Automation is in there since Version 4, when it also moved from a purely text interface to the graphics interface with the bubble. That was November 2023.
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This is such a huge undertaking! Congrats on 21 hours in so far. Looking forward to all your updates.
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I have just started flying the Amelia Earhart route myself. I have completed the first two legs, and I am about to embark on leg 03, KTUS to KNEW. Likewise, I am also flying Aeroplane Heaven’s Electra 10E “Special”. Thank you for posting all the routing information.
As you have mentioned, getting the hang of the ‘autopilot’ is a little tricky, and I too have experienced the sharp banking. I will definitely try your approach to see if that works any better.
I was wondering if you are able to get the cockpit lighting to work with the “Special” variant? The lighting works for me in the default variant, and the modern variant, but when I load in the special variant, I am unable to move the knobs that control the cockpit and instrument lighting. I can basically interact with everything else except the lighting.
Any Ideas?
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Ignore my query about the lighting.
I am using a custom checklist and I had a conflict in the code which I have now fixed. Cockpit lighting now works as expected in the ‘Special’ variant.
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Leg 6: San Juan, Puerto Rico (TJIG) to Caripito, Venezuela (SVMT) - 555nmi - 6/2/1937 7:00 Broken Clouds 85*
Up to this point, Earhart and Noonan had really lucked out when it came to weather conditions. My notes have this day’s weather as mostly cloudy and hazy with strong headwinds. It is reported that rains came in shortly after their arrival in Caripito, Venezuela. I’ve added temperatures to my landing conditions along the whole trip and I’ll probably add winds as well.
Taking off under solid cloud cover. At least it stayed dry!
Punching up through the clouds.
Leaving the coast of Puerto Rico behind.
Skimming across the clouds like we were dancing.
I elected to descend a little early to try to get under the clouds before reaching the Venezuelan coastline. The clouds seemed to agree and opened a pathway just as land appeared in front of us.
Dodging clouds here and there, we had to hug the terrain to keep it in sight. I had 1 or 2 close calls pushing through low cloud cover and almost losing sight of the ground while mountain ridges appeared suddenly like hurdles to test an Olympian. Luckily, as we neared the airfield the cloud base relaxed its grasp and I was able to make a clean approach. Even though I was using the preset “Broken Clouds” it really did feel like I was beating the rain.
Hello Caripito!
Flight time is now over 24 hours and distance covered is over 3800 nm!
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Leg 7: Caripito, Venezuela (SVMT) to Zanderij, Suriname (SMJP) - 551nmi - 6/3/1937 9:00 Rain 85*
Leg 7 is in the books and man was it a challenge! This was the worst weather Earhart and Noonan had faced so far. The rains that had chased us in the day before persisted, and made for quite the soggy takeoff.
Spotting a break in the clouds after lift off.
Climbing through the clouds to at least get above the rain showers.
Cruising at 7500 ft in the relative calm between cloud layers.
By this point, I was getting itchy to descend. Luckily I found this break in the clouds and thought, “Now is my chance!” I still caught a little bit of those clouds at the edge of the break on the horizon, but I managed to miss most of it.
Punching through to get below the cloud deck gave me good practice trusting my instruments. I kept feeling we were about to hit the ground but I watched the gages and trusted they would get us through over the open water as we approached the coastline. Little did I know how well this would serve me when I got to the airfield!
Nearing the airfield, the clouds and rain closed in and we were running out of clear space.
On final for my second attempt. My first attempt wasn’t even close - by the time I realized I should be on top of the runway I was actually parallel to it and completely off to the southern side. Turning for the pattern in clouds at low level with only momentary visibility is a new experience for me. But the somewhat calmer instrument practice I had just gotten on the descent really paid off. The second time through, I was able to get lined up and then it was just a waiting game. Waiting for the runway - peering ahead through the rain and cloud cover for little glimpses of the ground desperately hoping to catch sight of what I needed. In the end I was only a touch high but speed and alignment were good. Happy to finally see the runway, I brought her down for a rough 1-point landing on the left main gear. What a relief!
Edit: Full disclosure, I used the VFR map heavily for this landing. I couldn’t see the airfield until I was right on top of it. In real life I would have had to divert.
Hello Zanderij!
Today’s flight puts us at over 27 hours and 4400 nm!
So cool, I was thinking of attempting the same thing in 2024 but I guess it doesnt have her plane as far as I can tell. You should make a youtube video, would be a great reference!.
I’ve not seen any comment from Aeroplane Heaven about their Electra being compatible with FS24 - has anyone else? Unfortunately, she seems mostly forgotten by AH. Now it very well could be that she works fine, I just haven’t bothered to try for myself. FS2020 works perfectly for my purposes, plus I have a number of sceneries that are either unavailable or not tested in FS24.
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I don’t know that there’s a way I could buy it? I would have to buy 202, then somehow port it? It doesn’t appear in the marketplace as far as I can find.
I bought it for 2020 but haven’t tried it in 2024. I’ll try later and let you know.
UPDATE: Seems to work fine in FS24. The manifold pressure seems odd - doesb’t go above 20ish. Not sure if that’s normal.
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I bought it from Just Flight. I don’t think it’s on the Marketplace at all IIRC.
That sounds a little low, unless you were at a high altitude airport? To be fair, the manifold pressure doesn’t seem to go as high as what I’ve read about it IRL, but it does go higher than that (in ‘2020).
ok so buy it from just flight and put it in folders in msfs2024 I guess, or will it show up on steam or how does that work exactly? I guess I can just grok it thanks a lot.
Yeah, just put it into the FS24 community folder and if it’s compatible then it will show up.
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