Saturday flight: EasyJet A320 from Malta (LMML) to Stockholm-Arlanda (ESSA)
Distance: 1466 nm
Flight time: 3:35 Hours
10 Likes
I did something stupid today. Started my lakes tour in the Beaver off with a trip to Big Bear Lake. MSA to get there 8,500 ft. Struggled to get significantly over 7,000 ft. No cruise today. Just climbing close to stall speed. 
Scenery:
I think I should have switched the current default scenery of winter to summer. 
e
9 Likes
SADISTS AMONG US - Tiger Moth Short Field (NO BRAKES ON THIS THING?)
Two weeks ago I learned some folks were finishing up a tour of Ireland. Ireland - cool. The announcement said “Aircraft: Tiger Moth”, “Low and Slow”, and “IMPORTANT: In the interest of keeping it REAL, please refrain from selecting inappropriate aircraft, like airliners.”
I didn’t know what a Tiger Moth was, and have been very committed over the years to the LongEZ. In the last year I added the ICON A5 and the Cabri G2 helicopter to the planes I fly. I researched the Tiger Moth to see which of my airplanes would best match the Tiger Moth speeds. I chose the ICON A5 and stayed well back of the pack with my fiberglass, electric start “toy plane” to not impede on the realism of a pack of 1940’s tail draggin’ bi-planes.
The group leader @CinnamonInk8010 persistently suggested I give the Tiger Moth a chance, but having learned the Tiger Moth was a tail-dragger I just did not think it was in my future until he announced aTiger Moth adventure to Scotland. By some family accounts my surname hails from Lanark Scotland, and I did visit a few places in Scotland forty years ago.
Not wanting to stick out again, I made the rash decision to buy one of the 800 or so still flying Tiger Moths. So with two days till show time, I needed to learn how to fly a tail-draggin’ bucket of rust. Knowing that visibility in tail-draggers is a bit of an issue, I decided to learn to fly the old thing with my new VR setup (itself a mess that doesn’t always start when asked).
Here is my Tiger Moth:
After reading the POH, and configuring my controls with a few extra assignments, I started up in VR and practiced the taxi out to the runway. Taking off went well, the turn to crosswind at 500 AGL went fine, and the turn to downwind at pattern altitude went ok, but I realized I was using VFR landmarks that I would not have when flying with the group to unfamiliar airports. I tried to figure out how to read the huge compass in front of me, and decided I needed some 2023 pocket technology.
My approach went well, final no problem, but rollout was a little weird when the tail finally dropped and the taxiway turnout line appeared as always half way down the runway. Forgetting the thing does not have brakes, I instinctively pressed my brakes button which resulted in a face plant and nightmare inducing MSFS enhanced crash. One nice thing about only flying planes I know inside and out, is the rarity of heart stopping events in the sim.
I restarted MSFS, but my VR wasn’t happy. After rebooting and re-launching the VR setup, I made a few more circuits and began to feel ok (not comfortable, just ok) with my crazy plan to fly the Scotland event in VR with the Tiger Moth.
The event notes included a hint of further intrigue “the runway is only 1229 ft … So, our [final Landing Full Stop] is low and slow over the water.” I decided to try my new found tail draggin’ bucket at the Glensanda Scotland airport.
Note map showing Scotland
Takeoff is down hill, down that short runway, down to the water - down, down, down and I need to wait for the nose to pitch down (tail comes up off the skid) and then change from going down to going up. I juiced the throttle with the chocks in place, then pushed my button to pull the chocks and headed down the hill straight for the water.
The rotate speed is supposedly 50 but I was actually off the ground a long time before that so gently pitched up gingerly to keep gaining speed and change the sight picture from water to sky.
Once up and pointed back at the short dirt runway, I kept the speed at the approach speed listed in the POH for short field and started praying. The water was like glass so I couldn’t get a good height reference, but I kept the nose pointed at the start of the sort-of runway. VR makes runways blurry so I was trying to judge my descent and speed and yelling “CinnamonInk8010 You xxxx”.
I bounced a little and headed up the hill, but the airspeed indicator didn’t seem to be going down fast enough and there were trees growing bigger and bigger. I decided now was the time to induce an intentional tailspin and redoubled my prayin’ I wouldn’t tip. Oh my goodness, who put a building there where I need to be…
It ended well, so I made three more practice runs at that planned nightmare… after my heart stopped pounding out of my chest.
UPDATE: It appears the plane does have brakes and I simply need to keep the stick aft after touchdown.
8 Likes
Today, after being grounded for a week, I flew over the wonderful waters off Cancun (Mexico), based at the Women Island Airport (MMIM).
Looking for a thermal.
Climbing.
Simply wonderful!
It must be really beautiful in real life!
Flight path. Tried to find some other thermals, but they were not much powerful this day. It was enough for a calm 57 minutes flight over this beauty, with heavy use of air brakes to get down.
Used Madolo’s JS3 sailplane.
5 Likes
Check out the Tiger Moth Tutorial flight on my Discord under Tutorials for more help flying the plane. After a few legs you’ll love it. It’s an aquired taste.
2 Likes
Early morning flight, Cascade Locks-Stehekin, airstrip 6S9.
I followed Columbia River passing over Pasco, Wenatchee and once over Chelan, turned left following Lake Chelan till the end, where the airstrip is located
11 Likes
Took the Trislander from Oslo (ENGM) to Stockholm Arlanda (ESSA) with the new Orbx/Jetstream Designs scenary!
9 Likes
Just came back from LPPR to EGKK yesterday, so was up early at 5am this Morning to recreate the Flight, LPPR Gate 11 to EGKK Gate 102, Fenix A320 (not good at taking pics on my sim Flights, and not totally accurate we flew A321 back). Then decided to Order a new Rig.
5 Likes
At first I tried WB-Sim C172 with floats for the first time. It seems the plane survived my water landing, but I think didn’t have correct attitude. I was too slow with attitude for landing on main gear. Well, I have to research on how to do it correctly.
Then I did next leg of Balkan bush trip in WB-Sim C172 with real weather. Well, weather was beautiful, a bit windy.
LGAK 
LGSO
Next time last 2 legs to Santorini.
10 Likes
Yesterday I spent the morning in New Zealand and did 2 flights,
first flight was from Christchurch (CHC) - Wellington (WLG)
second flight was from Wellington (WLG) - Auckland (AKL)
both flight’s were on a320neo
6 Likes
KSEA (Seattle) to KNKX (USMC Air Station) with the Antonov 225.
Unfortunately I just pick some photos with my phone.
Parking near the Air Force One
6 Likes
Nothing yet. The second i turn it on, i will be sucked in for hours. Given that it is Father’s Day, I’m spending time with my kids. The SECOND they decide to play the Switch tho…, ima continue my flights. I flew from Fallon nv (home) to Catalina island and am planning on airport skipping as far south as I can over the next few weeks. There is a virtual drug lord in Colombia who needs me to fly a bunch of bricks of byte-blow into the states!
4 Likes
Airport hopping with the Flyboy Rans S6S, Bakersfield CA and vicinity.
Here’s me going after another successful touch and go.
Double rainbow across almost all of the sky. What does it mean?
Of course I had to fly right into that rain and set up camp, because camping in the rain is sweet.
12 Likes
Houari Boumediene (DAAG) to Tunis–Carthage (DTTA) in the HondaJet:
I did not have luck with watsim, the only controller I had contact with was DAAG tower everyone else logged off before I could talk to them. Had a nice companion though, as a CJ4 flew the same route at the same time. Full video later here:
11 Likes