Sub Sonex jx2 from KISP to KMTP
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KMTP to Albany NY in the sub sonex jx2
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I haven’t posted in a few weeks, since last year I believe. It looks like I missed quite a bit!
Having recently bitten the bullet at the Store, I have yet to regret purchasing the Microsoft/ATSimulations An-2. What a beauty, far better than any other MS/Asobo Legend I own. I also picked up the Aero Ae-45 on sale, but that’s another story for later 
I flew my first cross-country flight with CCCP-23816 today, from my favorite Duxford to nearby Rayne Hill Farm (EG83), one of Vortex_SD’s brilliant scenery packages available at flightsim.to. 816 is an Antonov An-2V on wheels that plied the skies around Tyumen on the Khazak border some 1,000 miles east of Moscow from 1958 to 1970. Ivan750’s beautiful textures, portraying 816 as she appeared with a fresh coat of paint in 1969, is available at flightsim.to.
Here’s 816 waiting to depart from the grass stands at Duxford. Designed for agricultural and forestry work, the An-2 looks to be 40% airplane and 60% corn harvester!
With 816’s Wright 1820…er, I mean Shvetsov ASh-62 warmed up, I’m ready to depart Duxford’s turf Runway 24R. I was tired of dreary winter flying and overcast skies, so I selected a Summer day and chose a weather theme with mostly clear skies for this flight.
Cruising at 2,500 feet (760 meters on the An-2’s metric altimeter) with the market town of Saffron Walden in the near distance. The area around the town, named for the species of crocus once grown there, has been continuously occupied since the 22nd Century BC. The largest turf maze in England is located in the town common, the light green area below and left of 23816’s main landing gear.
Here I’m approaching the abandoned RAF Wethersfield, approximately 11 nautical miles southeast of Duxford and five miles north of Rayne Hill Farm. Seeking to avoid transiting Standsted’s Class C airspace and the Class D at Andrewsfield, my route took me further east that a straight line, and Wethersfield provided an obvious landmark in the otherwise nondescript Essex farmland. Having hosted USAAF Havocs and RAF Stirlings during World War 2 and USAF F-84s and F-100s during the Cold War, Wethersfield was made redundant in 1990. Since then, the site has been used by first responders for training, and more recently, as a temporary home for refugees seeking asylum in the UK.
Here’s 816 chugging along west of Rayne Hill Farm. The 2,200 foot airstrip runs roughly east to west between two fields of low crops, with twin hangars and a shack to the north. The wind favored landing to the west, so I maneuvered to the south downwind leg before turning base and final over the Springtree Industrial park and Braintree Sport and Health Club (the industrial buildings and football pitch visible beyond the airfield).
The AN-2 requires as much cool down as warmup!
Vector_SD is extremely adept at placing people in their scenery, usually in lifelike vignettes near the flightline. It seems three generations of ladies are enjoying the late morning sun while 23816 quietly rests behind.
Just a glamour shot of a young girl and her golden retriever admiring the sturdy, industrial lines of the world’s largest single-engine biplane. What “Annushka” lacks in beauty she more than compensates for with incredible utility, reliability, and ruggedness. What more could you want from a trusty farm implement? 
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Flew the Longitude from Munchen (EDDM) to Budapest (LHBP):
There was some pretty huge crosswind on arrival, was 40kn at 3000’ and it did not go below 20 at landing, I tried to crab like the big guys, bud I couldn’t manage to straighten out properly just before touchdown, so I ended up running off the runway. Good thing this is a sim…
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So, I redid the Guadeloupe to Sint Maarten flight, with a different livery to make it somewhat interesting. I messed up the RNAV approach the first time as the descent started way too late, so this time I went down earlier and was able to do things right. Still, it was tricky to catch those people on the beach, so I didn’t try. Another time, eh?
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/roleplay on
I appreciated the coffee when I sat down in my seat of the A320. I chuckled to myself as I remember grumbling when Alaska Airlines brought in an A320 fleet due to its acquisition of Virgin Airlines. Some pilots were eager to fly the A320, like young bucks ecstatic over a new sports car purchase. I, on the other hand, shrugged. The 737-800 has been good to me. Wasn’t looking forward to simulator time and learning new things.
With about 40 hours of real flight time in the A320, I now was like the young pilots. I loved the bird. I felt inputting in the flight plan and such was more difficult than my old school 737, but once done, the plane flew itself.
A gorgeous morning in Anchorage, and from the weather report looked like a good day in Seattle, our destination. Started the A320 up and she purred like a kitten. Not a busy day in Anchorage, so an easy take-off. Decided to fly her by hand to the first waypoint just to get a better feel of the side yoke. Didn’t scare any passengers before I hit the auto pilot. Pulled out the front tray; a small, but absolutely amazing feature to the A320, and continued with my coffee and made small talk with the co-pilot, a young wide eyed woman originally from Boise, and enjoyed the views.
Reached downtown Seattle and felt a ping of pride. My home city. Grew up in Tacoma, Washington about 30 minutes south, attended the University of Washington in Seattle, then flight school locally. Now, at 52 years old, here I am, doing a job I love, and seeing breathtaking views of home. Not bad for a poor black kid raised by a single mother. I made it.
Some low level clouds near approach, but alas, the A320 autoland feature makes this a breeze. Many of my colleagues want to land manually. Not me. Technology is here to make our lives easier, and the Autoland does that. Moreover, since I have so few hours in the A320, I prefer auto land until I get used to the fly by wire features. What’s the hurry?
30 feet. Thrusters back down, speed breaks up, and use the rudder controls on the stick. Perfect landing.
Can’t believe I get paid to do this. Not that busy at KSEA. Crew and passengers safe. Mission accomplished.
Already thinking about dinner in my Lake Washington view home in Seattle, which is just 15 minutes away from the airport. Tomorrow a leg to Vegas, and then some much needed vacay.
I drive home in the truck, look out my patio, and smile. I got a good life.
/roleplay off
Had a little fun with some fiction. I do live in Seattle though, near walking distance to the Renton airport that is south of me. Real picture from my patio. Not a real pilot of course, just a simmer. I’m a boring attorney lol who pretends to be a pilot. 
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Sub sonex jx2 from Albany NY to KMSS NY (A airport I have not really known about)
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KMSS to Buffalo Niagara airport in the sub sonex jx2
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Flew the Embraer 110 from Buffalo to Perry Warsaw NY was the wrong choice of aircraft because I need a B1900D because I need something small regional with a really good de ice system
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EDNY → LIPN thought it should have be a very short flight approx 150 nm … forgot about the alps to climb over till the FL280 thanks to the both PT6A-60A of the King air that allow me a fast climb ! the descent to 4000 feet was so long 
and increased a lot my initial plan, anyway it was a brief one hour flight !
climb wasn’t a problem at all
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Home is a Paris heliport in the rain.
Acid rain, judging by the state of the building behind the heliport.
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One my first heliports, so many years ago in this sim.
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The sim looks
Honestly so pumped up for MSFS 2024…
Ps. was flying from Zurich to Liverpool via Birmingham…using weather presets not live weather:)
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Took the PC-21 from Philadelphia(KPHL) 09L to Boston(KBOS) 33L, live weather, FSLTL ai traffic.
Beautiful weather today.
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Took the ol NX Cub out for a Hayward Executive → Tracy VFR jaunt. He always looks so happy going for walkies! 
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Took the Connie out for a turn to Norman Wells. Crashed after landing because I forgot how overpowering the reverse pitch is lol.
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COWS DA42 from Desert Center to Ocotillo L90, with new scenery from Bazillio.
Here we are screaming over the Salton Sea.
Final approach at Ocotillo.
I slid the time back to morning, and the lighting was just beautiful enough to hop into the Winjeel and take a spin from Ocotillo to Banning.
The Winjeel makes a nice contrast to the 42, and she doesn’t mind if you decide to loop, roll, cuban 8, or any of that. Trimmed for cruise is also good.
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