Thanks so much, this answers my question! It makes sense that the auxiliary tank is in the floats because I noticed the auxiliary tank would drain when I drew directly from it AND when I set the fuel transfer to float.
Loving this plane so much!! It’s up there with my Big Radials goose. Beautiful planes!
After a 3-week sojourn in Singapore, its time to get back in the air! Today is Leg 32 of my world flight, from the harbor at Changi Bay to the harbor at Jakarta.
Here we are gingerly making our way down the slipway into the harbor:
With an onshore wind, takeoff was a breeze!:
Turning towards the heading for our first waypoint - Dabo (WIDS):
Following the island chain south of Singapore:
Passing Dabo (WIDS):
Landfall by Tanjung Pasir Beach. Sorta smoggy today:
Lining up to land in the harbor - we’re heading for that gap between the palm trees in the distance:
The source of the smog appears to be those smokestacks on the right:
Touchdown:
Moored by the Regatta Apartment Towers:
[MSFS 2024 v1.6.7.0, BijanStudio Seasons Enhanced 2024 v3.1.1, live weather (historical)]
Leg 33 has us departing from Jakarta Bay on a cloudy morning…:
and travelling at 10,000 ft down the spine of Java, passing numerous volcanoes along the way. This is Mt Ciremai:
Mt Sundoro:
Mt Sumbing:
Mts Merbabu and Merapi:
Skirting Mt Lawu:
Before preparing to land as Iswahyudi (WARI):
Keep slightly higher than the PAPI lights indicate to avoid the small stream across the runway:
It’s not deep, but best to avoid it anyway:
[MSFS 2024 v1.6.11.0, BijanStudio Seasons Enhanced 2024 v3.1.1, live weather]
After a 3-week break, I’m ready for another leg of the trip (#34).
Departing Iswahyudi, we continue down the spine of Java, passing Gunung Begadung at 10,000 ft:
Then it’s onto Gunung Bromo, that many visitors climb before dawn for the views of the sunrise:
We cross the coast of Java at Muncar:
and head to the island of Bali. There are plenty of options for a water landing by the international airport:
but we’ll keep going another 60 NM to the island of Lombok:
Our destination is Waduk Batujai, just north of Lombok Intl. (WADL):
It’s a big lake - landing in the middle will save some taxiing time:
Moored on the south shore of the lake. It looks like you could lower the gear and taxi onto the shore, but it might be too muddy. You might even make it to the end of runway 13, seen in the distance:
This post is epic .. wonder where the pilot has gone though .. last post was Oct 2025
Still cannot figure why little livery work has been done by the creators on flightsim.to
True, but I’m flying many other aircraft on my round-the-world flight. I’m currently in the middle of the Pacific, which you can read about here. I may return to the Albatross for the legs up the east coast of South America.
Glad to see you make an appearance here in the post, pilot.
Six months later…
I’ve flown across Australia, crossed the Tasman sea, visited New Zealand, flown across the Pacific and South America from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, and am now back in the Grumman G111 ready for a flight across the Rio de la Plata to Capitan Curbelo (SULS).
Here we are in the small bay by Punta Carrasco. There is some coastal fog this morning, but it should clear up as we head east. Across the Avenida Costanera Rafael Obligado is at Jorge Newbery Aeroparque (SABE):
Not a lot to see along the way as we fly over the Rio de la Plata, except some ships on their way to the terminals at the port at Recoleta:
Landfall on the far side at Punta Yeguas. Montevideo is in the distance:
Sightseeing along the shoreline of the city:
Starting our descent at Playa Grande for a landing in Laguna del Sauce:
Piriapolis and Cerro del Tambo:
We’re going to land in the lagoon by Capitan Curbelo (SULS). Checking the view on the downwind leg just before turning to base:
There’s a jetty by the heliport (SUKS0) where I was planning to dock. In MSFS 2024, it is rendered as a spit of land, so I dropped the landing gear and slithered up onto land (the Grumman is amphibious, so I guess “slithered” is the correct technical term to use here… 
)
The helipad makes a good place to park. Hopefully no helipilots will mind…
[MSFS 2024 v1.7.22.0, custom weather]
The next leg, the following morning, took us from Capitan Curbelo (SULS) to Rio Grande (SJRG). The coastal fog is quite light today:
Leaving Laguna del Sauce whilst climbing to a cruise altitude of 7,500 ft for this 228 NM leg:
Crossing Laguna Merin:
Aproaching Rio Grande. Lagoa Verde is right below us, with the industrail area of Tamandare on the spit of land ahead:
We’re going to land from the east, so in this pic I’m starting the downwind leg across the bay. I’ll turn to base on the far side and then descend to land in the bay perpendicular to BR-392 that you can see out the window leading to the city on the far side of the channel that separates Tamandare from Santa Tereza:
Touchdown!
Taxiing into the harbor:
There’s a small park right off Rua Borges de Medeiros where one can haul out and park. Why here? Well, there are three restaurants within a couple of blocks, and where I can call a taxi to take me to the Hotel Laghetto Rio Grande located in the city center.
[MSFS 2024 v1.7.22.0, live weather]
Today’s flight takes us from Rio Grande (SJRG) to Salgado Filho (SBPA). Here we are, heading north, with a fine view of the city of Rio Grande out the window:
It’s a short 43 minute flight to travel the 134 NM to Porto Alegre:
Here we are over Barra do Ribeiro on the shores of the Gualba river, starting our descent:
Flying along the northern shore of the river, with Porto Alegre in the distance:
This will be an almost straight-in approach. We’re aiming for that gap ahead that separates the Ilha da Pintada from Porto Alegre, where we’ll make a small turn to the right to head into the wind and and land parallel to the shoreline by the historic center of the city:
There is a convenient spot by the Terminal Hidroviario de Porto Alerge where one can park for the night. In real life I suspect this area is a wharf, so one would have to anchor in the river. There are a couple of hotels (Hotel Scala and the Loft Center) right across the Avenida Maua, as well as the Mercado metro station should one need to travel further. I think I’ll try the food at the Espaco Herbalife on Rua Urugual tonight… 
[MSFS 2024 v1.7.24.0, live weather]
Our next leg takes us from Salgado Filho (SBPA) to Hercilio Luz (SBFL).
Taking off to the Northwest, with the city behind us:
Following the coastal range north:
Brings us to the mountains overlooking Baia Sui, where we start our descent:
Since the wind is from the north, we’ll head down the center of the bay, past Hercilio Luz airport built on the flats on the right:
and use the two bridges that bridge the channel between the north and south bays as a guide, landing just before them:
Unfortunately, one cannot taxi under the procedural bridge that connects San Jose to Florianoplois - it will cause your aircraft to jump up to bridge level, then topple over the other side back into the water.
It took a bit of work to recover and make my way back to the jetty by the Ponte Herclio Luz, a rather well-modelled POI, which you can taxi under:
where I moored for the night. There is a rather nice Japanese rooftop sushi restaurant (Noami Sushi) in the building at the top of the embankment across the highway from the jetty.
[MSFS 2024 v1.7.24.0, live weather]
Cannot figure out why nobody has made liveries for this plane… You know, something with authentic USN, USCG, or USAF markings… Great shots, as usual…
@DanRoman56 There are quite a few now actually. A great USCG livery and several others have been available for some time, and JanKees has produced many beautiful new liveries just in the past two weeks.
They’re all available on flightsim.to
Cheers.
not much for 2020
@DanRoman56
You could respond to this post:
6 liveries for 2020, so far
USAF, USN, and USCG?
And… we’re off on our next leg of our world tour, north along the coast of Brazil.
Taxiing out for take-off from the jetty by Ponte Herclio Luz:
Starting our climb, as Florianopolis recedes into the distance:
As we progress north, the weather starts to deteriorate:
At the Paranagua waypoint (SSPG), I drop down to 3,000 ft to try to stay below the clouds:
Which works… for a time. Here, we are passing the Rio Ribeira de Iguape:
By the time I reach my destination at Santos (SBST), visibility has dropped to near zero. Gingerly descending over Baia de Santos at -100 ft/min, I finally spot water when almost upon it!:
Now I just have to figure out where I am. Ah-Ha! A buoy! This must be the ship channel that leads to the Estuario de Santos and Porto Ponta da Praia. Let’s follow the buoys!
Is that land ahead? I’m not sure. I think I’ll land at this point & taxi in the rest of the way:
The mouth of the estuary appears from out of the mist:
Safely moored by the jetty at the entrance to the estuary. In real life this is used by a number of taxi boats, including one that crosses to the other side at Rua Isaudo Martins.
[MSFS 2024 v1.7.24.0, live weather, historical]
Another day, another flight. This time we’re heading to Rio
It’s another foggy morning at Santos. I picked the wrong pier to spawn in at from the world map:
No wind, so it was safe to take off from within the estuary. These are the cranes at the Tecon Santos container terminal:
By the time I reached cruising altitude, the view was picture-postcard pretty:
It didn’t last, though - more fog as I approached Rio:
I made my approach from the ocean. Here, we are off Ponta do Arpoador, about to turn into the bay:
Sugarloaf mountain, peaking through the fog, with Copacabana beach on the left:
Landing in the bay. Santos Dumont (SBRJ) is behind the naval school - those buildings along the shore:
Taxiing past the naval school on the Iiha de Villegagon. There is a small jetty on the far side of the island where I plan to tie up…
…Except its already occupied! Never mind, I’ll moor by this 'ere dinghy, which I’m sure the owners won’t mind me using to get to shore. I really don’t want to have to 
[MSFS 2024 v1.7.24.0, live weather, historical]
