MSFS Cannonball Run Challenge (KJFK to KLAX in a GA plane for charity) [Prize from Microsoft]

[nOksX]

What makes you think Emon’s the only one flying manual ?

[SwoopGB]

He’s the only one flying that slow.

[nOksX]

misdirection

[N6722C]

Suggestion: To make it a more even playing field for different planes with different cruise speeds.

Corrected Total time = (Fight time * 100) / POH Cruise Speed(@5000ft)

An easy Handicap correction to make at the end of the race to their Flight Times.

[nOksX]

Everyone thinks flying manual is super hard for this trip.
But what many don’t realize is you don’t have to fly it manual all the way.
You just need to pick the right time / conditions to fly manual to give you enough of a lead.
When your low on energy and tired do it auto by all means.
But flying it auto all the way means you just don’t stand a chance with someone who chose to fly manual for say 3h (provided he flew it right), and then switched to AP.

I will be mixing it up. Keeping an eye on everyone and switch to the big guns at the right time (aka Pitts)

Why am I telling this ? Coz I want everyone to know about these possibilities, then it’s a fair race once it’s all in the open. More importantly make it part of your planning / training runs.

[BVG951]

PC probably crashes cos of all those mods you got in your community folder.

[KurtVWSims]

@nOksX

I now have 3 monitors setup so I can constantly keep an eye on the elevation profile,

FWIW, LittleNavMap (and other similar proggies) will run happily on a second machine using simconnect. I run my nav utilities on my laptop alongside, so that they aren’t using sim resources from my big computer.

[homestead100]

I’ve been prepping for weeks now only to see they had the registration requirements much further outside the Challenge details. Would have been nice to know this.

[stw222]

its been talked about multiple times in this forum

[SeedyL3205]

@homestead100

I’ve been prepping for weeks now only to see they had the registration requirements much further outside the Challenge details. Would have been nice to know this.

Registration opened on November 29. I announced at that time that registration would be closed one week before the race (December 19). I mentioned this in post #2 of this thread where I linked the registration form. This isn’t new information.

[MyNameJEFF9448]

@Patrick7022968

just found out the deadline for registration was an actual thing. oh well, i’m gonna do my own version that hopefully won’t take as long but will be equally as painful while cheering on everyone else in their own streams. my prize? probably beers along the way. lol

Love this attitude!!
I hope anyone who missed registration still ends up tagging along for their own bragging rights and glory. There’s a lot of sky to cover from coast to coast and the more the merrier in my opinion.

[MyNameJEFF9448]

@nOksX

Everyone thinks flying manual is super hard for this trip.
But what many don’t realize is you don’t have to fly it manual all the way.
You just need to pick the right time / conditions to fly manual to give you enough of a lead.
When your low on energy and tired do it auto by all means.
But flying it auto all the way means you just don’t stand a chance with someone who chose to fly manual for say 3h (provided he flew it right), and then switched to AP.

I will be mixing it up. Keeping an eye on everyone and switch to the big guns at the right time (aka Pitts)

Why am I telling this ? Coz I want everyone to know about these possibilities, then it’s a fair race once it’s all in the open. More importantly make it part of your planning / training runs.

OK. I know you’ve clearly been putting in a TON of work on this challenge, and I have quite enjoyed following your comments along the way and do appreciate you sharing all this info with us to “level the playing field”
But I need some clarification on this one and I’d like @SeedyL3205 to clarify here too if needed…

This particular nugget of wisdom, sounds to me, like you are talking about changing aircraft… (perhaps multiple times)

@SeedyL3205

Rules

1. Full realism settings in MSFS must be enabled. In the Options Menu, “Piloting” must be set to “Hard” with the exception of “Take-off Auto Rudder” which can be on or off depending on your preference. “Aircraft Systems” and “Failure & Damage” must be set to “Hard”. All “Navigation Aids” must be turned off with the exception of “Taxi Ribbon” which can be on or off depending on your preference.
   1a. The procedure for refueling is as follows: land at any airport and come to a complete stop. You can then re-fill your fuel tanks using the in-game menu along the top of the screen. You must wait a minimum of 10 minutes before taking off again for the next leg of your flight. During this 10 minute wait, you are permitted to taxi and reposition your plane, but you must remain on the ground and not exceed 50 knots.
2. Live Weather must be turned on for the entire duration of the flight.
3. Everyone will take off from KJFK simultaneously at exactly 1300Z on December 26.
4. Pilots are free to plot their own individual flight plans from KJFK to KLAX. Waypoints and cruising altitudes are at each pilot’s discretion.
5. Pilots can choose any of the default aircraft included in the Standard, Premium, or Premium Deluxe versions of MSFS (no custom add-on aircraft allowed) but you may only fly single piston engine GA planes. No airliners, jets, turboprops, or multi-engine aircraft are allowed.
   5a. Additionally, the following single-engine planes are not permitted: Beechcraft Bonanza, Cirrus SR22, and Extra 330LT. These planes have a higher cruising speed and/or range than the others, and it’s more fun if there’s a variety of aircraft types in the competition.
   5b. All planes must be flown stock from Asobo/Microsoft. No custom liveries or flight model enhancements are permitted.
6. Enabling the autopilot is allowed and, in fact, is encouraged. Please take bathroom breaks and periodically get up to stretch.
7. Successfully landing at any airport creates a “save point”. If you crash (either virtually in the sim or your computer crashes), you may “respawn” and continue the Cannonball Run from your last “save point”. Your elapsed time does not reset, however.
   7a. You can create a “save point” by performing a quick touch-and-go landing at any airport. You may not refuel during a touch-and-go, however. Refueling is only permitted if you wait on the ground for 10 minutes per Rule 1a.
8. There are two divisions for this challenge:
   8a. The Rodgers Division (named for Calbraith Rodgers, the first aviator to fly coast-to-coast across the United States) is for pilots attempting the Cannonball Run Challenge solo.
   8b. The Kelly & Macready Division (named for Oakley Kelly and John Macready, the first aviators to fly coast-to-coast across the United States non-stop) is for pilots attempting the Cannonball Run Challenge in groups of two. Co-pilots in the K&M Division must physically share the same PC.
   8c. The prize of the Thrustmaster Pendular Rudder system will be awarded to one person or team irrespective of division. The winner will be selected randomly from all pilots who successfully finished the run. Finishing with a higher rank will result in a greater probability of winning compared to someone else who finished with a lower rank.
9. All pilots must track their flight using https://simair.io . This is to validate everyone’s time, flight path, and refueling.

Rule 5 is the most relevant, but doesn’t mention changing or not changing aircraft. Can I get some clarification on this please?

[TheFlightSimGuy]

I knew of the deadline and still missed it. Doing ATC for the razor run until 07:30am didn’t help. I literally slept all of the 19th.

Not blaming anyone but me though. I tend to leave things till the last minute. My cardio doctor tells me it’s not a good idea.

[SeedyL3205]

@CavemanCentaur

OK. I know you’ve clearly been putting in a TON of work on this challenge, and I have quite enjoyed following your comments along the way and do appreciate you sharing all this info with us to “level the playing field”
But I need some clarification on this one and I’d like @SeedyL3205 to clarify here too if needed…

This particular nugget of wisdom, sounds to me, like you are talking about changing aircraft… (perhaps multiple times)

Rule 5 is the most relevant, but doesn’t mention changing or not changing aircraft. Can I get some clarification on this please?

Correct, you are not permitted to change aircraft. You have to fly the same plane the entire way. I thought this was obvious, but I guess not. I’ll amend the OP to make this explicitly clear.

[SeedyL3205]

Added Rule 5c to the OP:

5c. You are not permitted to switch planes partway through the run. You must fly the same aircraft type for the entire duration of the race.

[stw222]

since i plan to stream my run, im working on a google doc that includes links to every piece of software im using or have used for the run so the creators get credit. the link to the doc will go below my stream.
anyone doing something similar?

[Winterband1]

I only figured out how to stream like yesterday. I may record a stream just for documentation, but it will be nothing more than staring at the inside of my cockpit at 520p for ~20 hours

Edit: I meant 480p

[MyNameJEFF9448]

@ScottS87

One of the main rules is regarding refueling stops…10 mins. Have that stopwatch ready…I start mine as soon as I exit the runway.

Be careful with that stop watch…
Pretty sure it has to say “parked” or at least “stopped” on simair for your 10 minutes to start…

@SeedyL3205

1a. The procedure for refueling is as follows: land at any airport and come to a complete stop. You can then re-fill your fuel tanks using the in-game menu along the top of the screen. You must wait a minimum of 10 minutes before taking off again for the next leg of your flight. During this 10 minute wait, you are permitted to taxi and reposition your plane, but you must remain on the ground and not exceed 50 knots.

Wouldn’t want to see anyone finish just to get disqualified for misunderstanding when they could start their stopwatch.

Personally I’m being generous with my 10 mins and hoping that the extra minute or so per stop doesn’t hurt my twenty some odd hour finishing time.

[SeedyL3205]

@CavemanCentaur

Wouldn’t want to see anyone finish just to get disqualified for misunderstanding when they could start their stopwatch.

Personally I’m being generous with my 10 mins and hoping that the extra minute or so per stop doesn’t hurt my twenty some odd hour finishing time.

As the race official, I’m choosing to be lenient with how harshly I enforce the rules. If someone takes off 10 seconds too soon because they started their stopwatch slightly before they came to a complete stop, that doesn’t warrant a disqualification. I will penalize more egregious violations of the 10 minute pitstop rule, though, like if someone takes off five minutes too soon.

[N6722C]

Are Microsoft the one ones offering a Prize for this event ?

What about all the 3rd party developers ? surely a donated product would be appropriate, and a good PR move as well …

If I were a 3rd party developer, I would consider offering on of my products to EVERYONE that completed the event … they are surely Dedicated simmers, and may buy more of my products, if they already have been given one to wet their appetite.

Looks like a major Marketing “Miss Out” for them