and reach Barth (EDBH). It is a regional airport certified for IFR traffic. Only 12 miles east, we reach Stralsund (EDBV). The airport is limited to aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 5.7 tons. After departure, we overfly the Hanse City of Stralsund with its two churches, St Nicholas and St Mary. Our next stop is on the island of Rügen. We land at Rugen (EDCG). The airport was built to accommodate agricultural flights. Beginning in 1990, flig…

Spring Warmup in the Blue Ridge For June 4, 2025 Michael MacKuen It is Spring in North America and time to begin some bush flying. Today we shall do a “warmup” flight in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia. We begin in Gatlinburg and fly over the Great Smoky Mountains. And then further northeast over the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Virginia border. These are brief flights in the mountainous region aimed to renew our skills. Instead of starting the season on bush strips, we shall do our “warmup” operations into fully certified airports. Of course, some are more interesting than others. Dancing over the Blue Ridge Mo…

Mex Jets Tour This is part one of a two part tour down the Pacific coast of Mexico. We depart from the Atlantic Aviation ramp at Palm Springs (KPSP). After verifying everyone has their passports we taxi out for a 4pm afternoon departure. The long first leg will take us over the Salton Sea and into Mexico reaching the Sea of Cortez and our first landing at Puerto Peñasco (MMPE). We make our way south and east in Sonora before crossing the sea reaching Baja Sur at Loreto (MMLT). The final legs take us to the tip of the Baja Peninsula to San Jose Los Cabos (MMSD) for an evening arrival. FlightPlan(s) Here This tour was designed for busine…

We explore parts of northern Greece. Our departure airport is Thessaloniki (LGTS). The first waypoint is Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods. We turn south and land at Larisa AB (LGLR). Heading west, we reach Myrini (LGMA), before heading north. Here we land at Filippos (LGKZ), an airport serving the city of Kozani. We head northwest and arrive at Kastoria (LGKA). Now we stay close to the Greek border, explore the mountains, and at waypoint 8 reach the famous Vikos Gorge. It lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymphe with a length of about 32 km, depth ranging from 120 to 1350 m, and a width ranging from 2500 m to only a few meters at its narrowest part. Vikos i…

Breezing through Crete and the Dodecanese Islands For May 31, 2025 Michael MacKuen This afternoon we shall complete this year’s Aegean holiday tour. We shall fly over the rugged terrain of Crete and then visit Rhodes and several of the smaller Dodecanese before flying west to Santorini. Stunning setting for Kalymnos Departure We depart from Chania [LGSA], a former military base and now a joint use facility. This is not a truly developed civilian field but it is nevertheless one of Greece’s ten busiest airports. We climb out to cross over the mountains to the south coast to land at Tympaki [LG54] which is mainly an Hellenic AFB but also accommodates s…

We continue our tour along the German coasts. We depart from Wyk (EDXY) on the island of Föhr. We head north and land at Westerland (EDXW) on the island of Sylt. Now we leave the North Sea and head east. We land at Schaferhaus (EDXF) and then turn southeast to reach Kiel (EDHK), the capital city of the German State of Schleswig-Holstein. From here, we head east and land at Fehmarn (ED75), after inspecting the Fehmarn Sound Bridge. We turn south, land at Hof (EDXT), and fly around the bay to follow the Baltic coast to Wismar (EDCW). From here, we head north again, landing at Rerik (EDCR) before reaching our destination, Purkshof (EDCX). The flight has 220 miles and 7…

We could test our Seaplane skills and enjoy the beauty of the Norwegian Fjords. I suggest departing from Sogendal (ENSG) and visiting some of the many Norwegian Seaports available here. Choose the amphibious aircraft you like. We take turns selecting the next airport. Particulars: Date and time: Wednesday May 21, 19:00 UTC RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel MFS Multiplayer: US Eastcoast Server If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and…

This is a recycled flight. We flew the route about 5 years ago. We will visit the German East Frisian Islands, the Island of Helgoland, the North Frisian Islands, and some airports in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. We depart from Emden (EDWE) and fly straight to Borkum (EDWR). We head east and land at Juist (EDWJ) and Norderney (EDWY) before we return to the mainland and land at Norden-Norddeich (EDWS). We return to the East Frisian Islands and visit Baltrum (EDWZ), Langeoog (EDWL), and Wangerooge (EDWG) before turning north to reach Helgoland (EDXH). We head east and land at Busum (EDXB), St Peter-Ording (EDXO), and Wyk auf Föhr (EDXY) before…

Kenyan Highlands and Great Rift Valley. For May 24, 2025 Michael MacKuen Today we shall fly over the Kenyan Highlands and then its famous Great Rift Valley. We depart from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport [HKJK], where we pick up a number of potential foreign investors who this morning are visiting the Swissport cargo facilities (Gate F 8). We’ve been asked to show in broad strokes the overall lay of the land in this nation’s widely varying countryside. We almost immediately pass over Karen Blixen's farm [BLIXN] (now a suburban museum celebrating her Out of Africa). Next, we see the double volcanic crater of Mount Suswa [SUSWA] and then pass over Hell's Gate Natio…

Tasmania Parks Helo Tour This tour will require Helicopters. Departing from Queenstown (YQNS,) we fly up and into the West Coast Range Regional Reserve. It is 18 miles to our first attempted touchdown at Tahune Hut (YO6ZT) located high up in a cirque below Sharlands Peak. We continue to hopscotch to the many, many, many landing pads along the route to Sheffield Airport (YSHE). FlightPlan Here The route is all helicopter landing pads. I plan to fly the H125. Optional Freeware Downloads YQNS Queenstown Recommend Departure time of 8:00 AM Particulars: Date and time: Wednesday May 21, 19:0…

Scramble from Goodwood in Tiger Moths In Gunter’s absence, and at Jeff's suggestion, we shall have a Scramble over England. Starting from Goodwood [EGHR], pilots will take turns selecting a new destination after each leg is completed. An ideal aircraft would be a Tiger Moth, though any vintage biplane will do nicely.

California Gold "Morning Dew" Todays flight will get us up early as we tour around Central and Southern California. The flight is 300 miles with 10 stops. I will be in my Piaggio but any plane flying about 150 will do. Flight Plan: Here: Add-on Sceneries: You most likely have these already. https://flightsim.to/file/47354/agua-dulce-l70 https://flightsim.to/file/18691/mountain-valley-airport-l94 https://flightsim.to/file/52156/kern-valley-airport-l05 https://flightsim.to/file/24371/l52-oceano https://flightsim.to/file/24026/santa-paula-airport-kszp https://flightsim.to/file/2953/van-nuys-airport-van-nuys-ca-usa-kvny …

We visit most of the Italian Air Force Fighter Bases in Italy and some other airports along the route. We depart from the best-known Italian air bases, Decimomannu (LIED) on the island of Sardinia. Several NATO Air Forces have been trained here in Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground ranges for many years. We head to the next island, Sicily. Here we visit two important bases. The first is Trapani (LICT), now a joint military-civilian base. The airfield is one of the four forward operating bases (FOBs) used by the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force based at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Geilenkirchen, Germany. It is the home of the 37th Fighter Wing, flying…

Northeast California Todays flight will take us into the eastern parts of California with touching some airports in Nevada. We first start out and head to BlackRock Nevada bfore heading west back into California. The flight is 415 miles with 13 stops. This is a PC12 flight or similar. Flight Plan: Here: Scenery: Black Rock City - 88NV - Burning Man for Microsoft Flight Simulator | MSFS Reno Stead Airport (KRTS) - Reno Air Races for Microsoft Flight Simulator | MSFS Details: 12pm takeoff and use weather of choice. Date and time: Saturday May 10, 18:00 UTC RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel M…

This is the fourth part of our tour along the Mississippi River. We finished our last flight at Keokuk (KEOK), IA, and we continue from there. We follow the Mississippi north and reach Muscatine (KMUT), IA. This community has an interesting history and a remarkable resident: From the 1840s to the Civil War, Muscatine had Iowa's largest black community, consisting of fugitive slaves who had traveled the Mississippi from the South and free blacks who had migrated from the eastern states. One of the most prominent community leaders was Alexander G. Clark Sr., born free in Pennsylvania. He was a barber, a respected position at the time, and eventually became a wealthy t…

NORCAL - Trinity Alps & Redwood Empire The Redwood Empire in Northern California stretches along the Pacific coast from San Francisco Bay to the Oregon border. The interior features rugged mountains, narrow valleys, canyons, and dense forests of redwood, Douglas fir, and oak. Coastal areas have a foggy climate with mild winters and summers, while inland areas experience hot summers and snowy winters at higher elevations. Departing from Redding (KRDD), the route proceeds 34 nautical miles northwest to Trinity Center (O86) before turning southwest with landings at Weaverville (O54) and Hayfork (F62). The journey continues with zig-zag legs across…

Into the Mouth of the Congo For May 3, 2025 Michael MacKuen For something different, we fly into the mouth of the Congo to get a sense of an unfamiliar part of the world. Starting from the Atlantic coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we fly up the Congo River to the ports of Boma and Matadi and the hydropower Inga Dams. Then we venture briefly into the interior before rejoining the Congo to reach Kinshasa, Brazzaville, and the Pool Malebo. Afternoon over the Lower Congo We depart from Muanda [FZAG], a small city that serves the modest offshore oil industry. Passing the small old port Banana, we cross to Soyo [FNSO], Angola’s large o…

Today we fly around in the Texas Panhandle, and later cross over into New Mexico. We depart from Lubbock (KLBB) and head northeast for our first landing at Floydada (41F). Upon hitting more interesting terrain, we continue northeast and turn north to land at Silverton (79XS). Now we enter the area of the Palo Duro Canyon. The Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. The second largest canyon system in the United States, it is roughly 25–40 mi (40–64 km) long and has an average width of 6 mi (9.7 km) but reaches a width of 20 mi (32 km) at places. Its depth is aroun…

NORCAL - Pacific Coast Ranges – Klamath Region KS Wild - The Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion “The rugged Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California is a world-renowned hub of biological diversity. The mountains and rivers that define this region are some of the most spectacular in America. Straddling the Oregon-California border, the Klamath-Siskiyou (“the KS”) is quite simply the wildest place left on the U.S. West Coast. From deep into Mexico through well into Canada, no coastal region can boast of a larger concentration of intact watersheds or roadless wildlands.” Commencing from Medford, Oregon (KMF…

Sweet Coloradough Todays flight we will be back in Colorado flying up the Million Dollar Hwy to Telluride and then over to Gunnison to Fly the canyon then its up and over to Aspin ending up in Eagle. The flight is 267 miles with 7 stops. There is some high altitude on some of the parts. I will be in my touring plane P49 Piaggio anything 150ish. Flight Plan: Here: No Scenery needed Time and weather 12pm takeoff whatever weather you want. Date and time: Saturday April 26, 18:00 UTC RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel MFS Multiplayer: US Eastcoast Server if you want to help others enjoy the mu…

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Tour Today we will be flying PC12s on a tour of the area. The flight is 401 miles with 9 stops. Flight Plan: Here: Scenery: https://flightsim.to/file/28532/klsv-nellis-afb-nevada-usa-red-flag https://flightsim.to/file/26285/boulder-city-municipal-airport-kbvu https://flightsim.to/file/73360/laughlin-bullhead-intl-airport https://flightsim.to/file/746/flagstaff-pulliam-airport-kflg https://flightsim.to/file/759/grand-canyon-national-park-airport-kgcn Recommend Departure time of 12:00 PM Weather: Fly whatever weather you want. Date and time: Saturday April 19, 18:00 UTC …