I have to say this is quite the extraordinary thread! The amount of effort and hours that you have put in and the presentation is exceptional: MAJOR kudos to you!
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Leg 51 Zaragoza, Spain via the Pyrenees and the Balearic islands to Algiers, Algeria
DAY10_12.PLN (6.3 KB)
Last leg in Europe, it was a great one. The weather held out for some amazing sights of the Pyrenees.
10-12 Cogullada (Zaragoza) LEZA 4:16 AM
10-12 Monflorite-Alcala LEHC 4:31 AM
10-12 Aerodromo Coscojuela de Sobrarbe LEPG 4:44 AM
Restart, canât find next airport (typo), quit all the way for live weather not to bug out
10-12 Aerodromo Coscojuela de Sobrarbe LEPG 4:56 AM
10-12 Altisurface dâAleu LFSQ 5:43 AM
10-12 La Quillane LFNQ 6:17 AM
10-12 Ampuriabrava LEAP 6:49 AM
10-12 Girona LEGE 7:04 AM
10-12 El Prat, Barcelona LEBL 8:01 AM Catalunya circuit North
10-12 El Prat, Barcelona LEBL 8:48 AM
10-12 Reus (Tarragona) LERS 9:12 AM Human towers Tarraco Arena
10-12 Menorca LEMH 10:28 AM
10-12 Ses Salines (SâOlivo) LESF 10:52 AM
10-12 Ses Salines (SâOlivo) 12:11 PM
10-12 Vilafranca de Bonany-Es cruce LEVO 12:21 PM
10-12 Aerodrom de Binissalem LEBS 12:31 PM
10-12 Palma De Mallorca LEPA 12:53 PM
10-12 Ibiza LEIB 1:30 PM
10-12 Houari Boumediene (Algiers) DAAG 2:32 PM
Flight time 7:58 15 stops
Blue skies, heading straight for the Pyrenees! Passing Congesto de Ventamillo, foothills of the Pyrenees
Passing CastejĂłn de Sos, looking at Posets-Maladeta Natural Park
First mountain, Pic de Vallibierna
Pico Aneto, highest point in the Pyrenees, 11,168 ft
Iâm above Chalet Refugio, the lake is Estany de la Cap de la Val
Artiga de Lin National Park
Looking at Besiiberri Nord
Tuc de MoliĂšres, 9,875 ft high
Vielha down below
Baqueira down in the valley
The mountains behind Baqueira are covered in ski slopes
This one required a go around second approach, beautiful but difficult landing spot
Altisurface dâAleu (LFSQ) just across the border into France
Clouds on the French side adding to the atmosphere, Massif du Montcalm
Pic Carlit 9,583 ft, 12 km from Andorra
La Quillane, ski resort on the French side
Next to skiing you can visit Animal Park Angles in Capcir
Regional Park of the Catalan Pyrenees
Pic du Canigou in the middle far, 9,136 ft, less than 50 km from the Mediterranean
Empuriabrava on the Gulf of Roses, back in Spain
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Barcelona, host of the Summer Olympics in 1992
Palau Sant Jordi (middle) and LluĂs Companys Olympic Stadium on the right
Piscines Bernat Picornell, olympic swimming pool
The eye catching tower is Torre de Comunicacions de MontjuĂŻc, build for broadcasting
Place dâEspanya, Barcelona reminds me of Sim City, so organized
Columbus monument in the middle, to the left AgĂšncia TributĂ ria, tax collectorâs office, eww
BasĂlica de Santa Maria del Pi, 14th century Gothic church on the right
Behind the Cathedral of Barcelona from the 13th century
And the still unfinished La Sagrada Familia, designed by Spanish/Catalan architect Antoni GaudĂ
Construction started in 1882, current estimate for completion is 2026
Furrther down the coast, Tarragona
A bit of a step back with PG data but you can still make out the Tarraco Arena (circular shape)
Terraco Arena is where the human towers (Castell) of Catalonia are build. First documented in 1801, became a competition in the 1980s and declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010
Time to visit the Balearic islands, approaching Menorca with 34 knot winds
Waves at MahĂłn
The little island is Isla del Rey or Isla del Hospital, historic hospital island
Es Pelats on Mallorca next door
Whoops, almost ran off the runway at Ses Salines (SâOlivo) LESF, time for a break
Another short ârunwayâ at Aerodrom de Binissalem LEBS
Sandpit just below Bodegues Castell Miquel
Nice view over Mallorca, pretty mountains here
Embalse Gorg Blau at the foot of Puig Major, highest peak on the island, 4,740 ft
Port de SĂłller with Puig Major in the background
Leaving Mallorca behind, looking at Port dâAndratx
Sunset on the way to Ibiza
Ibiza on Ibiza, night club island of the Mediterranean
Well renowned for itâs party lifestyle
My favorite DJ played in Ibiza as well, Tiesto
First time I saw him play was in the RAI in Amsterdam, 1999 Innercity. Amazing dance festivals
That set was amazing, Iâm in the crowd there somewhere. I have most of his music on CD although I prefer Armin van Buuren for the more recent music.
Tiesto has become quite the celebrity and still going at age 51, Iâm not far behind
Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, October last year
Good way to end my tour of Europe, on to Africa. I landed in Algiers at night, canât wait to see what Iâll find in Africa. Iâm determined to visit all countries.
2 Likes
Leg 52 Algiers, Algeria to Zarzis, Tunesia
DAY10_13.PLN (5.5 KB)
Completely new territory for me and itâs awesome
10-13 Houari Boumediene (Algiers) DAAG 5:28 AM
Streaming issues, switched to off-line mode, restart
10-13 Houari Boumediene (Algiers) DAAG 5:51 AM
10-13 Soummam-Abane Ramdane DAAE 6:35 AM
10-13 Setif Ain Arnat DAAS 6:52 AM
10-13 Mohamed Boudiaf DABC 7:19 AM
10-13 Rabah Bitat DABB 7:46 AM
Restart, Autopilot turned suicidal
10-13 Rabeh Bitat DABB 7:55 AM
10-13 7 November DTKA 8:22 AM
10-13 Sidi Ahmed Air Base DTTB 8:42 AM
10-13 Sidi Ahmed Air Base DTTB 9:34 AM
10-13 Carthage DTTA 9:50 AM
10-13 Hammamet DTNH 10:17 AM
10-13 Habib Bourguiba DTMB 10:28 AM
10-13 Ksar DTTF 11:21 AM
10-13 Nefta DTTZ 11:45 AM
10-13 Gabes DTTG 12:23 PM
10-13 Zarzis DTTJ 12:41 PM
Flight time 5:49 13 stops
Algiers by daylight
Monument of the Martyr, in the middle of the green space above, build in 1982 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Algeriaâs independence (from France I guess, saw a lot of French influences)
The harbor side of Algiers
That big construction site on the far side of the highway is now a Great Mosque, Djamaa el DjazaĂŻr
It opened last year and has the world largest minaret. Looks very futuristic
Passing Sidi Abd Elâ Malek
Tizi Ouzou
Cool mountain landscape
ForĂȘt de Sidi Aissa
BĂ©jaĂŻa on the Mediterranean
Awesome coast line
BarrageIghil Emda
Setif, a bit inland
This stood out, Ain El Fouara Fountain made in 1898 by the French sculptor Francis de Saint-Vidal
Approaching Constantine
A huge city along a deep gorge
Should be high on the list for PG data
I wonder if my plane fits under that lower arch
Annabe, back on the Mediterranean
Home to the Ruines dâHippone, the city used to be called Hippo Regius in Roman times
El Kala
Tabarka, featuring a unique coastline
Les Aiguilles de Tabarka
Tabarka 7 November renamed to TabarkaâAĂŻn Draham International Airport after the 2011 Tunesian revolution. Still named 7 November in the game.
I wonder what that pattern along the beach is, itâs also on google maps. I guess something to slow down erosion for the airport. Itâs only there along the airport.
Sajanan, the weather is changing
The Sejnane Dam, reservoir for drinking water and irrigation
Lake Ichkeul, an important stopping-over point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each year
Tunis, capital of Tunesia
Nearby Stade Olympique de RadĂšs, was build for the 2001 Mediterranean Games
I have to admit I had never heard of the Mediterranean Games before, started 1951 in Egypt
ForĂȘt de Bou Aargoub
Jeradou
Monastir housing Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba
Also home to an 8th century coastal fort, Ribat
Sprawling sand dunes near Majoura while heading inland
Parc National de DghoumĂšs
Amazing geological feature
After a quick stop at Naftahâs desert airport, back over in the other direction
And then I ran out of light on the way to Gabes
Tomorrow on to Libya before turning West towards Morocco along a lower latitude
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Leg 53 Zarzis, Tunesia to Sebha, Libya
DAY10_14.PLN (6.5 KB)
Cool sights and a lot of nothing
10-14 Zarzis DTTJ 5:01 AM
10-14 Madaniyin DT70 5:23 AM Matmata North-West
10-14 Remada DTTD 5:59 AM
10-14 Okba Ibn Nafa HL77 6:26 AM
10-14 Tripoli Intl HLLT 6:54 AM
10-14 Mitiga HLLM 7:04 AM
10-14 Misurata HLMS 7:44 AM
10-14 Nanur HL83 8:03 AM
10-14 Gardabiya HLGD 8:43 AM
10-14 Matratin HL80 9:27 AM
10-14 Ras Lanuf Oil HLNF 9:39 AM
Streaming issues, switched to off-line mode, restart
CTD on startup, try again
10-14 Ras Lanuf Oil HLNF 9:53 AM
10-14 Marsa Brega HLMB 10:21 AM
10-14 Maradah Airport HLMC 10:44 AM
10-14 Zelten HLZT 11:02 AM
10-14 Zelten Sw New Airport HL50 11:19 AM
10-14 Maradah Airport HLMR 11:51 AM
10-14 Sebha HLLS 1:19 PM
Flight time 8:04 16 stops
First up Boughrara which was called Gigthis in Roman times
Ruins of Gigthis
Not too far West from Boughrara is Matmata, home of Tunesiaâs underground Troglodyte houses
They show up as holes in the ground on Bing which unfortunately get turned into cylinders by the AI
This is what they look like
This particular one sure looks familiar
The 1976 Star Wars movie, A new hope, was filmed here!
Moving on, flying past Gattoufa enjoying the desert views
The landscape around Remada is magical, glowing in the sunlight
San dunes come in many forms
Dried up river beds look amazing from above
So much color in the desert
Tripoli, the capital of Libya
Saraya museum in the red castle, features Libyaâs history from pre historic times until 1953
On the South end of Alaluas
Somewhere near Abugrein
The biggest POI in Abugrein is The fuel station of the late Haj Mohammed Eshryr Ghazali and his sons. Itâs a small town.
Itâs getting hard to find places nearby to name my screenshots
Closest place Market of the sons of Makhlouf
Near An Nawfaliyah
Near Mintaqat Wadi Harawah
As Sidr aka Sidra, largest oil depot in Libya, shipping about 447,000 barrels per day
Gave its name to the gulf of Sidra during the cold war
After As Sidr I turned South inland, Ufortunately by leaving the coast I also left the detailed imagery behind. Still very relaxing to fly over but not good material for screenshots. I did make one more when I a bit of detail popped up while the sun was setting
Somewhere close to Maradah
Leg 54, Sebha, Libya to Aoulef, Algeria
DAY10_15.PLN (4.1 KB)
10-15 Sebha HLLS 5:21 AM
10-15 Awbari HLAB 6:23 AM
10-15 Ghat HLGT 7:13 AM
10-15 Tiska DAAJ 7:42 AM
CTD when wheels touched the runway, restart
10-15 Tiska DAAJ 7:49 AM
10-15 Illizi DA10 8:48 AM
10-15 Illizi DA10 10:02 AM
Streaming issues, not receiving any data, server down? Restart
Weird issues, menu screen all messed up, Fly button greyed out, Restart
10-15 Illizi DA10 10:19 AM
10-15 Takhamalt DAAP 10:26 AM
10-15 I-n-Salah Airport (Amguid) DAIA 12:02 PM
10-15 In Salah DAUI 1:13 PM
10-15 Aoulef Airport DAAF --:-- No lights, no synthetic vision
10-15 Aoulef DAAO 1:58 PM No lights, synthetic vision landing
Flight time 6:59 8 stops
Wow, that was a truly amazing flight. From Awbari (HLAB) to I-n Salah (DAIA) Amguid is spectacular scenery wise, changing all the time, never disappointing. It starts off good right from Sebha (HLLS) and builds to an epic finish arriving in Amguid. (After that the detail level goes down but it was starting to get dark anyway)
Be prepared for a lot of screenshotsâŠ
Starting at Sebha today
Which is home to Sebha castle right next to the airport
This was the best available shot. Itâs pretty funny what kind of pictures you find around here for google locations. In this spot someone uploaded a bunch of selfies and pictures of his kids posing in various places around the castle as if he was uploading to facebook (or whatever people use nowadays) So a shot of his car it is.
Leaving Sebha alongside its farms
For now, not much going on yet near Gasr Berruru, the calm sand is pretty
Qasr Bint Bayyah, people living on the edge of the sand ocean
The sand starts to get more wavy near Burik
Near Al Ghurayfah, dried up watershed areas look like negative images
Next door, Qwirat
I didnât see much around Awbari, however there is an Oasis somewhere there
Too small to find without any coordinates
Running out of names on the map I simply title this series Awbari to Ghat
Some vegetation survives in the dry river bed
Mountains and sand, a simple combination producing beautiful vistas
Golden rivers of sand
Crossing the next ridge into a new chapter
Red sand joins the color palette
Getting close to Ghat, some different rock formations showing up
I wonder how long it took erosion to create this landscape
Nearly at Ghat now, just across the next set of ridges
Smooth on one side, crumbling on the other
The prevailing wind direction is written into the landscape
Iâm at Ghat now, close to the Algerian border. The town itself is not much more than a grid of houses
A picture from Ghat at ground level
A closer look at the landscape around Ghat
Reminds me of Death stranding, the film director location
Next part, from Ghat to Tiska Airport next to Eferi, Algeria
Is this even real, what an odd and amazing landscape
Near Eferi
Onwards from Eferi to Illizi
Dunes baking in the sunlight
Grand Canyon move over, this place just keeps on going
A little calmer waters before hitting the next mountainous area
Erosion at its finest
The canyons are starting to deepen at Tassili NâAjjer National Park
Iâm at about 6,000 ft to climb over these
Cruising along, bright sunny day
It doesnât seem to end and never gets boring
Some greenery, there must still be some water underneath the sand
Hereâs a picture from ground level at Tassili NâAjjer National Park
Reality always trumps virtual reality, thatâs real?
Another shot, wind erosion carved an elephant
Back to the virtual world, looking splendid as well. On the way to Amguid
The colors are slowly changing, darkening
Time to put some red into the mix
Now Iâm getting into some real sand dunes
Like the bottom of the ocean near the beach
Approaching this view gave me shivers
Like a giant wave coming at you
Past the sand dunes the mountains come back out
The distances involved are mind boggling, Iâm covering about 1,000 miles of terrain today
They seem to be enjoying the spectacle
The epic finish to Anguid, deepest canyon yet
Amguid is down below, you can barely make it out in the top right
This is where I came from, perfect spot for the Black Gate of Mordor!
And Amguid? Mysterious place, almost no info
There are some ruins and wall carvings nearby
Just one picture
Arriving in Amguid was the height of the trip, now the landscape starts winding down. There are still plenty epic sights on the way to In Salah
The terrain flattens out and Iâm also descending back down
The sun is starting to get lower as well, itâs been a long flight
Night time will be approaching quickly now
In Salah on the N1, trans Sahara highway going North South
Since the landscape wound down I decided to fly on to Aoulef to start there tomorrow
You can still see the airport beacon from In Salah, following the N52 west
I had to divert from my first choice to land (DAAF), no lights and no data in synthetic vision. Luckily DAAO is nearby and although also no lights it does have the runway in the G1000. Landing FS 4.0 style
Sitting on the runway, it is really dark here at night.
Epic, epic flight. That was amazing.
Leg 55, Aoulef to Bou Sfer, Ain El Turk, Algeria
DAY10_16.PLN (5.5 KB)
10-16 Aoulef DAAO 5:15 AM
10-16 Reggane DAAN 5:40 AM
10-16 Touat Cheikh Sidi Mohamed Belkebir DAUA 6:12 AM
10-16 Adrar DAAR 6:28 AM
10-16 Timimoun DAUT 6:57 AM
10-16 I-n-Salah (KRECHBA, Ghardaia) DAIS 7:44 AM
10-16 El Golea (El Menia) DAUE 8:29 AM
10-16 El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh DA12 9:51 AM
10-16 Mecheria DAAY 10:31 AM
10-16 Mecheria DAAY 11:55 AM
10-16 Saida DA15 12:33 PM
10-16 Ghriss DAOV 12:42 PM
10-16 Tafaraoui DAOL 1:03 PM
10-16 Es Senia DAOO 1:09 PM
10-16 Bou Sfer DAOE 1:20 PM
FLight time 6:41 13 stops
A pretty calm flight back up to the Mediterranean coast after yesterdayâs epic tour of the desert. Not all desert is captured equally, lot of low definition flying today compared to yesterday, much easier on the screenshots.
Arriving in Reggane, low detail area. There isnât much here anyway
Itâs still pretty from the ground
A couple golden sand rivers popped up on the way to Adrar
Scattered farms feeding Adrar
Those black circles are probably green, under exposure of the aerial images next to the bright sand
Adrar, dusty town in the middle of nowhere
Martyrs public place in Adrar
Oasis near Adrar where the original settlement was
Aougrout along the road to Timimoun
Timimoun, also not much to see on the low detail maps
Between Ghardia and El Menia this was about the most exciting view
Some features start showing up on approach to El Menia
A little bit of detail around El Menia, good for a picture
Then followed a long long stretch of low definition desert. Closer to El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh details started appearing again. Strange landscape
Looking back at El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh over the two ridges
I wonder what this is
Water flows out of there, but why. Is it merely a giant natural rain collector or is there a spring feeding it
A bit further on the way to Mecheria
Crossing the ridges, each revealing a slightly different type of terrain
Another ridge in opposite directions
A RL view from the Atlas mountains near Mecheria
Some kind of festival in Mecheria
Not much to see past Mecheria, Saida
I went looking for this deep canyon near Tafraoui
I found the spot, but it was just a smooth hill
Arriving back at the coast, Oran, known as the birthplace of Rai folk music. Never heard of it.
Yet thatâs why Iâm on this tour
One more picture, Fort Santa Cruz overlooking Oran
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Leg 56, Bou Sfer, Ein El Turk, Algeria to Sidi Bou Othmane, Morocco
DAY10_17.PLN (7.7 KB)
Exploring Morocco, unfortunately mostly low res detail
10-17 Bou Sfer DAOE 5:00 AM
10-17 Zenate-Messali El Hadj DAON 5:22 AM
10-17 Angads GMFO 5:36 AM
10-17 El Aroui GMMW 5:59 AM
10-17 Melilla GEML 6:10 AM
10-17 Cherif El Idrissi GMTA 6:31 AM
10-17 Ouezzane GMFA 7:10 AM
10-17 Saniat Râmel GMTN 7:35 AM
10-17 Ibn Batouta (Tangier) GMTT 7:52 AM
10-17 Ibn Batouta (Tangier) GMTT 8:27 AM
10-17 Tourisme GMMY 9:01 AM
10-17 Sale GMME 9:08 AM
10-17 Sidi Slimane GMSL 9:24 AM
10-17 Saiss GMFF 9:48 AM
10-17 Taza GMFZ 10:16 AM
10-17 Ifrane GMFI 10:51 AM
bad performance, Restart
10-17 Ifrane GMFI 10:58 AM
10-17 Beni Mellal GMMD 11:39 AM
10-17 Khouribga GMKH 12:04 PM
10-17 Benslimane GMMB 12:26 PM
10-17 Anfa (Casblanca) GMMC 12:42 PM
10-17 Mohamed V GMMN 12:49 PM
10-17 Sidi Bou Othmane Airport GMSI 1:20 PM
FLight time 7:38 20 stops
Back on the Mediterranean coast, Nador cradling a salt lagoon named Mar Chica
View from the beach
Mellila, this city apparently belongs to Spain
Melilla is one of two permanently inhabited Spanish cities in mainland Africa, the other being nearby Ceuta. (Which is directly South of Gibraltar, which belongs to the UKâŠ)
Melilla la Vieja, 16th-17th century fort
Ouezzane well known in the Islamic world as a spiritual capital, pilgrimage destination
TetuĂĄn also known as the white dove, white plastered buildings with many narrow old streets
Tangier on the straight of Gibraltar, Spain on the horizon
Stade Ibn Batoua, huge soccer stadium at the bottom
Tangier as seen from the coast
Cape Spartel, home to the caves of Hercules
As well as this Arabic style lighthouse, Phare Cap Spartel, looking out over the Atlantic
Heading back inland to explore the Atlas mountains, the land âdries upâ from Dowar Wlad Jrire
Taza between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains
A view from Taza
The Atlas mountains are not very detailed. A view here from Beni Mellal
Ain Asserdoun castle overlooking the city
Crossing the Oum Er-Rbia River at Oulad Ghanem
Then I wondered what this was, itâs Sidi Shannan Phosphate Mine
I was bound to run into one, Morocco holds 75% of the worldâs phosphate reserves
Back on the coast, Casablanca
That tower sticking out behind my tail is the minaret from the Hassan II mosque
210m high minaret with a laser pointing to Mecca. The science nerd in me says, wait a minute, it should be angled into the ground to point at Mecca from Casablanca. That would be a bit of a liability issue of course, so itâs pointing slightly up to the East.
Hereâs looking at you kid, Humpfrey Bogart, Casablanca 1942
Which has nothing to do with the city Casablanca, not filmed in Morocco nor based on the city
Heading South back inland, passing Kenidlat, Barrage Al Massira on the Oum Er-Rbia River
I wonder what is written on the hill there
Last stop for today, Sidi Bou Othmane Airport
Which is actually Ben Guerir Air Base, 14 miles North of Sidi Bou Othmane
Tomorrow Iâll start with a little detour to the West, Jebel Ighoud, where the oldest known remains of Homo Sapiens have been found.
Epic post, Epic journey. Loved reading it from start to finish. Thank you for taking the time.
Josh
1 Like
Leg 57, Sidi Bou Othmane, Morocco dipping back into Algeria to Lanzarote, Canary Islands
DAY10_18.PLN (5.2 KB)
10-18 Sidi Bou Othmane Airport GMSI 5:15 AM Jebel Irhoud about 53nm West, homo sapiens 315K years ago, 31.8801304,-8.8722705
10-18 Menara (Marakech) GMMX 5:57 AM
10-18 Ouarzazate GMMZ 6:55 AM
10-18 Agdz GMAB 7:29 AM
10-18 Zagora GMZA 7:51 AM
10-18 Mhamid (Fort Lofti) GMMG 8:40 AM
10-18 Tinfouchy DA13 9:22 AM
10-18 Tata GMTB 10:28 AM
10-18 Tindouf DAOF 11:13 AM
10-18 Al Mahbes Airstrip DATI 11:39 AM
10-18 Plage Blanche (Tantan) GMAT 12:43 PM
10-18 Tarfaya TFY 1:26 PM
10-18 Lanzarote GCRR 2:03 PM
Flight time 8:48 12 stops
I got back into the high detail band which I suspected would go on horizontally, hence I planned a bit of a detour back into Algeria for some more high detail desert landscapes. It was amazing! So much variation in desert landscapes.
First something truly amazing, Jebel Irhoud just North of Tlet Ighoud
Just an ordinary hill with some scratches on it, in reality an archeological dig site where the oldest known human remains have been found, dated back around 315 thousand years.
The first remains were found in the 60s, orginally thought to be off Neanderthals but later classified as Homo Sapiens. Additional exploration was done in the 90âs and since 2004. Google is more up to date with recent excavations.
However for such an important site, I could only find one picture!
This is what we might have looked like some 20 thousand generations ago
Onwards to Marakech
Jemaa el-Fna, landmark square in Marakech, happening place
Heading back into the Atlas mountains at Taourirte Ourika, much more detailed at this Latitude
Following the Ourika river, passing Asgaour
Oued Zat river joining in
I had to make an extra loop to climb high enough to get over the pass,
Flying over Tawalte on the other side
Agouim on a rather dry looking river (canât find the name)
Following the river further to the East, a corridor of life, passing Tiourjdal
Amerzgane, closest place to this odd looking bowl
Ouarzazate, water is life
I now see there is a huge solar array just north of Ouarzazate, it wasnât in the game (not on Bing)
Centrale Solaire Noor 3 Ouarzazate (solar tower) the sheer scale is mind boggling
Ground level view of the worldâs largest concentrated solar power plant (510 MW)
Construction began in 2013, the solar tower came online in 2019
Tifoultoute Kasbah, hilltop fortress from the 17th and 18th century looking out onto the solar tower
Passing Ait Saoun, water is getting sparse
Crossing over another boundary at Al Fouggara, the landscape is a huge layer cake
Follpwing the Oued Draa over Ait Rahou (I guess Oued means river)
Running out of place names again, between Agdz and Zagora
Closer to Zagora
Zaouia De Sidi Elmokhtar Ben Ali, back along the river Draa
Closest place to here Oasis Amouger Camping, tree of life
Crossing the border into Algeria
Just a bit into Algeria I ran into this mysterious place
A long road to ruins? No info, itâs at 29.9919041, -4.9982142, called ŰȘۧۚÙۚۧÙŰ© on Bing. However that leads to somewhere else. It does look like there is something there on Bing, less like ruins.
No clue, moving on to Fort Lofti, military base in Algeria. On the way there
Not much to see at Fort Lofti, onwards to Tinfouchy, along the way
Between Tinfouchy and Tata
I wonder what these straight lines are
Bing has much more detailed data here, the crossing is at 28.981227, -6.784295 looks like tire tracks, thatâs some straight driving. There are a lot of these tracks etched into the landscape
Nisanian Pentagram near the bottom
This looks better on Google yet no info on it
Another shot of the river Draa
That ridge along the right side of the river is the border, Iâm back in Morocco
Tata not far from the border
Heading to Tindouf next, back into Algeria
Ripples caused by tectonic plates running into each other? Looks unreal
This landscape is mesmerizing
I just passed river Draa again, the border ridge from the Algerian side
Oued El Maa âflowingâ through Algeria
Tindouf is home to Saharawi refugee camps
The Aiun refugee camps are huge, larger than Tindouf itself
They have been there since 1975 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces during the western Sahara war (Still disputed territory)
Population numbers are disputed as well, ranging from 50,000 to 165,000
A refugee city in the desert
Back into Morocco, I think Iâm crossing a pipeline linking drill sites?
On the way to Tantan at 27.629667, -9.5046001
The landscape doesnât let up yet
And then it switches to low detail a bit before reaching Tantan
Good old friend by now, river Draa finally reaches the Atlantic ocean a bit North of Tantan
River Chbika at Ben Khlil
Unfortunately the game looks like FSX along the coast
Tarfaya where La Casa Del Mar is sitting in the surf, build during the British ocupation in 1882
On the right Assalama ferry wreck, 2km South from Tarfaya, ran aground in 2008
It is on Bing, as well as the coast. Iâm sure I was connected. Actually it said there was a connection problem and then âsuccessfully connectedâ a few seconds later while flying along the coast. Perhaps letting the game run for 8 hours consecutively was too long.
I reloaded the area just now to check, looks the same still, not matching the detail on Bing maps. The game really needs an indication whether its streaming data or not. Itâs hard to tell with how variable the data quality is and coastlines donât look very good in general.
And finally arrival in Lanzarote
Iâll be exploring the Canary islands tomorrow
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Thanks for the kind words. Itâs not my first rodeo
I went into RP mode while exploring the galaxy because tbh, it became very repetitive. I see I have just passed my previous continuous âstintâ from Elite Dangerous where I ran out of steam on day 56. (Finished it half a year later)
No signs of slowing down here yet, Earth keeps surprising me every single day. Iâve always been interested in all the BBC Earth documentaries, this trip puts it all into perspective. So much history, culture, landscapes now tied to where it all is located on our planet.
I recently flew North from Abu Simbel to Cairo in Egypt (my RTW started in South Africa and has taken me up the East coast of Africa) and was struck by the amazing desert colours and textures - which, of course, can only really be appreciated fully from the air. Your shots from Algeria surpassed what I saw in Egypt, so Iâve made a mental note to give that area some time - some really amazing landscapes on your flights.
During leg 54 my jaw was pretty much on the floor most of the flight. I did not expect that kind of scenery. Iâll get to Egypt in a couple weeks. Iâm slowly making my way down Africa in wide horizontal bands, currently flying towards Western Sahara from the Canary islands. Then East as far as Chad, carriage return, back West all the way to Cape Verde. Africa is huge.
The mainland is starting to come in sight, I wonder what detail level this part will be. I guess I could check on Bing but that would spoil the surprise!
I got a feel for the scale of Africa just from my initial flights round the coast and how far it was until I was out of South Africa. Itâs taken quite a while to get as far as Egypt (though I did make side trips to Madagascar and Zanzibar).
Leg 58, Lanzarote, Canary islands via Western Sahara to Bir Moghrein, Mauritania
DAY10_19.PLN (5.1 KB)
A loop around the Canary islands then back into Africa
10-19 Lanzarote GCRR 5:14 AM
10-19 Fuerteventura GCFV 5:48 AM
10-19 Los Rodeos GCXO 6:47 AM
10-19 La Palma GCLA 7:33 AM
10-19 Hierro GCHI 8:21 AM
10-19 La Gomera GCGM 8:50 AM
10-19 Reina Sofia GCTS 9:19 AM
10-19 El Berriel GCLB 10:01 AM
10-19 Gran Canaria GCLP 10:09 AM
10-19 Hassan I (Laayoune) GMML 11:04 AM
10-19 Smara GMMA 11:44 AM
10-19 Tifariti Airstrip GSSM 12:15 PM
10-19 Bir Moghrein GQPT 12:50 PM
Flight time 7:56 12 stops
Costa Teguise, hotels and swimming pools. I wonder how theyâre doing this year
Ărzola on the Northern edge of the island Lanzarote
Los Volcanes natural park
The colors in real life
Timanfaya national park (next to Los Volcanes)
Montaña Cardón on Fuerteventura
Costa Calma South West end of Fuerteventura
JandĂa Natural Park, looking down to the tip of the island
Looking back in the other direction, Playa de Cofete on the left side
The real deal, black rocks and a sandy beach
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, featuring buildings from the 1700s
And also some very new ones, Auditorio de Tenerife AdĂĄn MartĂn
Looking back towards Santa Cruz while climbing towards Mount Teide
Mount Teide sitting in its giant caldera
At 12,198 ft high, the highest point in Spain, quite a climb
Looking back at Tenerife while flying to La Palma
Santa Cruz de la Palma, there are at least 42 cities named Santa Cruz in the world
Roque de los Muchachos, great name for a rocky mountain peak
At a bit under 8,000 ft, great place for observatories
Caldera de Taburiente
A peak in the valley below, Barranco de las Angustias
South from La Palma is El Hierro, Pico de Malpaso sticking out the clouds
Coming in for a landing on La Gomera, North-East of El Hierro
Garajonay national park right in the middle of the circular island
The ancient laurel forest down below matches the weather
San SebastiĂĄn de la Gomera on a flat spot
Mirador de Tajeda, or lookout point at Tajeda, next to Rural del Nublo Park on Gran Canaria
Barranco de Siberio
A view from Pico de las Nieves in the center of Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Looking out over Plaza de Santa Ana from the 16th century Las Palmas Cathedral
August 2020 picture, empty plazaâŠ
After the lush Canary islands, back to Africa. Laayoune in the disputed territory of Western Sahara
On approach to Samara the desert views start to become mesmerizing again
The sun is getting low already, time flies
From Samara to Tifariti
Sunset in the desert
The views keep on coming despite the sun moving on across the Atlantic
Tifariti is just North of the border with Mauritania, in the liberated territories or buffer zone according to Morocco. I barely made it down by the last remaining light, not much to see.
Onwards to Bir Moghrein, Mauritania. The desert by dusk
Great star gazing in the desert
Landing by synthetic vision, just a narrow dark landing strip
Great flight. Tomorrow Iâll be visiting the eye of the Sahara.
These are all some great flight plans with some very exciting screenshots. Iâm trying to find some more contributors to help populate World Tour Flights and I think this would be great for sharing on there. Would you mind sharing some of these flight plans on the site? https://worldtour.flights
Iâve been thinking about adding some there (I have the site sitting open in a tab) just need to find some time to sort it out and cut off the âconnectorâ flights from my flight plans. Between flying, editing screenshots, reconstructing flight plans (I make them afterwards), updating this thread and planning the next leg, Iâm amazed I still have time to eat 
Itâs all great fun and today I had a bit of a break, 600 miles of empty desert, so nice haha!
Leg 59, Bir Moghrein, Mauritania via Western Sahara to Niafunke, Mali
DAY10_20.PLN (3.4 KB)
10-20 Bir Moghrein GQPT 5:13 AM
10-20 Gueltat Zemmour GMGU 6:02 AM
10-20 Dakhla GMMH 7:06 AM
10-20 Tazadit GQPZ 8:31 AM
10-20 Atar GQPA 9:26 AM
10-20 Chinguetti CGT 9:53 AM Full tank Climb to 18K ft Eye of Sahara North-East, 580 nm to next stop
10-20 Niafunke GANF 2:30 PM Landed in drone view with high exposure
Only 6 stops today, not many airports in the desert! The last leg was about 4 hours of empty desert. Relaxing and some time for measurements.
Approaching Guelta Zemmur after crossing a lot of empty desert
A bit of elevation in the terrain and the spectacle is there again
Guelta Zemmur just a small village in the Moroccan administered part of Western Sahara
The guelta, meaning oasis, was a camp site for the Sahrawi nomads of the area for hundreds of years
On approach to Dakhla, the Atlantic ocean on the left
Dakhla, in the distance, in the middle of this long peninsula
Dakhla is a popular kite surfing destination with many resorts and kite surfing schools
After a lot more empty desert, approaching Tazadit
Cross your tâs and dot your iâs, it looks like something is written there
Tazadit also known as Zouérat
It lies next to a huge iron ore mine, Guelb el Rhein
No depth data for the pits in MSFS, this is what it looks like
Flying on to Atar, the colors of the desert
Approaching Atar
It almost looks like patches of silver lying on the ground
Atar at the base of the Adrar Plateau
Approaching the Adrar Plateau
Itâs quite a step up, new ground level incoming
On top the Adrar plateau
A quick stop at Chinguetti, a medieval trading center near the eye of the Sahara
Pictures of the old center
After Chinguetti I set a course North-East at a steep climb, for the first time seeing the desert from higher up. The Adrar plateau at 6,000 ft
Oudane at the bottom right with the eye of the Sahara already in sight
Oudane old quarter
The town was a staging post in the trans-Saharan trade and for caravans transporting slabs of salt from the mines at Idjil.
Getting closer to the eye at 16k ft altitude
17k ft, enough to still fit it in frame
From straight above with wide angle lens at 17.5K ft up
One more looking back while slowly descending to 15K ft
Cruising at 15K ft altitude, nothing but empty desert ahead
I did some measurements while descending 1,000 ft at a time to figure out the cruise speed at max throttle and propeller
My heading 131 to Niafunke
15k ft IAS 113 TAS 142 GS 145 Wind North (359) 5 knots
14k ft IAS 117 TAS 145 GS 148 Wind North (352) 4 knots
13k ft IAS 121 TAS 147 GS 150 Wind North (351) 3 knots
12k ft IAS 124 TAS 149 GS 150 Wind North (005) 2 knots
11k ft IAS 127 TAS 151 GS 152 Wind No Data
10k ft IAS 130 TAS 152 GS 151 Wind North (019) 2 knots
09K ft IAS 133 TAS 153 GS 155 Wind North (302) 2 knots
08K ft IAS 136 TAS 154 GS 156 Wind North (287) 1 knot
07K ft IAS 138 TAS 155 GS 157 Wind North (340) 1 knot
06K ft IAS 142 TAS 157 GS 158 Wind North (005) 3 knots
Quite a bit short of the 176 listed TKAS cruise speed. To climb to 18K ft IAS has to drop to 100 knots.
600 miles of empty desert, the sun starts to set
The landing at Niafunke was a challenge. It was very dark, dirt strip no lights and no data in the G1000 to use virtual vision to land. I didnât have time (and running low on fuel) to divert to another airport which might be the same anyway. Thus a new approach, landing in drone view with the exposure cranked up enough to make out the runway. It is tricky, switching between plane and drone controls to keep the camera pointing in the right direction, but it worked. Soft touchdown, all safe.
My plane is the green light at the bottom.
The eye of the Sahara / Guelb er RichĂąt / Richat Structure was amazing. Definitely worth a visit.
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Leg 60, Niafunke, Mali to Agadez, Niger
DAY10_21.PLN (3.1 KB)
More desert, really there is a lot of it
10-21 Niafunke GANF 5:10 AM
10-21 Goundam GAGM 5:27 AM
10-21 Tombouctou GATB 5:46 AM
10-21 Kidal GAKL 7:40 AM
10-21 In Guezzam DATG 9:23 AM
10-21 Arlit DRZL 10:07 AM
10-21 Manu Dayak (Agadez) DRZA 10:59 AM
Flight time 5:49, 5 stops
There are not many airports in the desert, long flights.
First up, Tombouctou aka Timbuktu
Home of the Djinguereber Mosque, build from earth (banco) mixed with straw in 1327
Regular maintenance keeps it looking great, scaffolding is build into the design
Following the river Niger passing Bamba down there on the left
Itâs not supposed to be this full, I guess they had heavy rains up stream
Kidal at the end of the road RN18
More desert views between Kidal and In Guezzam
Soothing colors, very relaxing
It goes on and on and on
Plenty time to add the good parts of earlier flights to https://worldtour.flights/
In Guezzam, brief hop into Algeria on the border with Niger
Niger is 10 miles left of the airport
View down below
There are pictures of the streets flooding, though not often, it can rain pretty hard here
Into Niger, on the way to Arlit
Arlit is a big industrial town next to a huge Uranium mine (Arlit Mine) It looks kinda ugly in FS 2020, a mess on google as well. Ugly mine, so a nice colorful picture of the surroundings instead
However this is what keeps the lights on if your country uses Nuclear power
Continuing on towards Agadez
Better detail here, the awesome landscape is back
AĂŻr Mountains on the horizon
So much color in the desert
One more before reaching Agadez
Agadez on the rather dry river Teloua
Another town made with banco, mud bricks
As well as the 16th century Grande MosquĂ©e dâAgadez
Tomorrow back North a bit, into the AĂŻr Mountains
Leg 61, Agadez, Niger to Ati, Chad
DAY10_22.PLN (3.5 KB)
More deserts, mountains and some really weird landscape
10-22 Manu Dayak (Agadez) DRZA 4:28 AM
10-22 Iferouane DRZI 5:26 AM
10-22 Dirkou DRZD 7:18 AM
10-22 Nguigmi DRNG 8:37 AM Oddly nothing there on Google
10-22 Nguigmi DRNG 9:58 AM
10-22 NâGuigmi DRZN 10:38 AM
10-22 Berim FTTL 11:27 AM
10-22 Hassan Djamous FTTJ 12:07 PM
10-22 Ati FTTI 1:35 PM Syntethic vision landing
Flight time 7:46, 7 stops
Setting out towards the AĂŻr Mountains
Iferouane, picture taken from the bugged airport on a runway shaped hill sticking out the terrain
Into the AĂŻr Mountains
Climbing up through one of the valleys
On the other side, more desert!
Looking back at AĂŻr Mountains from the Eastern side
And out onto the vast sand planes, itâs a long way until the next airport
The sand hasnât buried everything yet
Here it has, not even halfway to Dirkou
Iâm guessing this is the âroadâ to Dirkou, lot of tracks on the ground
Dirkou in Eastern Niger
There is not a lot of info on this town, but it does have a picture of a pink sandstorm!
Traveling on towards Nguigmi
Thatâs it, all of Nguigmi
It must be newish, there is nothing there on Google. On Bing it looks like a brand new compound.
Flying from Nguigmi to NâGuigmi
NâGuigmi on the shore of lake Chad before the lake retreated
The lake retreating explains the bizarre landscape that follows next
But first, a view from the ground in NâGuigmi
No bridges to go under, stack it up!
Onwards to Berim, flying over the bottom of lake Chad
Lake Chad is a terminal basin (endorheic basin) meaning water only flows in, evaporates out
The lake varies in size over the centuries as rainfall patterns shift over time
Lake Chad shrunk by as much as 95% since 1963 but is currently growing again
People live on these âislandsâ yet the place seem to have no name
This is at 13°57â50.3"N 13°41â45.5"E, lot of tracks going and leaving, no name or other info available
Iâm moving further way from the center, drier land
Koulgouma ⊠maybe. No info other than âislandâ. Chad is a mysterious place
Berim also had no info, just a single 4 star rating on Google. Place not found on Bing (unnamed)
Flying on from Berim to NâDjamena, back to the wetter parts of the old shore
Green here
One minute later
Arrival in NâDjama the capital of Chad
That colorful part near the bottom right is Place de la Nation
NâDjama is a huge city, with very little info again
The national museum does have quite a few pictures for impressions of Chad and this cool new statue
Onwards to Ati while the sun sets behind me
Oi, keep your eyes on the road driver lady
Peaceful at night, the light fades fast at this latitude
Ati, another mystery with hardly any info. I found this picture for the only POI a market
And a couple random videos only adding to the mystery
Tomorrow, a bit further East than heading for greener pastures in Central African Republic
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Leg 62, Ati, Chad through Central African Republic to Doba oilfield, Chad
DAY10_23.PLN (4.1 KB)
Iâm leaving the desert behind for a while. South to greener pastures and back West to explore the next section of Western Africa.
10-23 Ati FTTI 4:31 AM
10-23 Oum Hadjer OUM 5:06 AM
10-23 Goz-Beida FTTG 6:01 AM
10-23 Birao FEFI 6:59 AM
10-23 Birao FEBI 7:31 AM
10-23 Gordil FEGL 7:52 AM
10-23 Nâdele FEFN 8:35 AM
CTD shortly after departure, restart
10-23 NâDele FEFN 8:47 AM
10-23 Kabo FEKA 9:43 AM
10-23 Batangafo FEGF 9:58 AM
10-23 Doba Airport FTDB 10:47 AM
Flight time 6:04 9 stops
I flew around Central African Republic today and ended back in Chad. Central African Republic is even more mysterious, hardly any info or pictures on google maps. Undestandable since itâs one of the 10 poorest countries in the world and still plagued by civil war.
From the air it looks quite lovely. First Oum Hadjer on the Batha river, still in Chad
The pictures online show a lot more green, I guess this was from the dry season
Following the Batha river, patches of green along the dried up river
Passing Kotro down below
Kouroukoul, no info on this town
Gaz-Beida a little further, about 70km West from the border with Sudan
However Iâm going South, Sudan will have to wait. Otw to Birao
This is (one of the places called) Birao, the town in the distance
Only this sad fact available: In March 2007, the town was almost completely burnt down in the fighting between rebels and government troops in the area. On to Birao airport, which is actually near Tiroungoulou.
Passing by Reserve de Faune de la Ouandja Vakaga, savannah
Itâs getting greener, Parc National st Floris
Gordil, that is an airport down there, the green dot is my plane. Also zero info.
NâDĂ©lĂ©, a market town (in the distance) in the North-East of the country
Looks nice
Bamingui-Bangoran Parker, national park and biosphere reserve
Reserve de Faune du Gribingui Bamingui
They do have a lot of nature reserves in Central African Republic
Coming in for a landing at Kabo, I love these kind of airstrips
Batangafo on the Ouham river, signs of agriculture
The info for this town: There is an airport in Batangafo. Thx.
Following the Ouham river for a bit
Straight road to Koldega, back in Chad
Doba, my final landing spot for today, has no info either. The airport is next to Doba oilfield and a town called Dildo. Itâs also referred to as Dildo airport. There is no further info.
Iâll be passing by the capital of Central African Republic on my next lower (altitude) pass through Africa, for now Iâm heading back West all the way to Cape Verde.