Wow, Cuba is bigger than I thought! And I always love your history lessons.
Leg 295, Las Brujas, Cuba to Matthew Town, Great Inagua Island, The Bahamas
DAY06_12.PLN (11.2 KB)
Today, the eastern half of Cuba with a visit to the infamous Gitmo now called camp Justice.
06-12 Las Brujas MUBR 6:40 AM
06-12 Jardines Del Rey Intl MUCC 7:11 AM
06-12 Esmeralda MUES 7:32 AM
06-12 Ignacio Agramonte Intl MUCM 7:43 AM
06-12 Vartientes MUVS 7:55 AM
06-12 Las Cruces MUVI 8:01 AM
06-12 Fundo de Buena Ventura MUSR 8:08 AM
06-12 Guaicanamar MUST 8:16 AM
06-12 Francisco MUAM 8:23 AM
06-12 San Jose Northwest MUCI 8:29 AM
06-12 Jobabo Northwest MUJO 8:34 AM
06-12 El Dormitorio MULA 8:41 AM Bad stuttering, ram use increasing
06-12 Puente Guillen MURU 8:44 AM
06-12 Guamo MURA 8:46 AM
06-12 La Escondida MURO 8:57 AM
06-12 Sierra Maestra MUMZ 9:02 AM
06-12 Campechuela MUCP 9:08 AM
06-12 Pilon MUPL 9:17 AM
06-12 Corral de Rio MUBT 9:39 AM
06-12 Carlos M De Cespedes MUBY 9:58 AM
06-12 Delicias South MUCG 10:06 AM
06-12 Frank Pais MUHG 10:09 AM
06-12 Guardalavaca MUGV 10:23 AM
06-12 Preston MUBN 10:32 AM
06-12 Nicaro MUNC 10:38 AM
06-12 Antonio Maceo Intl MUCU 11:13 AM
06-12 Guantanamo Bay NAS MUGM 11:32 AM Gitmo 19°54’08.4"N 75°05’45.1"W
06-12 Mariana Grajales MUGT 11:48 AM
06-12 Imias MUBC 12:00 PM
06-12 Gustavo Rizo MUBA 12:11 PM
06-12 Inagua MYIG 12:35 PM
Flight time 5:55 30 stops
Las Brujas Airport at sunrise, departure time
A few low hanging clouds and of course lightning
Enjoying the water masks while they last
Cayo Gillermo, end of the water masked area
Also reachable by road from the mainland
Jardines del Rey Airport on Cayo Romano
Playa Cunagua on the left, Cayo Judas below
Bolivia, a municipality in the Ciego de Ávila Province
Camagüey province, in central Cuba
Ignacio Agramonte International Airport
Serving Camaguey, the nation’s third-largest city and capital of Camagüey province
Flying over Casino Campestre park
Casino Campestre an Ignacio Agramonte Park with a view of the city in between
Martha Jimenez Perez Workshop Gallery at the Plaza del Carmen
Jiménez was one of the first graduates of the Cuban Art Instructors’ School in 1971 and won the UNESCO Distinction for the National Culture in 1997 as well as other awards
Amancio municipality in the Las Tunas Province
Guamo Embarcadero on the Cauto river
Campechuela, in Granma Province, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Guacanayabo
Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra
Club Amigo Punta Piedra (hotel)
Further over Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra
Bartolome Maso river, maybe, google acting weird
Pico Turquino (6,476ft) ahead, the highest point in Cuba in the Sierra Maestra mountain range
Corral de Rio Airport in Guamá municipality
Mountainous national park with deep ravines, lush tropical forest, native wildlife & Castro’s HQ
Home to Comandancia General de La Plata
Complex of mountain huts where Fidel Castro created a rebel camp in 1958
Unnamed reservoir, closest named location is Cruce Peralejo
Google names it Granma reservoir, Bing says Buey Arriba, both are incorrect
It continues to amaze me how poor maps still are!
La Aguada on Google, Báguanos on Bing (links to somewhere else though)
Unknown lake, maybe La Aguada but no info
Guatemala aka Preston on Nipe Bay
Parque Nacional de Pico Cristal
Santiago de Cuba, the capital of Cuba’s southeastern Santiago de Cuba Province
Home to Cementerio de Santa Ifigenia
A national monument with the Mausoleum to José Martí, Grave of Compay Segundo and Castro’s grave
Compay Segundo (1907-2003) was a Cuban trova guitarist, singer and composer. He was part of the Buena Vista Social Club. Below a great documentary about the Buena Vista Social Club. I bought it on DVD in '99 and it turned out to be a great surprise, well worth the time to watch.
Castillo del Morro on Bahía de Santiago de Cuba and Aeropuerto Internacional Santiago de Cuba
Landing at Guantanamo Bay NAS next to Chapman Beach
Playa del Este on Guantanamo Bay
https://i.imgur.com/Li5DsyQ.png
Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp aka Gitmo, officially named Camp Justice
https://i.imgur.com/NSdgqCZ.png
Justice is far to be found though, the camp is widely criticized for inhumane treatment and torture of its prisoners. As of Januari 2021, 731 of the 780 people detained were transferred, 40 remain and 9 died while in custody. Only 8 have been ‘convicted’, mostly by plea bargain to return home.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article2163210.html
The government of Cuba regards the U.S. presence in Guantánamo Bay as an illegal occupation on the basis that the Cuban–American Treaty “was obtained by threat of force and is in violation of international law.”
Guantánamo Bay, Paraguay settlement in front of me
https://i.imgur.com/WfMByoC.png
Crossing the island one more time over Imias municipality
https://i.imgur.com/lqmqckl.png
https://i.imgur.com/EF0VfeW.png
Baracoa in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba
https://i.imgur.com/hovGsnM.png
https://i.imgur.com/EM0Xh0f.png
Last flight today, to the Bahamas
https://i.imgur.com/5rTvBvS.png
Inagua International Airport at Matthew Town, Great Inagua Island
Great Inagua Lighthouse
https://i.imgur.com/O6uBtmp.png
I’ll be exploring The Bahamas tomorrow, but first a quick visit to Turks and Caicos.
Leg 296, Matthew Town, Great Inagua Island, The Bahamas via Turks and Caicos Islands to Norman’s Cay, The Bahamas
DAY06_13.PLN (13.4 KB)
There are a lot of Bahamas with many airports, a long leg today with more Bahamas to come tomorrow. Turks and Caicos as well this leg and a few places with good water masks.
06-13 Inagua MYIG 6:01 AM
06-13 Ambergris Cay Intl MBAC 6:41 AM
06-13 Salt Cay MBSY 6:53 AM
06-13 Jags Mccartney Intl MBGT 7:02 AM Cockburn Town capital, ship stranded next to airport
06-13 South Caicos MBSC 7:13 AM
06-13 Conch Bar MBMC 7:28 AM
06-13 North Caicos MBNC 7:33 AM
06-13 Pine Cay MBPI 7:40 AM
06-13 Providenciales Intl MBPV 7:49 AM
06-13 West Caicos (emergency) MB01 7:58 AM
06-13 Mayaguana MYMM 8:18 AM
06-13 Spring Point MYAP 8:39 AM Trees at end of runway
06-13 Colonel Hill MYCI 8:53 AM
06-13 Pittstown Point MYX1 8:57 AM
06-13 Duncan Town MYRD 9:29 AM
06-13 Exuma Intl MYEF 10:05 AM
06-13 Hog Cay Exuma MYZ1 10:18 AM
06-13 Deadmans Cay MYLD 10:28 AM
06-13 Stella Maris MYLS 10:39 AM
06-13 Hog Cay MYXC 10:42 AM Low quality terrain
06-13 Cape Santa Maria MYLM 10:45 AM
06-13 New Port Nelson MYRP 10:56 AM
06-13 San Salvador Intl MYSM 11:05 AM
06-13 Cutlass Bay MYCX 11:25 AM
06-13 Hawks Nest MYE4 11:29 AM
06-13 New Bight MYCB 11:33 AM
06-13 Arthur’s Town MYCA 11:44 AM
06-13 Lee Stocking Island MYXE 12:05 PM
06-13 Little Darby Island MYXF 12:13 PM
06-13 Darby Island MYX8 12:15 PM
06-13 Rudder Cut Cay MYX7 12:19 PM Hilly runway
06-13 Farmer’s Cay MYE3 12:23 PM
06-13 Black Point MYEB 12:28 PM
06-13 Leaf Cay MYXD 12:33 PM Short ‘runway’
06-13 Staniel Cay MYES 12:37 PM
06-13 Sampson Cay MYXH 12:39 PM
06-13 Fowl Cay MYXA 12:43 PM Short runway
06-13 Norman’s Cay MYEN 12:57 PM
Flight time 6:56 37 stops
Great Inagua Island before sunrise
Climbing out of Matthew Town in the early dawn fog
Climbing up high to meet the sunrise
Mornings are always so peaceful
Leaving Great Inagua Island behind, set course to Ambergris Cay
Little Ambergis Cay, part of Turks and Caicos Islands
And its big brother with Big Ambergis Cay Airport
Sending the drone up high to check out the water masking
The other protrusion is the harbor, canal through the shallow water
Cotton Cay
Not again, cotton eye joe earworm…
Landing at Jags Mccartney Intl aka Grand Turk International Airport
Cockburn Town, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands
The first inhabitants of the islands were the Arawakan-speaking Taíno people, who most likely crossed over from Hispaniola (Dominican Republic / Haiti) some time from 500 to 800 AD.
In 1512 the Spanish started capturing the Taíno and Lucayans (from the southern Bahamas) as workers in the encomienda system (Spanish labor system) to replace the largely depleted native population of Hispaniola. Together with the introduction of diseases, the islands were completely depopulated by about 1513, and remained so until the 17th century.
From the mid 17th century salt collectors from Bermuda started settling on the island together with their African slaves. During the Anglo-French War (1778–1783) the French captured the archipelago, however it was later confirmed as British colony with the Treaty of Paris (1783). In 1799, both the Turks and the Caicos island groups were annexed by Britain as part of the Bahamas.
Columbus Landfall National Park
In 1848 Britain designated the Turks and Caicos as a separate colony under a council president. Then made part of the Jamaica colony in 1873-4. In 1917, Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden suggested that [the Turks and Caicos join Canada), but this suggestion was rejected. In 1959 the islands were again designated as a separate colony, then became a Crown Colony in 1962 when Jamaica was granted independence from Britain.
Blue water divers, as pretty below as it is above the water
When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the Turks and Caicos received their own governor in 1974. In 2002 the islands were re-designated a British Overseas Territory, with islanders gaining full British citizenship. (Although from 2009 to 2012 Britain took over when Premier Michael Misick resigned in the face of corruption charges)
Turks and Caicos National Museum and Mega One Triton shipwreck on Governer’s beach
Some experts estimate the beautiful yet treacherous reefs around Grand Turk may have claimed nearly 1,000 ships although few remain today. The Mega One Triton washed ashore during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Continuing on to South Caicos, Cockburn Harbor front left
Middle Caicos, end of the water masked area ahead
Conch Bar Caves, the largest limestone caves in Caicos Islands
The caves were mined for Guana (bat manure) in the 1880’s. During this time evidence of Lucayan habitation was unearthed.
Pine Cay, just west from North Caicos
Leeward Settlement on Providenciales, known locally as Provo
Kew Town Settlement, landing at Providenciales International Airport (PLS)
Flying out of Five Cays Settlements
West Caicos (emergency) Airstrip
on Mayaguana Island, part of The Bahamas
Colonel Hill Settlement on Major’s Cay Harbour
On to Exuma, the next chain of islands
Exuma, a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands
Green Turtle Cay, Hog Cay, Tommy Young’s Cay, and on and on
Michelson and George Town on the left
Exuma International Airport (GGT)
Cape Santa Maria on Galliot Cay
Bonefish Bay Beach on San Salvador Island
Flying out of Smith Town on New Bight
Arthur’s Town, still on Cat Island (very long island)
Black Point island, Bock Cay and Young Island
Darby Island and Little Darby Island
Fowl Cay, tiny island with a short runway
And Norman’s Cay, final stop today
MacDuffs on Norman;s Cay, looks like a good place to have lunch and enjoy the beach
That was a lot of Cay hopping fun. More tomorrow while visiting the capital of The Bahamas.
Leg 297, Norman’s Cay to West End, West Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
DAY06_14.PLN (9.8 KB)
I ran into the honey hole of water masked areas, the area around Nassau. The largest continuous area with water masks applied I have seen in the game. This is going to be a long post with lots of lovely shallow water shots.
06-14 Norman’s Cay MYEN 6:15 AM
06-14 Cape Eleuthera MYZ2 6:29 AM
06-14 Rock Sound Intl MYER 6:37 AM
06-14 Governors Harbour MYEM 6:57 AM
06-14 North Eleuthera MYEH 7:23 AM
06-14 Lynden Pindling Intl MYNN 8:14 AM Nassau capital 25°2’40"N 77°21’2"W
06-14 Congo Town MYAK 8:41 AM
06-14 Bain MYAB 8:48 AM Low quality terrain
06-14 Andros Town Intl MYAF 9:03 AM
06-14 San Andros MYAN 9:21 AM
06-14 Chub Cay Intl MYBC 9:40 AM
06-14 Big Whale Cay MYX4 9:44 AM
06-14 Little Whale Cay MYZ3 9:47 AM
06-14 Great Harbour Cay MYBG 10:03 AM
06-14 Cistern Cay MYX5 10:06 AM
06-14 Mores Island MYAO 10:23 AM
06-14 Castaway Cay MYXB 10:31 AM
06-14 Sandy Point Apt MYAS 10:36 AM
06-14 Marsh Harbour MYAM 10:48 AM
06-14 Scotland Cay MYXI 10:53 AM
06-14 Treasure Cay MYAT 11:01 AM
06-14 Spanish Cay MYAX 11:08 AM
06-14 Walkers Cay MYAW 11:26 AM
06-14 Deep Water Cay MYXZ 11:45 AM
06-14 Grand Bahama Aux AF MYGM 11:58 AM
06-14 Grand Bahama Intl MYGF 12:08 PM
06-14 West End MYGW 12:16 PM
Flight time 6:04 26 stops
Norman’s Cay, just before sunrise, ready for departure
Lovely quiet morning again, although as always, flashes of lightning, will it ever end
Greeting the sun on the way to Eleuthera
Rock Sound, the name of the inlet, the town and the airport
Landing at Rock Sound International Airport (RSD)
Cabana beach- Wall, start of the water masked area
Windemere Island at Savannah Sound
Driftwood Beach, Queens Highway below on North Eleuthra
Alice Town, located on North Bimini island
North Eleuthera from up high with the drone
Landing at North Eleuthra Airport
Spanish Wells on Russell Island
Bahamas Ocean Safaris and Da Salty Pig Adventures in Spanish Wells
Islets likely belonging to Athol Island
Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, located on New Providence
The first inhabitants of The Bahamas were the Taino people, who arrived from Hispaniola and Cuba between 800 - 1100 AD. They came to be known as the Lucayan people. An estimated 30,000 Lucayans inhabited The Behamas before the arrival of Columbus.
Downtown Nassau
Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans in 1492 and exchanged goods with them, claiming the islands for the Crown of Castile. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas divided the new territories between the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Portugal, placing The Bahamas in the Spanish sphere.
Paradise Island on the left, Potters Cay in the middle
While the Spanish did not settle on The Behamas, they did enslave the Lucayans to use for labour on Hispaniola. Together with the spread of imported infectious diseases, the population of The Bahamas was severely diminished.
Thomas Robinson Stadium
The first English settlers arrived on the islands in 1648, and established the first permanent European settlement on an island they called Eleuthera (Greek for freedom). In 1670, King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas in North America, which were now governed from their base on New Providence.
Present day Nassau, a popular cruise-ship stop
Piracy and attacks from hostile foreign powers were a constant threat. In 1684, Charles Town (now Nassau) was raided by the Spanish and in 1703, a joint Franco-Spanish expedition briefly occupied Nassau during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Fort Fincastle, 1793 limestone fort built in shape of paddle-wheeler
During proprietary rule, The Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including Blackbeard (circa 1680–1718) To suppress priracy, Great Britain made The Bahamas a crown colony in 1718, which they dubbed “The Bahama islands”.
Fort Charlotte (1788 limestone fort), Queens Staircase to Fort Fincastle (carved by slaves from limestone in 1793) and Fort Montagu (1741 limestone fort). There are a lot of forts around Nassau
The islands became a target for US naval forces during the American War of Independence. The US Navy briefly occupied Nassau in 1776, In 1782 the city surrendered to a Spanish fleet without a fight. In the Treaty of Paris (1783) the islands were returned to Britain in exchange for East Florida. After US independence, the British resettled some 7,300 Loyalists with their African slaves in The Bahamas.
Heritage Museum of The Bahamas
During the 19th century, The Bahamas became a safe haven for freed and escaped African slaves. Britain abolished slave trading in 1807 (Slave Trade Act) which led to the The Royal Navy resettling thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships. More slaves escaped from Florida to Andros island.
A peek inside the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas
The Bahamas gained internal autonomy in 1964, then became a fully independent nation on July 10th 1973. The Behamas joined the Commonwealth of Nations on the same day and are known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The Bahamas is currently one of the richest countries in the Americas (following the United States and Canada), with an economy based on tourism and offshore finance.
Landing at Lynden Pindling International Airport next to Lake Killarney
Lynden Pindling International Airport
Leaving New Providence to explore the rest of The Behamas
Congo Town Airport on South Andros Island
North Bight with Westside National Park in the distance (on the west side)
Crab Replenishment Reserve, back in the water masked area
Andros Town International Airport on North Andros Island
Andros Town, the capital of Andros Island. Population 59 in 2010
North Andros Barrier Reef Marine Park
Mastic Point Settlement, ahead on the right
Chub Cay International Airport
Turner Cay, Anderson Cay and Water Cay
And the norther edge of the water masked area, Great Harbour Cay
With Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure
Deep Water Cay (airport) next to Big Harbour Cay and Little Harbour Cay
Pelican Point on East Grand Bahama
Lucayan National Park home to Burial Mound Cave
Grand Bahama Airport, looks like I landed on a discontinued runway
Final stop today at West End, West Grand Bahama
That sums up the Caribbean, although I’ll be back for the Bimini Islands after visiting Miami, before heading to the Florida Keys.
Leg 298, West End, West Grand Bahama, The Bahamas to Marco Island, Florida, USA
DAY06_15.PLN (8.5 KB)
The Florida Keys are very pretty. The weather helped providing some nice backgrounds with looming thunderstorms in the distance.
06-15 West End MYGW 6:26 AM
06-15 Palm Beach Intl KPBI 7:14 AM PG Area
06-15 Palm Beach County Park KLNA 7:19 AM
06-15 Antiquers Aerodrome FD08 7:25 AM
06-15 Boca Raton KBCT 7:31 AM
06-15 Pompano Beach Airpark KPMP 7:36 AM
06-15 Fort Lauderdale Executive KFXE 7:41 AM Fort Lauderdale PG Area
06-15 Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood Intl KFLL 7:52 AM
06-15 North Perry KHWO 7:59 AM
06-15 Miami-Opa Locka Executive KOPF 8:04 AM
06-15 Miami Intl KMIA 8:44 AM American Airlines Arena 25°46’53"N 80°11’17"W Miami PG Area
06-15 South Bimini MYBS 9:07 AM
06-15 Cat Cay MYCC 9:14 AM Short Runway
06-15 Ocean Cay MYBO 9:28 AM Weird mismatch between Google and Bing
06-15 Ocean Reef Club 07FA 9:57 AM
06-15 Tavernaero Park FA81 10:10 AM
06-15 The Florida Keys Marathon Intl KMTH 10:36 AM
06-15 Summerland Key Cove FD51 10:58 AM
06-15 Sugar Loaf Shores 7FA1 11:04 AM
06-15 Key West NAS / Boca Chica Field KNQX 11:10 AM
06-15 Key West Intl KEYW 11:16 AM Key West PG Area
06-15 Fort Jefferson 24°37’40.91"N 82°52’10.61"W 11:46 AM
06-15 Marco Island KMKY 12:28 PM Marco PG Area
Flight time 6:02 22 stops
West End Airport, 4 red lights, that means go!
Just in time to catch the sunrise
Lightning as usual, I can’t remember the last time I had a lightning free day
Palm Beach Atlantic University
At Tanglewood CT and Federal Hwy, West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant on Clear Lake, I guess it works!
Rybovich Marina in Lake Worth Lagoon
And full circle, back at Palm Beach Atlantic University
Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus at Palm Beach International Airport
Heading south over Palm Beach County
Antiquers Aerodrome Arprt-FD08, Lake Ida Rd below
Those white storage units on the left is now “10X Living at Delray” luxury apartment buildings, both on Google and Bing. The sim is behind here, not sure how far behind. Street View from Google dated Nov 2018 shows the current apartment complex, Street Side from Bing dated Nov 2014 shows a storage complex.
Florida Atlantic University at Boca Raton Airport
The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
Harbour Isles of Fort Lauderdale
Fortt Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex
Trump International Beach Resort on Playa Sony
Newport Fishing Pier (some of it)
South Pointe Park Pier and Fisher Island
Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College (right of the Arena)
Ex-newspaper office & immigration facility in 1920s tower housing art exhibits of Cuban immigrants
Biscayne Blvd, urban canyon here I come
Miami Center Parking Garage on Miami River
Servcorp - Southeast Financial Center (the stepped roof one)
Miami Circle National Historic Landmark
Waterfront archaeological site with remnants of a prehistoric structure built by Native Americans
South Miami Ave at SE 13th st
I miss PIP from FSX! Although my laptop is struggling enough with one view in PG areas
Miami International Airport
(spoiler, my plane is covering for the absent bridge)
Back to the ocean over Virginia Key Beach Park
To South Bimini (The Bahamas) leaving again already, bad terrain data
Cat Cay, interestingly shaped island
Little glitch showing a bit of the lovely ocean floor
First of all, it’s a heliport, no airport here, I landed on Sunset Beach
Although on Bing it definitely looks like 2 airstrips. “Ocean Cay is an artificial island which was built in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and was used as an industrial sand extraction site.” Bing maps is old, but not that old.
It was converted to what it is currently in 2018-2019
As always, exploring the past Present day Ocean Cay
Towboat Cruise Lines
I paused for a bit to see what was going on. The cargo ship is on the same ‘track’ yet slightly faster than the cruise ship. It moves (yeah going backwards), stops for a bit when it gets too close, then resumes again. On rails boating, but a step up from traffic that frequently drives through one another.
Old Rhodes Key, The Florida Keys
Joining up with Oveseas Hwy 1 going to Key West along the Florida Keys from Lake Surprise
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park at Blackwater Sound
Channel #5 Bridge to Long Key Bight
Long Key along Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail to Conch Key
Florida Keys/Marathon International Airport
Boot Key with Turtle Hospital on the right and start of Seven Mile Bridge (can’t land on it)
Seven Mile Bridge, new and old
The older bridge, originally known as the Knights Key-Pigeon Key-Moser Channel-Pacet Channel Bridge, was constructed from 1909 to 1912, the new one from 1978 to 1982.
Upper Sugarloaf Key and Cudjoe Key
Not the best place for a windsock
Key West NAS - Boca Chica Field
Key West, end of the Oceans Highway
Gliding down to Key West International Airport over Stock Island
Key West Aquarium and The Custom House
Long Key and Bush Key with Fort Jefferson
Landing on Bush Key next to Seaplane Beach
Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, massive yet unfinished coastal fortress
It is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas, and is composed of over 16 million bricks
Now part of Dry Tortugas National Park
Construction began in 1846 and since then the fort has served as prison, quarantine station and as coaling station. Fort Jefferson became a national monument in 1935 and became part of the new national park in 1992.
Loggerhead Key with Loggerhead Lighthouse, visible from Fort Jefferson
Marco Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico off Southwest Florida
And final stop today at Marco Island Executive Airport
More Florida tomorrow, there are tons of PG areas in Florida, same as in California.
Leg 299, Marco Island to River Acres, Okeechobee County, Florida, USA
DAY06_16.PLN (9.1 KB)
A lot of detail to chew through, literally. My data consumption already jumped up to 24GB from 2 days in Florida, probably going to be a lot higher by the time I leave the state. I didn’t go the the Everglades since they are well known, and was surprised by the amazing lake districts north of the Everglades. I’ve never heard of that area, its beautiful.
06-16 Marco Island KMKY 6:54 AM
06-16 Immokalee Rgnl KIMM 7:07 AM Immokalee PG Area
06-16 Charlton Strip 05FL 7:10 AM
06-16 Duda Airstrip 08FA 7:13 AM
06-16 Buckingham Field FL59 7:22 AM
06-16 Page Field KFMY 7:36 AM Fort Meyers PG Area
06-16 Pine Shadows Airpark 94FL 7:44 AM
06-16 Punta Gorda KPGD 7:50 AM Port Challote PG Area 26°59’29"N 82°5’53"W
06-16 Venice Muni KVNC 8:02 AM Sarsota PG Area 27°20’47"N 82°30’56"W
06-16 Sarsota/Bradenton Intl KSRQ 8:19 AM Palmetto Bay PG Area 27°30’60"N 82°33’43"W
06-16 Sunshine Skyway Bridge 27°37’8.39"N 82°39’16.43"W 8:39 AM
06-16 Albert Whitted KSPG 8:48 AM St Petersburg PG Area
06-16 Macdill Afb KMCF 9:00 AM
06-16 Peter O Knight KTPF 9:04 AM Tampa PG Area
Brandon PG Area 27°55’28"N 82°18’42"W
06-16 Tampa Executive KVDF 9:28 AM
06-16 Tampa Intl KTPA 9:37 AM Tarpon Springs PG Area 28°8;45"N 82°44’26"W
06-16 Hidden Lake FA40 9:51 AM Spring Hill PG Area 28°27’26"N 82°37’14"W
06-16 Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl KBKV 10:03 AM
06-16 Zephyrhills Muni KZPH 10:13 AM Zephyrhills PG Area
Lakeland PG Area 28°0’33"N 81°57’26"W
06-16 Winter Haven’s Gilbert KGIF 10:32 AM Winter Haven PG Area
Poinciana PG Area 28°8’30"N 81°28’9"W
06-16 Poinciana KPON 10:58 AM
06-16 David Wine’s Airstrip 62FL 11:06 AM
06-16 Avon Park Executive KAVO 11:19 AM Sebring PG Area 27°28’35"N 81°26’53"W
06-16 Sebring Regl KSEF 11:38 AM
06-16 River Acres FD70 11:49 AM Seems abandoned
Flight time 4:55 24 stops
Time to take off from Marco Island
Over Corkscrew (wetland) near Ave Maria (town)
Immokalee, an unincorporated community in Collier County
Joel Blvd below in Lehigh Acres, looks like a circuit board
Harns Marsh Elementary School in front of Buckingham Field-Fl59
Lee County Player Development Complex in Fort Meyers
Terry Park Sports Complex and Shady Oaks Park, they sure love baseball here
Fort Meyers downtown on the Caloosahatchee River
Legacy Harbour Marina, I could not resist
Tight squeeze in between the towers of High Point Place
Banking to fit in between. A new top down GTA with PG data could work very well!
Port Charlotte on the Peace River
Above Hwy 41 in Port Charlotte
Venice Municipal Airport next to Venice Beach
Checking out the downtown area of Sarasota
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Oh boy, Sunshine Skyway Bridge ahead
Sunshine Skyway Bridge crossing Lower Tampa Bay, total length 6,663 meters, opened 1987
The original 2 lane bridge was built in 1954 and an extra south bound bridge opened in 1971. That one collaped only 9 years later when a freighter (MV Summit Venture) collided with a pier (killing 35)
Unfortunately you can’t fly under, that’s where the traffic drives…
Since all the traffic is driving on the water, empty road to land on!
Tight fit, don’t bank on take off
Suicides are a big issue, 310 confirmed, 46 others survived, not counting missing people
Albert Whitted Airport in St Petersburg
South Straub Park in St Petersburg
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays
Seddon Channel and Ybor Turning Basin
Tampa Marriott Water Street and Amalie Arena
Climbing back up over Ybor Channel
Brandon in Hillsborough County
Approaching Tampa Executive Airport over Florida State Fairgrounds
Raymond James Stadium on the way down to Tampa International Airport
Anclote Power Plant in Tarpon Springs
Hidden Lake Airport, confirmed I don’t see a lake (it’s there, left side, Hidden Lake)
Pasco County, some relief from the urban jungle
Lakeland, Florida contains over 30,000 lakes
Bonny Lake (left) and McIntosh Power Plant on Lake Parker
Combee Park and Saddle Creek Park
Denison Stadium in Winter Haven
Ridge Live Steamers, another model world inside a model world
Hatchineha Ranch on Lake Hatchineha
Poinciana Airport, so relaxing
Sebring Downtown Historic District
Highlands County Fair, Lake Jackson behind
Located right next to Sebring Regional Airport
A bit of rain over Highlands County
Kissimmee River with my final stop today, River Acres Airport
Oops, apparently I landed on a service road for the railway
The actual airstrip runs behind the houses
(Streetview dated from August 2008, hence the low resolution)
More Florida tomorrow, Orlando, Kennedy Space center and the big amusement parks.
Leg 300, River Acres, Okeechobee County to Palatka, Putnam County, Florida, USA
DAY06_17.PLN (11.0 KB)
Crawling over Florida, so much content here. I only covered 335nm in this leg, avg speed down to 60 knots, lots to see.
06-17 River Acres FD70 6:39 AM
06-17 Okeechobee County KOBE 6:43 AM Okeechobee PG Area
06-17 Baggett Airpark FD39 6:55 AM
06-17 Brady Ranch 80FD 6:58 AM
06-17 Horseshoe Acres Airpark FA24 7:01 AM
06-17 Naked Lady Ranch 64FA 7:08 AM Port St Lucie PG Area 27°14’1"N 80°21’21"W
06-17 Treasure Coast Intl KFPR 7:25 AM
06-17 Vero Beach Rgnl KVRB 7:32 AM
06-17 Sebastian Mun X26 7:39 AM
06-17 Valkaria X59 7:45 AM Palm Bay PG Area 27°57’13"N 80°39’54"W
06-17 Melbourne Intl KMLB 7:55 AM Power failure, wait for internet to come back
06-17 Patrick Afb KCOF 8:03 AM
06-17 Cape Canaveral AFS Skid Strip KXMR 8:17 AM Kennedy Space Center 28°31’26"N 80°40’56"W
06-17 Nasa Shuttle Landing Facility KTTS 8:34 AM Titusville PG Area 28°36’51"N 80°48’36"W
06-17 Arthur Dunn Air Park X21 8:51 AM
06-17 Executive KORL 9:05 AM Winter Park PG Area 28°35’44"N 81°21’3"
Orlando PG Area 28°32’22" 81°22’43"W
06-17 Orlando Intl KMCO * 9:25 AM Universal Studios PG Area 28°28’20"N 81°28’14"W
Walt Disney World Resort 28°22’31"N 81°32’59"W
Clermont PG Area 28°32’53"N 81°44’35"W
06-17 Florida Flying Gators 3FD4 10:24 AM
06-17 Flying Baron Estates 10FA 10:34 AM Leesburg PG Area
06-17 Leesburg Intl KLEE 10:42 AM
06-17 Mid Florida Air Svc X55 10:46 AM
06-17 Britt Brown & Porter Ranch 6FD6 10:51 AM Deltona PG Area 28°54’32"N 81°14’35"W
06-17 Leffler FA63 11:01 AM
06-17 Massey Ranch Airpark X50 11:09 AM New Smyrna Beach PG Area 29°2’22"N 80°54’26"W
06-17 New Smyrna Beach Municipal KEVB 11:17 AM
06-17 Spruce Creek 7FL6 11:22 AM
06-17 Daytona Beach Intl KDAB 11:24 AM Daytona Beach PG Area Daytona International Speedway next to airport
06-17 Ormond Beach Muni KOMN 11:44 AM Fagler Beach PG Area 29°25’55"N 81°6’23"W
06-17 Flagler Executive KFIN 12:00 PM
06-17 Palatka Muni - Lt Kay Larkin F 28J 12:15 PM Palatka PG Area
Flight time 5:36 29 stops
River Acres Airport, ready for take off
Just after sunrise, and yep there is lightning
Okeechobee in Okeechobee County
Dowtown Okeechobee, Park St at Parrot Ave with Lake Okeechobee in the distance
Port St Lucie Botanical Gardens close to the St Lucie River
Port St Lucie on the Atlantic coast of southern Florida
Port St Lucie-Fort Pierce Service Plaza on Florida’s Turnpike
Vero Beach to Ft Pierce Aquatic Preserve along the Indian River (looks more like a lagoon to me)
Vero Beach Regional Airport, dodging baseballs on the way down
Wabasso Island in Pine Island Bay
Andretti Thrill Park in Melbourne
Melbourne International Airport
Banana River Aquatic Preserve next to the Indian River
Port Canaveral, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world
Cape Canaveral AFS Skid Strip
A 10,000-foot runway close to the launch complexes for military airlift aircraft delivering heavy and outsized payloads to the Cape
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral was known as Cape Kennedy Air Force Station from 1963 to 1973, and as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from 1949 to 1963 and from 1973 to 2020. It was renamed to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in December 2020. (Still called air force in game)
Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center (museum)
Flying through the rocket garden
Eek, I hope my insurance is up to ate
Maybe doing this at full throttle isn’t the best idea, just made it
Completing the loop by Atalantis
Nasa Shuttle Landing Facility, also fits Bonanzas
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge behind the space center
Space View Park in Titusville and Max A Brewer Bridge over the Indian River
American Space Museum & Walk of Fame, small building below my nose
Rollins College in Winter Park
Passing over the Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Fire Museum and Orlando Science Center
Orlando Central Business District
Downtown Baptist Church Orlando
Orlando International Airport, it’s huge
Nice touch, animated trains to the terminals
All four of them, terminal A on the right
Drone view
That bottom left bit has been finished and more construction is going on below. (Err above, I have it upside down, South is up in that shot) Bing maps is actually ahead of Google with the construction, the game is stuck with an older version, behind Google maps.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley
It’s still under construction in game, opened April 2016 and took 2.5 years to build
Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Florida Flying Gators Ultralight Airport actually, pardon me putting tracks in the grass
Cutrale Citrus Juices USA and Lake Griffin
Right turn ahead to Leesburg International Airport
Daytona International Speedway
I landed the 787 here on the track last year, it didn’t like the banked turns
Daytona Beach Main Street Pier, some of it
Ormond-By-The-Sea, between the Atlantic and the Halifax River
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area At Flagler Beach
Another pass over Flagler Beach before heading to the airport
Final stop for today, Palatka-Kay Larkin Airport
So much detail. I wonder how it all runs tomorrow after the Nordics update. Installation and landing challenge went fine, ready for the next leg.
Leg 301, Palatka, Putnam County, Florida to Lesesne, Berkeley County, South Carolina, USA
DAY06_18.PLN (15.3 KB)
Early start, long flight, many stops, lots to see. I never really looked at the east coast of the USA and always assumed it was like the west coast, but it’s nothing like that. Very fragmented with islands acting as buffers in the tidal zone, pretty much all up South Carolina.
06-18 Palatka Muni - Lt Kay Larkin F 28J 6:18 AM
06-18 Lib Field 2FD8 6:21 AM
06-18 Pomona Landing 78FL 6:24 AM
06-18 Thunderbird Air Park 2FA5 6:27 AM
06-18 Jim Finlay Farm 28FL 6:30 AM
06-18 Eagles Nest Aerodrome FD44 6:32 AM
06-18 Mount Royal 3FL0 6:35 AM
06-18 GreyStone 17FL 6:49 AM Ocala PG Area 29°11’15"N 82°8’15"W
06-18 Ocala Intl-Jim Taylor Field KOCF 7:05 AM
06-18 Dunnellon-Marion Co & Park Of X35 7:11 AM
06-18 Lewis KCDK 7:29 AM
06-18 Manatee Springs 5FD0 7:37 AM
06-18 White Farms FA36 7:40 AM
06-18 Flying Ten 0J8 7:49 AM Gainesville PG Area 29°39’6"N 82°20’55"W
06-18 Gainesville Rgnl KGNV 8:04 AM
06-18 Flying Tiger Field FL54 8:12 AM
06-18 Lake City Airpark FL27 8:18 AM
06-18 Cannon Creek Airpark 15FL 8:23 AM Lake City PG Area
06-18 Lake City Gateway KLCQ 8:39 AM
06-18 Cecil KVQQ 8:55 AM Orange Park PG Area 30°10’39"N 81°42’19"W
06-18 Jacksonville Nas (Towers Fld) KNIP 9:03 AM Jacksonville PG Area 30°19’39"N 81°39’40"W
06-18 Jacksonville Intl KJAX 9:34 AM
06-18 Fernandina Beach Minicipal KFHB 9:43 AM
06-18 St Marys 4j6 9:48 AM St Marys PG Area
06-18 Union Carbide Plant Strip GA48 9:58 AM
06-18 Jekyll Island 09J 10:08 AM
06-18 Mckinnon St Simons Island KSSI 10:14 AM Sea Island PG Area
06-18 Sapelo Island 08GA 10:26 AM
06-18 Barbour Island 72GA 10:31 AM
06-18 Midway KMIY 10:35 AM Short runway, trees at end of runway
06-18 Hunter Aaf KSVN 10:45 AM Savannah PG Area
06-18 Savannah-Hilton Head Intl KSAV 11:14 AM
06-18 Briggs Field GA43 11:23 AM
06-18 Statesboro-Bulloch Co KTBR 11:30 AM Strateaboro PG Area
06-18 Plantation KJYL 11:41 AM
06-18 Davis SC12 11:50 AM
06-18 Beaufort MCAS-Merrit Field KNBC 12:04 PM
06-18 Marsh Point SC74 12:11 PM
06-18 Charleston Executive KJZI 12:34 PM
06-18 Charleston Afb/Intl KCHS 1:12 PM Charleston, Goose Creek, Summerville PG Areas
06-18 Mount Holly SC98 1:20 PM
06-18 Berkeley County KMKS 1:28 PM Bad stuttering, very low fps
06-18 Lesesne 6SC1 1:41 PM
Flight time 7:23 42 stops
Palatka-Kay Larkin Airport at dawn
Leaving Palatka before sunrise
St Johns River, will be seeing this one a lot today
Landing at Pamona Landing in Panoma Park, Putnam County
Thunderbird Airpark near Como Lake
Jim Finlay Farm, Silver lake on the left, Margaret lake on the right
Eagles Nest Aerodrome, coming down over Margaret lake
Mount Royal Airpark on the St Johns River
Little Lake George an the St Johns River
Greystone Airport aka Jumbolair Airport
Lake Tuscawilla, small lake ahead
One more shot of Ocala in the morning fog
Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area in Levy County on the Gulf of Mexico
Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park
Manatee Springs State Park along the Suwannee River
UF Health Children’s Surgical Center in Gainesville
Florida Museum of Natural History-Exhibits below
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida
Popularly known as “The Swamp”, home field of the Florida Gators
COVID-19 vaccine location - Southside Sports Complex
Columbia County Court Administration next to Lake De Soto
Orange Park on the St Johns River
Riverfront Plaza next to the John T Alsop Jr Bridge across the St Johns River
Flying above James Weldon Johnson Park
Rosa L. Parks Transit
Rosa Parks (1913-2005) of course well known for her actions in Montgomery in 1955
Golfair Blvd at Brentwood Blvd in Norwood
No circus on Google nor Bing, just there when the photogrammetry planes flew over
Symrise (chemical plant) along Moncrief Creek
Jacksonville International Airport
Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport
St. Marys Middle School in front of St. Marys Airport
Jekyll Island in between the East River and the Atlantic in Glenn County
Seaside Golf Course in front of McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on Saint Simmons Sound
Flying out of Midway Airport on Blackbeard Creek and Saint Catherines Sound
Ossabaw Island Wildlife Management Area
CSX Southover Savannah Yard in Catham County
Savannah Historic District and the Georgia State Railroad Museum
Talmadge Memorial Bridge over the Savannah River
Pillars from the old 1953 bridge are still left up, the new bridge was completed in 1991
Port of Savannah, the largest single ocean container terminal on the U.S. eastern seaboard
Imperial Sugar Co and Atlantic Wood Industries Inc
International Paper - Port Wentworth Mill
Allen E, Paulson Stadium at Georgia State University, home to the Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia State University campus
Marsh Point Airport at Long Point
Charleston Executive Airport on the Stono River
MUSC Wellness Center in Charleston
Carolina Yacht Club on the Cooper River, Ashley river joining from the other side of Charleston
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
Rainbow Row, 13 pastel-painted Georgian-style rowhouses dating from 1748 to 1845
Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge over the Cooper River
USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Academy
Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial
Right turn to Charleston International Airport
Landing at Berkeley County Airport
Last stop today at Lesesne Airport near Lake Marion
I landed in the right place I think, doesn’t look like much
But it sure looks like a nice place to spend the night
Next leg, more of South Carolina and Georgia before heading to the southern coast
Very cool spotting the circus tent! I thought the photogrammetry was supposed to be based on Bing though. Did you check streetside view?
Yes, both on Google and Bing, with different dates (multiple lanes, different timed pictures on google)
Bing Feb 2014, open and deserted
Bing map view shows a cul-de-sac with a bus shelter
Google March 2019, open and empty
Google Sep 2019, road closed signs, cul-de-sac with a bus shelter visible
Google map view shows empty terrain, looks like the cul-de-sac has been removed (traces left, barricades)
Google Jan 2021, construction going on (Golfair transit hub, North Corridor / Green Line)
From different angles Sep 2019 is when the construction fences went up. The circus must be from before the temporary bus stop was placed there.
Fun, developments recorded in map views
Now PG data, which Google has there, shows the same as its map view. Bing must have used a different source for PG data, which is made by planes flying over on parallel lines. If it’s the same as in the rest of the USA it will be from some time in 2014 or 2015.
Googling for circus in that location I only got this, an ad from Jan 2015
613 Golfair Blvd., two Universoul Circus tents for rehearsal, not open to public, $200,000.
That’s only a couple houses down from the intersection and the color scheme matches with a Universoul circus tent.
That circus was there in Jacksonville but not in that spot. It looks more like a practice or storage location since there’s no public parking for visitors.
Fun puzzle lol.
Leg 302, Lesesne, Berkeley County, South Carolina to Peachtree City, Georgia, USA
DAY06_19.PLN (10.6 KB)
I got 5 hours in before Claudette hit. The game was struggling (for other reasons) and with no visibility coming in soon there was no point trying to fix the tree issues. It was the runaway memory bug again, induced by the heavily forested PG area which get covered over with auto gen trees. A lethal combination for my system, triggering the slow downward spiral to sub 5 fps while memory usage climbs up over 30GB ram in use.
06-19 Lesesne 6SC1 6:22 AM
06-19 Spirit Field 3SC2 6:29 AM
06-19 St Mathews 99SC 6:38 AM
06-19 North AF Aux KXNO 6:47 AM
06-19 August Rgnl At Bush Field KAGS 7:06 AM Augusta PG Area
06-19 Prater Ranch 3GE8 7:44 AM
06-19 Rambos Field SC92 7:55 AM
06-19 Greenwood Co KGRD 8:00 AM
06-19 Triple Tree SC00 8:12 AM
06-19 Chandelle SC72 8:17 AM
06-19 Hartness SC58 8:21 AM Short runway
06-19 Greenvill Downtown KGMU 8:27 AM Greenville PG Area
06-19 Pickens Co KLQK 8:51 AM
06-19 Oconee Co Regl KCEU 9:01 AM
06-19 Tokeena Air Park SC96 9:06 AM Trees at end of runway
06-19 Mustang Field 0GA1 9:11 AM
06-19 Airnautique, Inc 0GA2 9:15 AM
06-19 Franklin County 18A 9:22 AM
06-19 Hudson River Landing 33GA 9:27 AM
06-19 Doug Bolton Field 02GA 9:31 AM Short field
06-19 Jackson Co KJCA 9:35 AM
06-19 Aiken Field 85GA 9:39 AM Short ‘runway’
06-19 The Flying W Ranch GA01 9:44 AM Terrible performance, trees on top of PG trees
06-19 Stoney Point Field 6GA0 10:00 AM Roswell PG Area 34°3’31"N 84°23’24"W
06-19 Cobb County Intl-Mccollum Field KRYY 10:17 AM Marietta PG Area very low fps
06-19 Dobbins Air Reserve Base KMGE 10:25 AM
06-19 Dekalb-Peachtree KPDK 10:34 AM Runway tears Atlanta PG Area
06-19 Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta I KATL * 11:03 AM Riversdale PG Area
06-19 Atlanta Rgnl Falcon Field KFFC 11:29 AM down to sub 5fps, 30 GB RAM in use
Flight time 5:07 28 stops
Early morning at Lesesne airstrip
Maybe one day MSFS will get mangroves and swamp lands
Aiken County math puzzle, calculate the tillable area!
Flying out of Augusta Regional by Huntsman Pigments
To Augusta, Georgia, located near the South Carolina border (across the Savannah river)
Augusta Museum of History below (green roof)
Home to an exhibit on James Brown (1933-2006) an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader, known as the “Godfather of Soul”, “Mr. Dynamite”, and “Soul Brother No. 1”
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area
Meadow Garden, 18th-century historic house museum that was once the home of politician George Walton (signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia)
Augusta Exchange at the interchange between I 520 and I 20
Thurmond Lake Dam aka J. Strom Thurmond Dam and earlier as Clarks Hill Dam, completed 1954
Savannah River in Lincoln County near Double Branches
Landing at Prater Ranch across Clarks Hill Lake
Taking a look a bit higher up, Savannah Lakes Village Tara Golf Club and Baker Creek State Park
Landing at Greenville Downtown Airport after flying over Haywood Mall
Chick-fil-A spotted, born in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall in 1967 by Truett Cathy, over 2,600 locations today
Bon Secours Wellness Arena home to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ice hockey)
Fluor Field (minor-league ball), modeled after the Boston Red Sox’s famed field
Peace Center (performing arts theater) in downtown Greenville
Vulcan Materials Company, Lakeside Quarry
Calhoun, Clemson, South Carolina
Landing at The Flying W Ranch
Crippling combination of PG forest with autogen trees over top
Buford Dam on Lake Lanier, letting the Chattahoochee river through
Martin Marietta - Cumming Quarry
Alpharetta in northern Fulton County, Georgia, I can see Claudette approaching in the distance
Landing at Crobb County Intl-Mccollum Field
Viking Quarry Lake next to the airport
Dobbins Air Reserve Base, the storm is getting closer
This was bound to happen with the way the sim is lagging from the PG forests
Runway tears, runway quakes, ground shifting up and down in tiles while landing, trip 'n flip
I 75 in Cumberland
https://i.imgur.com/XlbbiYl.png
HWY 400 in North Buckhead, Atlanta
https://i.imgur.com/JAxRznv.png
‘Flying the pattern’ into Dekalb-Peachtree Airport
https://i.imgur.com/qOT4Ebp.png
Tight turns are great for slowing down!
Dramatic entry to Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. Home to Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
https://i.imgur.com/OBR78Br.png
Atlanta played an important part in both the Civil War and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement
Midtown Atlanta
https://i.imgur.com/Y5ZjQTx.png
Hotel District
https://i.imgur.com/CmozgTu.png
Peachtree Center
https://i.imgur.com/lnidzaq.png
Most of the structures that make up the district were designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman, Jr.
Georgia State Capitol, built in 1889, houses the Georgia Capitol Museum
https://i.imgur.com/j9kfyNU.png
Peachtree Fountains Plaza
https://i.imgur.com/IZgz04I.png
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (construction site), Georgia International Plaza and State Farm Arena
https://i.imgur.com/Fyi27pG.png
The building on the left (Georgia Dome) is gone, currently The Home Depot Backyard (park)
Georgia Dome was imploded on November 17th 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzDzit-bMCU
Mercedes-Benz Stadium broke ground on May19th 2014
Georgia World Congress Center
https://i.imgur.com/8gO354d.png
The Gathering Spot ATL (country club) and Hyatt House Atlanta-Downtown (construction)
https://i.imgur.com/e43sKtA.png
Hyatt House Atlanta-Downtown opened on July 7 2015, data is from 2014
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport approach over Porsche Experience Center Atlanta
https://i.imgur.com/jF6FoWc.png
I feel small, one of the busiest airport hubs in the world
https://i.imgur.com/EBW0F1N.png
Maynard H Jackson Jr International Terminal, flying around exploring the airport
https://i.imgur.com/v3waq4C.png
All the way at the other end, Atlanta Domestic Airport
https://i.imgur.com/r6TggFy.png
Ooh that looks more my size, those tunnels below
South Terminal Parkway
https://i.imgur.com/yEwWIaH.png
Parking Terminal South
https://i.imgur.com/FvVDfQX.png
And back along North Terminal Parkway, tight squeeze, higher obstruction on this side
https://i.imgur.com/ZCOtZEA.png
Claudette is getting very close now, lightning is increasing
Fayetteville, 22 miles south of downtown Atlanta
https://i.imgur.com/5l0vPLL.png
Final stop today at Atlanta Rgnl Falcon Field
https://i.imgur.com/WuvHBQb.png
Landing at 2 to 5 fps is not fun, I should have restarted the game 3 stops ago. But since it looks like visibility will be gone any moment now, I’ll go enjoy the sunny weather up in Canada
Tomorrow more of Georgia, some of Alabama and heading to the Gulf of Mexico.
Deleted, merged
Leg 303, Peachtree City, Georgia via Alabama to Tifton, Georgia, USA
DAY05_20.PLN (7.6 KB)
A double leg today. First flying through the tail of Claudette in the morning. Then after a 5 and a half hour break (enjoying the local weather) continuing on in clear skies with a beautiful sunset at the end.
06-20 Atlanta Rgnl Falcon Field KFFC 7:42 AM Peachtree City PG Area
06-20 Griffin-Spalding County 6A2 7:53 AM fps already down to 5
Terrible stuttering, already up to 29 GB RAM, end task, restart
Internet connection problems, game stuck on loading screen, restart routers, end task, restart
06-20 Griffin-Spalding County 6A2 8:23 AM Griffin PG Area, 27 knot winds
06-20 Broken Ranch GA76 8:46 AM Marker in the wrong place
06-20 Macon Downtown KMAC KMAC 9:02 AM Macon PG Area
06-20 Middle Georgia Rgnl KMCN 9:22 AM
06-20 Butler Mun 6A1 9:36 AM
06-20 Columbus KCSG 9:54 AM PG Area
06-20 Auburn University Rgnl KAUO 10:24 AM Auburn PG Area
06-20 Lanett Mun 7A3 10:41 AM
06-20 Lagrange-Callaway KLGC 10:51 AM Lagrange PG Area
06-20 Anniston Rgnl KANB 11:28 AM Anniston PG Area
06-20 Talladega Mun KASN 11:46 AM
06-20 St Clair Co KPLR 11:56 AM
3:54
06-20 St Clair Co KPLR 5:33 PM
06-20 Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Intl KBHM 5:54 PM Internet connection problems
06-20 Bessemer KEKY 6:34 PM Birmingham PG Area
06-20 Shelby County KEET 6:41 PM
06-20 Ware Island 01AL 6:57 PM
06-20 Maxwell Afb KMXF 7:15 PM Montgomery PG Area
06-20 Troy Muni At N Kenneth Campbel KTOI 7:45 PM
06-20 Dothan Rgnl KDHN 8:04 PM Dothan PG Area
06-20 Early Co KBIJ 8:25 PM
06-20 Southwest Georgia Rgnl KABY 8:41 PM
06-20 Henry Tift Myers KTMA 8:57 PM
Flight time 7:18 22 stops
Atlanta Rgnl Falcon Field, ready for departure, sort of
Fayette County, still getting dumped on by the remainder of Claudette
Heads Creek in Spalding County
Griffin-Spalding County, a little break now and then
Griffin-Spalding County Airport
The break didn’t last, after reloading (ram and internet issues) the rain had moved back in
Griffin Memorial Stadium (on my right)
The mystery of Broken Ranch, not where the marker is
This is the ‘runway’ I believe, now to turn around and find it again
A little break from the rain helps, the ‘runway’ starts where the lonely trees stick out
Safely down, ah I can charge my HEV suit here
Ocmulgee River, probably a bit bigger for a few days
Town Creek into Jevos Lucas Lake
Jones County, power lines are easy to follow here
Central City Park on the Comulgee River, home to the Cherry Blossom Festival
Across the river is the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
Graphic Packaging International
Middle Georgia Regional Airport
Eagle & Phenix Dam in the Chattahoochee River
Golden Park stadium, Columbus Civic Center and South Commons Softball Complex further back
Next stop Auburn University Rgnl Airport
Jordan-Hare Stadium, home of the Auburn’s Tigers at Auburn University
Not much else to spot in this weather
Lanett Municipal Airport, getting brighter
West Point Powerhouse at Maple Creek (lake) on the Chattahoochee River
Milliken & Company at LaGrange
LaGrange, the county seat of Troup County
R. l. Harris Dam on the Tallapoosa River
Anniston, the county seat of Calhoun County
Home to the World’s Largest Office Chair
https://i.imgur.com/vIYiIF2.png
Talladega Municipal Airport
https://i.imgur.com/PcfRRSn.png
Talladega Superspeedway
https://i.imgur.com/bapEf6u.png
Great racing and made for a lovely movie as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myKtVl8N7jU
Lincoln, Alabama on the Coosa River
https://i.imgur.com/cUmxufY.png
St Clair Airport
https://i.imgur.com/21FHw0J.png
Time for a break. It was a lovely day out here, good day to take the crossroads bike out on the trails.
St Clair Airport, 5 1/2 hours later, all cleared up
https://i.imgur.com/LJFJzST.png
St Clair County
https://i.imgur.com/scuWPsc.png
Birmingham Race Course, live greyhound racing
https://i.imgur.com/8d8LRRb.png
Not anymore, another casualty of the pandemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viNuN_aBPJM
Norfolk Southern North Tower
https://i.imgur.com/uNq6vKv.png
The ultimate game of Frogger
https://i.imgur.com/yfPCqY4.png
Northfolk Southern Norris Yard
https://i.imgur.com/7fePGsy.png
Ruffner Baseball Park in Irondale
https://i.imgur.com/dZdN5Cz.png
Lawson Field Stadium and Hawk’s View Overlook on the right
https://i.imgur.com/DQXOBtI.png
Birmingham-Shuttelsworth International airport at the end of my turn
https://i.imgur.com/2NTesVc.png
Vulcan Materials Company in Birmingham
https://i.imgur.com/hPwHI7x.png
ABC Coke in Tarrant
https://i.imgur.com/ZzlT5MX.png
CEMEX - Birmingham Cement Plant
https://i.imgur.com/AhuHUdB.png
ERP COKE in Harriman Park district
https://i.imgur.com/Y5FLcYq.png
Birmingham, the seat of Jefferson County
https://i.imgur.com/rPCPfKy.png
Birmingham Downtown
https://i.imgur.com/RtNWWWo.png
https://i.imgur.com/E8SbulN.png
Regions Field at Railroad Park Foundation
https://i.imgur.com/oc5c92S.png
American Freight (Sears Outlet) in Glen Iris district
https://i.imgur.com/pUY0z2D.png
Wells Fargo ICCC at 210 Wildwood Pkwy, that building caught my attention
https://i.imgur.com/bUyUbdx.png
Huntington Park in Jefferson County
https://i.imgur.com/Q5OIhTF.png
Bessemer Airport
https://i.imgur.com/hFuQycs.png
Kirkpatrick Concrete Inc
https://i.imgur.com/HVNmBRg.png
Vulcan Materials Company in Celera
https://i.imgur.com/1D503QI.png
There sure are a lot of holes in Alabama
Alabama Power Co on the Coosa River, landing on Ware Island
https://i.imgur.com/I6KEmLA.png
Approach to Ware Island Airport over the Coosa River, Hwy 55 behind me
https://i.imgur.com/URVghy2.png
Another Alabama Power Co dam in Coosa County on the Coosa River
https://i.imgur.com/DZhVQt4.png
Maxwell Air Force Base
https://i.imgur.com/ZXT9pFD.png
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery (empty field, opened April 2018)
https://i.imgur.com/Ltp9r7e.png
Informally known as the National Lynching Memorial, commemorating the Black victims of lynching in the USA. It is intended to focus on and acknowledge past racial terrorism and advocate for social justice
https://i.imgur.com/Vpo33As.png
Freedom Rides Museum and Rosa Parks Museum at the tip of my wing
https://i.imgur.com/oPukgPx.png
Court Square Fountain - Artesian Basin and Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium
https://i.imgur.com/UGZhrNQ.png
Riverwalk along Gun Island Chute (river)
https://i.imgur.com/I2oXsZi.png
Commerce st
https://i.imgur.com/1cyNrbQ.png
Alabama State Capitol (left) and Supreme Court of Alabama (right)
https://i.imgur.com/HdOcTe6.png
Civil Rights Memorial on Washington Ave
https://i.imgur.com/3hSRt8X.png
Alabama Department of Archives & History, First White House of the Confederacy (Built 1835, residence of Jefferson Davis during the Civil War).and Alabama State Capitol
https://i.imgur.com/gndZwMO.png
Troy Muni At N Kenneth Campbel
https://i.imgur.com/Au0KCGy.png
Dothan Regional Airport
https://i.imgur.com/0LLnMhC.png
N Oates St in Dothan lccated in in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties
https://i.imgur.com/X7dTCKT.png
Dothan City Civic Center
https://i.imgur.com/IqLLY2v.png
Gulf State Cold Storage on Columbia Hwy
https://i.imgur.com/pryMX8k.png
Alabama-Georgia border formed by the Chattahoochee river, heading back into Georgia
https://i.imgur.com/6VzeNmw.png
Early County Airport
https://i.imgur.com/j6qdK6N.png
Arlington, Georgia
https://i.imgur.com/HsleOi6.png
Calhoun County
https://i.imgur.com/fO5LRq3.png
https://i.imgur.com/e0yAWTx.png
Sunset over Georgia
https://i.imgur.com/Sdyemdl.png
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport
https://i.imgur.com/qsRDBgZ.png
Albany, Georgia
https://i.imgur.com/26el0CD.png
Dougherty County, looks like I’ll be ending back in the rain
https://i.imgur.com/5I7pbIi.png
Tifton - Baseball Field next to WXJF-FM Omega radio tower
https://i.imgur.com/AyxZ8Gf.png
Tifton in Tift County, Georgia
https://i.imgur.com/OiPnPhB.png
Final stop today at Henry Tift Myers Airport
https://i.imgur.com/5UtOcd0.png
Well done crew, you can take those sunglasses off now
Next leg, to the Gulf of Mexico.
Leg 304, Tifton, Georgia via Florida to Fairhope, Alabama, USA
DAY06_21.PLN (14.2 KB)
Exploring the coast along the Gulf of Mexico. The day started out very nice yet the rain moved in later in the morning. PG Areas are a bit less dense here, yet still a lot of detail to explore. Hitting every PG area is the goal! (Although meanwhile new ones have been added in Europe, another day)
06-21 Henry Tift Myers KTMA 6:23 AM
06-21 Moody Afb KVAD 6:34 AM
06-21 Valdosta Rgnl KVLD 6:41 AM
06-21 Finlayson Farm 9FL8 6:52 AM
06-21 Jefferson Landings 74FL 6:55 AM
06-21 Berry Grove 7FA8 7:01 AM
06-21 Charlotte’s Field 53FD 7:09 AM
06-21 Tallahassee Intl KTLH 7:19 AM PG Area
06-21 Flat Creek 5FL6 7:41 AM Jim Woodruff Lock 30°42’30.3"N 84°51’48.7"W
06-21 Lawrence 1FD0 7:55 AM
06-21 Hammock 5XFL 8:02 AM
06-21 Carrabelle-Thompson X13 8:19 AM
06-21 Dog Island FA43 8:25 AM
06-21 St George Island F47 8:37 AM
06-21 Apalachicola Mun KAAF 8:41 AM
06-21 Costin A51 8:49 AM
06-21 Mexico Beach KMEX 8:58 AM
06-21 Tyndall AIr Force Base KTYY 9:00 AM
06-21 Tyndall Afb KPAM 9:03 AM
06-21 Panama City-Bay Co Intl KPFN 9:10 AM Panama City PG Area
06-21 Panama City Beach Airstrip FA07 9:25 AM
06-21 Destin-Ft Walton Beach KDTS 9:55 AM
06-21 Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach KVPS 10:02 AM
06-21 Eglin Air Force Base KEGG 10:05 AM
06-21 Wright KWRG 10:09 AM
06-21 Eglin Test Site B6 FL34 10:15 AM
06-21 George T McCutchan 8FL6 10:19 AM
06-21 Whiting Field Nas South KNDZ 10:23 AM
06-21 Spencer NOLF KNRQ 10:29 AM PACE PG Area 30°36’23"N 87°10’49"W
06-21 Pensacola Intl KPNS 10:44 AM
06-21 Garcon Field 24FL 10:48 AM Gulf Breeze PG Area 30°21’59"N 87°10’30"W
Pensacola PG Area 30°24’26"N 87°13’5"W
06-21 Pensacola Nas/Forrest Sherman KNPA 10:59 AM
06-21 Ferguson 82J 11:02 AM
06-21 Perdido Winds Airpark AL08 11:08 AM
06-21 Barin NOLF KNBJ 11:11 AM
06-21 Edwards KJKA 11:15 AM
06-21 Dauphin Island KEAF 11:26 AM Traffic on ‘runway’
06-21 Jeremiah Denton 4R9 11:35 AM
06-21 H L Sonny Callahan KCQF 11:42 AM
06-21 Klumpp AL78 11:47 AM
Flight time 5:13 39 stops
Departure from Henry Tift Myers Airport
Leaving Tifton behind before sunrise
There she is, above Cook County
That’s my Germanic background speaking, the sun is regarded as male in English speaking countries. Same with the moon, male in Germanic countries, female in English countries. In Russian its different again and the gender of the moon depends on the phase, Luna is feminine, while Mesyats (waxing half moon) is female.
Flying out of Moody Air Force Base
Landing at Valdosta Regional Airport
Jefferson Landings, Thor follows me where ever I go
Upper Lake Lafayette and Piney Z Lake
Tallahassee International Airport
Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, named for its longtime Hall of Fame coach
Tallahassee is home to Florida State University
C.K. Steele Plaza (bus stop) in Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida
Florida State Capitol (1977 skyscraper) and Florida Historic Capitol Museum
Interesting configuration…
First Baptist Church of Tallahassee
Continuing on to Jim Woodruff Lock on the Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee
Carrabelle-Thompson Airport at Tate’s Hell State Forest
Named after Cebe Tate, a 45 year old local farmer plagued by a panther that kept attacking his livestock.
There a multiple versions of the local lore
Dog Island, Florida at St George Sound
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
Apalachicola Municipal Airport
T. H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Mexico Beach in Bay County, Florida
Westrock in Panama City along East Bay
Panama City-Bay Co Intl
Looks like this airport has been closed for a while, yep closed October 2010
Hampton Harbour along Grand Lagoon
Hotel Edwater Beach Resort and the M. B. Miller County Pier sticking out
Hidden Lagoon Super Race Track and Golf
Pinnacle Port between Philips Inlet and Powell Lake
Henderson Beach State Park, Indian Bayou Golf & Country Club
and the Mid-Bay Toll Bridge accros Choctawhatchee Bay
Henderson Beach State Park
https://i.imgur.com/hUoZgaa.png
Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport
https://i.imgur.com/954Elsi.png
Eglin Air Force Base
https://i.imgur.com/2rTksw4.png
Wright Airport
https://i.imgur.com/QrWElOF.png
Eglin Test Site B6 at Camp James E. Rudder
https://i.imgur.com/ixKJDT1.png
Spencer NOLF Airport, helicopter training site
https://i.imgur.com/NWF4QM5.png
Santa Rosa Energy Center
https://i.imgur.com/QUItO0e.png
Plant Crist on the Escandia River
https://i.imgur.com/4kIpBHD.png
North Northwest Pensacola
https://i.imgur.com/apzd1AB.png
Pensacola International Airport
https://i.imgur.com/5jtCGHW.png
Garcon Field in Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park
https://i.imgur.com/H2A65vU.png
Plaza De Luna Memorial Monument in Pensacola
https://i.imgur.com/djiZwIB.png
Statue of Spanish conquistador Don Tristan de Luna
Admiral Fetterman Field at Community Maritime Park
https://i.imgur.com/BQilqPM.png
Bayou Chico Bridge
https://i.imgur.com/nXBCbGW.png
Pensacola Nas-Forrest Sherman
https://i.imgur.com/6CMhwr8.png
Home to the National Naval Aviation Museum
https://i.imgur.com/FbCvRUM.png
Jack Edwards National Airport
https://i.imgur.com/1RCjfXo.png
Gulf Highlands
https://i.imgur.com/Er5xDWQ.png
Baldwin County
https://i.imgur.com/mipGus7.png
Fort Morgan, 19th century military fort at Fort Morgan aka Fort Bowyer, Baldwin County, Alabama
https://i.imgur.com/51AMFoN.png
The Estuarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab
https://i.imgur.com/k63a5kr.png
Jeremiah Denton Airport on Dauphin Island
https://i.imgur.com/PbhAIuz.png
Dauphin Island Bridge Hwy 193
https://i.imgur.com/38J9v8V.png
H. L. Sonny Callahan - Fairhope Airport
https://i.imgur.com/06Wehgz.png
FInal stop today at Klumpp Airport near Fairhope
https://i.imgur.com/yo82tyM.png
Looks like it’s no longer in use, an over grown field while the ‘terminal’ area is used for storing campers and boats (Street view from April 2011)
It says it’s operational (2013 data) and has been around since 1987, private strip
https://www.airport-data.com/airport/AL78/
To Mobile and New Orleans tomorrow, further along the coast.
Leg 305, Fairhope, Alabama via Mississippi to Lafayette, Lousiana,USA
DAY06_22.PLN (9.6 KB)
Mobile, New Orleans and Baton Rouge are on today’s menu. There was a heavy thunderstorm in New Orleans, the constant flashing started wearing on my nerves. Louisiana is the 2nd-most lightning-prone state and it proved it today. (Florida is first where I had plenty lightning as well)
06-22 Klumpp AL78 7:18 AM
06-22 Belforest AL61 7:20 AM Spanish Fort PG Area 30°40’12" 87°53’30"W
06-22 Mobile Downtown KBFM 7:45 AM Mobile PG Area
06-22 Mobile Regl KMOB 7:51 AM
06-22 Skywest Airpark 62AL 7:55 AM
06-22 Helena KHEM 8:02 AM
06-22 Lott Intl KPQL 8:05 AM
06-22 Ocean Springs 5R2 8:15 AM
06-22 Keesler Afb KBIX 8:24 AM
06-22 Gulfport-Biloxi Intl KGPT 8:29 AM Gulfport PG Area 30°21’55"N 89°5’23"W
06-22 Diamondhead 66Y 8:41 AM
06-22 Turkey Bayou Airpark 5MS2 8:52 AM Short, broken ‘runway’
06-22 Birdwin 7LA1 9:16 AM Unclear runway
06-22 South Lafourche KGAO 9:31 AM
06-22 New Orleans NAS JRB/Alvin Callender Field KNBG 9:42 AM New Orleans PG Area
06-22 Armstrong New Orleans Intl KMSY 10:21 AM
06-22 Lakefront KNEW 10:32 AM
06-22 St John The Baptist Parish KAPS 10:49 AM
06-22 Stevens strip 32LS 11:03 AM
06-22 Sheridan’s Strip 44LS 11:06 AM Short strip, trees
06-22 Hammond Mun KHDC 11:08 AM
06-22 Plane Crazy 25LA 11:13 AM Very short
06-22 Rebel Field 0LA9 11:20 AM
06-22 Baton Rouge Metropolitan, Ryan KBTR 11:29 AM Baton Rouge PG Area
06-22 Castille Field LA16 12:11 PM
06-22 Lafayette Rgl KLFT 12:19 PM
Flight time 5:01 25 stops
Departure time, Klumpp airport in the morning, scattered showers on the radar
Dreary morning in Fairhope, Alabama
Spanish Fort on D’Olive Bay and Lake Forest
At Spanish Fort Blvd - Old SPanish Trail
Meaher State Park between the Blakeley River and Apalachee River
Mobile Civic Center (left) and Mobile convention center (on the river)
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
USS Alabama served for 5 years from 1942 to 1947, mainly in the Pacific. Ended up here in 1964.
Landing at Mobile Downtown Airport
Helena Airport in Helena, Mississippi
The road is basically a bridge over the Bayou, built on concrete supports
Landing at Ocean Springs Airport in Gulf Park Estates
Bay Marine Boat Works in Biloxi on the Gulf of Mexico
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi
We can use some of that rain up here!
Gulfport, the second-largest city in Mississippi (after Jackson)
Bit of an odd situation
Not sure what’s going on here, looks alright on Bing maps although the marker was also in the wrong place. Google street view shows parked planes along a worn runway in 2021, it’s there
Enough with the dreary weather, to the sun shine above the clouds
Over Biloxi State Wildlife Management Area
Started my descent over Black Bay
The terrain quality is so so here, but what a spectacle in the sky
Arriving in New Orleans at Bell Crevasse
Most of the docks are sunken, a common problem with PG data
St Louis Cathedral (18th century church) at Jackson Square
At Café Fleur De Lis (below) looking for Bourbon St, not easy in this weather
Found it, Bourbon St at Bienville st, Iberville st ahead
Heart of New Orleans’ French quarter
Mardi Gras aka Fat Tuesday on Bourbon St
Some think Mardi Gras may be linked with the ancient Roman pagan celebrations of spring and fertility such as Saturnalia, which dates back to 133–31 BC, honoring the god of agriculture, Saturn. In Christianity it celebrates the last fatty meal before Lent season. On Bourbon st it’s boobs for beads.
Mercedes-Benz Superdome home to the New Orleans Saints
Before 2011 it was simply known as the Louisiana Superdome, which served as shelter during the 2005 hurricane Katrina that flooded New Orleans. The company I worked for donated a bunch of our street nav systems which helped locate people trapped in their houses. Rescue boats could navigate the streets via GPS to the right house. It was a bit less convenient for helicopters as it kept routing them along the streets, but still helped find the right address while everything was hardly recognizable from the air.
Paddlewheeler Creole Queen at Spanish Plaza
New Orleans Fairgrounds, longtime horse-racing and festival spot
John Ryan Stadium and Metairie Country Club in Shrewsbury
Armstrong New Orleans Intl
https://i.imgur.com/iOyGb2N.png
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, straight across the middle of the lake to Lewisburg
https://i.imgur.com/jq935oB.png
New Orleans Lakefront Airport
https://i.imgur.com/mQzFcpy.png
Breakwater Park and Bucktown Harbor Marina
https://i.imgur.com/PG6yWbT.png
Suburban Canal in Jefferson Parish
https://i.imgur.com/BEXJIVC.png
Elmwood Canal at Metairie
https://i.imgur.com/2iFrTF5.png
Duncan Canal at Kenner
https://i.imgur.com/EFq7CJk.png
A lot of pumping action to keep New Orleans dry
Continuing on, at St John The Baptist Parish
https://i.imgur.com/xgVqR8H.png
I 55 through Owl Bayou
https://i.imgur.com/FKV4SOy.png
Joyce Wildlife Management Area
https://i.imgur.com/OiyOjBw.png
Copart - Baton Rouge (salvaged car auction)
https://i.imgur.com/l5T1W4x.png
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
https://i.imgur.com/ICKayt1.png
I can see my shadow, is it clearing up?
https://i.imgur.com/ZLOCwlk.png
O.K. Allen Bridge in Baton Rouge across the Mississippi River
https://i.imgur.com/rRpqyI5.png
Port of Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana
https://i.imgur.com/ZFuX5Q9.png
Exxon Baton Rouge
https://i.imgur.com/pGRxINN.png
Mid City North, all the things you never see with auto-gen scenery
https://i.imgur.com/fiMJ6QD.png
Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge
https://i.imgur.com/Kt1ww0U.png
Currently the gambling operations are moved from the river boat onto shore, planned to be completed in 2022. Perhaps she will sail once again.
Louisiana State Capitol (constructed 1930-1932)
https://i.imgur.com/5C0UXoJ.png
Laurel St at 3rd St
https://i.imgur.com/N8ce5to.png
Louisiana’s Old State Capitol (completed 1849)
https://i.imgur.com/9NEknmy.png
Horace Wilkinson Bridge at the Port Of Greater Baton Rouge (south side of the city)
https://i.imgur.com/rUn2xPy.png
Iberville Parish
https://i.imgur.com/WUuwFhh.png
Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel
https://i.imgur.com/b2iuyRH.png
Atchatalaya River in the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge
https://i.imgur.com/xmBQaec.png
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is where one of my wife’s favorite shows is made
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoCRTbL5a3M
Bayou La Rose
https://i.imgur.com/uiDkNEl.png
Lafayette Regional Airport in southern Louisiana
https://i.imgur.com/XNln0ca.png
Final stop for today, more scattered showers ahead
https://i.imgur.com/PDf1srF.png
Next leg, I’ll be moseying on down to Texas.
Deleted, merged
Not sure where in Texas you plan to visit, but Austin (including the state capitol and the University of Texas campus) is very well represented in photogrammetry, and I found I was able to land on top of the UT basketball stadium (large circular building with a flat top on the south side of campus) although that’s probably more difficult in a Bonanza compared to the Shock Ultra I was using.
(deleted, posted in the wrong topic)
Leg 306, Lafayette, Lousiana to Austin, Texas, USA
DAY06_23.PLN (8.8 KB)
Houston and Austin have great PG Areas. The weather cooperated as well today, great flight.
06-23 Lafayette Regl KLFT 7:06 AM
06-23 Tee Brad’s 13LS 7:15 AM
06-23 Little Pecan Island 3LA4 7:28 AM
06-23 Nunez LA12 7:32 AM
06-23 Cameron Airstrip 1LS5 7:43 AM
06-23 Texas Menhaden Strip XS76 7:56 AM
06-23 Seafood Warehouse Park XS77 8:13 AM Galveston PG Area 29°19’4"N 94°47’10"W
06-23 Scholes Intl At Galveston KGLS 8:32 AM
06-23 Austinia TS50 8:40 AM Johnson Space Center 29°33’7"N 95°5’52"W
06-23 Ellington KEFD 8:51 AM
06-23 William P Hobby KHOU 8:56 AM Houston PG Area 29°45’29"N 95°21’12"W
06-23 George R Brown Convention Center 29°45’08.9"N 95°21’27.3"W 9:31 AM San Jacinto Monument 29°45’0"N 95°4’51"W
06-23 George Bush Intercontinental KIAH 10:01 AM The Woodlands PG Area 30°9’25"N 95°27’31"W
06-23 Baytown KHPY 10:18 AM
06-23 Ferris 25TA 10:22 AM
06-23 Rogers 9TA3 10:25 AM
06-23 Roeder 49TA 10:27 AM Mind the power lines
06-23 Dunham Field 1XS1 10:31 AM Kingwood PG Area 30°2’32" 95°13’12"W
06-23 Lake Bonanza 33TA 10:53 AM
06-23 Easterwood Field KCLL 11:14 AM
06-23 Texas A And M Flight Test Station 83TX 11:18 AM
06-23 Coffield Regl KRCK 11:28 AM
06-23 Bird’s Nest KEDC 11:39 AM Austin PG Area 30°15’36"N 97°45’0"W
06-23 Austin-Bergstrom Intl KAUS 12:21 PM
Flight time 5:15 23 stops
Lafayette Regional Airport, ready for take off
The sun is up, Lafayette just doesn’t know it yet
Tee Brad’s Airport in Vermilion Parish
White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area
Little Pecan Island in Cameron Parish
Cameron Airstrip, yep still more lightning
Odd dotted rectangular ponds near Smith Oaks Sanctuary in Texas
Galveston on the Galveston Channel, an island city on the Gulf Coast of Texas
1892 Bishop’s Palace and Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
Texas International Terminal
First time I see a ship with that hatches all open, maybe you can land a small helicopter inside
Johnson Space Center where NASA Mission Control Center is located
No PG data here, so a closer look at the good old shuttle
What mission control is looking at
Houston, a large metropolis in Texas, home to just over 7 million people
TDECU Stadium, home of the Houston Cougars, almost finished here
Texas Dow Employees Credit Union Stadium opened on August 29th 2014 replacing the old Robertson Stadium which served the university since 1946, demolished end 2012.
University of Houston-Campus Recreation & Wellness Center
Toyota Center, home to the Houston Rockets, Space Jam!
Hilcorp Energy Company (construction started 2014) - Park First of Texas, LLC (demolished June 2017)
Another look in the past at Lamar and Travis
Downtown Aquarium and Sam Houston Park
Another run through downtown along Lamar St, here at 5th St
Curious why did Houston rename all it’s downtown avenues to streets. Houston Avenue is apparently still used locally although it doesn’t exist anymore (Houston st) and signage still use the old names as well
Not that they dislike Avenues, Dowling street (Confederate officer) was renamed Emancipation Avenue so you have Dowling Street Bar & Lounge, Emancipation Avenue, Houston, TX. And in that area you have Avenues crossing other avenues. I always considered the US naming system very practical, avenues one way, streets perpendicular, North-South / East-West divided from the center lines. Houston messes it all up!
Landed on George R Brown Convention Center, bit bumpy, but do-able
Minute Maid Park, Astros’ home ballpark
Court of Appeals First District, probably once one of the biggest buildings in Houston
Houston Zoo and Pioneer Memorial Obelisk (lower right)
1936 granite obelisk commemorating Houston’s founding men & women & city centennial
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
NRG Stadium formerly Reliant Stadium (opened 2002), home of the Houston Texans and first NFL facility with a retractable roof on the left
And Houston Astrodome, the world’s first multi-purpos domed sports stadium (opened 1965) and originator of the term astro-turf. It also featured the “Astrolite”, which was the first animated scoreboard
King Ranch Texas Kitchen steak house below my plane
Memorial Park, 1500 acres with golf course, running trails and arboretum
Spotts Park at the junction of Waugh Dr and Memorial Dr
Finally landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Still more to see here, Lyondellbasell CVON
Super Mario Odyssey! I mean San Jacinto Museum of History
Hanson Aggregates at Dunham Airport, not a racetrack which I first thought it was
Kingwood nearby Lake Houston
https://i.imgur.com/Twstzxr.png
Austin Materials
https://i.imgur.com/BSXNyAi.png
Around West Fork San Jacinto River
https://i.imgur.com/LGMuFM5.png
Lake Conroe Dam
https://i.imgur.com/0cScXSE.png
Grimes County
https://i.imgur.com/at3JhN2.png
Texas World Speedway at College Station
https://i.imgur.com/t1Um1nx.png
Another one lost to progress (1967-2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyOP2B2kEXo
Cedar Creek winding through Burleson County
https://i.imgur.com/vii8xzO.png
H H Coffield Regional Airport-RCK, better than in the middle of the runway
https://i.imgur.com/STR7uwC.png
Manor Downs. Texas’s oldest pari-mutuel (betting system) horse racetrack, closed 2017
Grateful Dead 9-13-83 at Manor Downs Austin TX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbuDu3OnMr4
Manor Downs today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcJxmqKa_44
University of Texas in Austin
https://i.imgur.com/53C5Uu9.png
Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium, home to the Longhorns football team since 1924
https://i.imgur.com/S9DUBqt.png
All Saints’ Episcopal Church (bottom right) on campus
https://i.imgur.com/THLisd0.png
The bubble, @bwc1976 a bit more landable than the basketball stadium, still too short
https://i.imgur.com/40ZhHa1.png
Touch and go, no way to stop in time
https://i.imgur.com/bfses4v.png
Slowing down below 70 without ground effect results in the plane rolling over since SU3. It’s asier to hit a small target on water with the stabilizing effect. I would need a strong headwind to land on this.
Sid Richardson Hall and LBJ Presidential Library
https://i.imgur.com/Sy4ONfj.png
Texas Capitol, 1888 granite & marble structure with House & Senate chambers
https://i.imgur.com/IKxbrVc.png
A closer look to revive an old meme “This is Sparta”
https://i.imgur.com/0YaWXvL.png
It’s the underground Capitol Annex behind the Capitol building
Congress Avenue Bridge and Buford Tower on Lady Bird Lake
https://i.imgur.com/4i2UWOR.png
Originally built in 1930 as a drill tower for the Austin Fire Department
Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park and 422 at the Lake (open plot, build in 2016)
https://i.imgur.com/ffrFMoS.png
Saying goodbye to Austin from “Greetings From Austin Mural” at W Annie St and S 1st St
https://i.imgur.com/B2lTiT6.png
Last stop today at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
https://i.imgur.com/MylPoKC.png
Next leg. more of Texas, on to San Antonio and beyond.
Deleted, merged