Citation X Update, City Update Italy, so why not try Reggio Calabria (LICR) to Genova (LIMJ):
Refreshing myself on why career was so frustrating and how the small bugs won’t stop. Oh well. What do ya do other than repair you landing gear when you get nailed for a hard landing and are still 1000’ AGL. Destination Telluride was a nice option. Anybody else missing buildings in Kelowna BC? I guess has anyone even been there?
Took the new Heinkel he70 local legend aircraft out on my Ohio tour
Fayette CO (I23) to Monroe Co (4G5) to Nobel co airport (I10) to Cambridge Municipal (KCDI) to Barnesville- Bradfield (6G5)
One leg of my world tour I didn’t have a chance to post yesterday morning. This one was from Surat (VASU) to Mumbai (VABB).
Leaving Surat.
Flying out over the Arabian Sea.
Weather decided to brighten up briefly…
However I was soon going to have to pass through the weather system ahead.
Great visibility just as I needed to descend.
It did clear just in time.
Landed safely at Mumbai, although I took my eye off when taxiing to watch a take off! 
Another leg of the tour this morning (approaching afternoon in Mumbai), as we went from the extremely busy Mumbai (VABB) to Ratnagiri (VARG).
Leaving a stormy Mumbai, thunder rumbling in the distance and a few flashes of lightening which I didn’t manage to catch unfortunately.
Flying straight over the city of Mumbai. I wish it had been clearer to get a better view but the weather did add something to it I guess.
Plenty of boats!
Flying over Murud, with the Murud Janira Fort below. A fort since being built in the 15th century has remained unconquerable despite many attempts.
Flying over Bankot, the first home of the British Raj.
Coming in to land at Ratnagiri.
Landed at a much quieter Ratnagiri, and I’m glad to see that the weather has improved!
Next up we continue south, along with Western coast of India. Really enjoying flying through this country, the weather, the history. I did feel like a bit of a sight seeing tour guide at times on this flight, all part of the fun!
It’s the default C172 Classic (MSFS2024).
I was called over to see the local aircraft engineer. A guy called Steve, a Brit ex pat and ex RAF engineer. He was stationed in Belize and kind of never left.
He is a one man band type operation, just about managing to make a living on the airfield.
He had a cursory inspection of the aircraft and indicated there was no evidence of prop strike or undercarriage damage. What had happened was when I spun the aircraft round at the end of the runoff, the bead on the nosewheel tyre momentarily broke seal with the rim and let out most of the pressure.
If it was a tubed type, it probably would not have happened. Because it happened on the grass there was fortunately no damage to the rim either when the bead rolled off or during my subsequent taxi of shame back to the parking ramp.
Great, pump it up and I will be on my way. Err no. Because I taxied it back with it essentially flat, there could be internal damage to the sidewalls. New tyre required and because the tyre needed ordering in from the US, he wanted payment in advance.
So the invoice…
1x Goodyear 15 x 6 tubeless aircraft tyre. $248.99
1x sealing ring for the wheel halves $22.64
1x Valve $10.98.
Labour. $120.
Nitrogen and disposal fee. $10.
Import and local taxes at 16% $66.01
Total. $478.62.
Tyre will arrive by 10am tomorrow, so I am stuck here overnight. More expense and now behind schedule. I will have to bear the extra expenses myself. A big chunk of change from my fee.
It has been an expensive day and an expensive and embarrasing lesson.
Short hop from Frankfurt down to Innsbruck today; it’s always fun when the Alps get involved though. Joined the valley from the east & dropping down into it brings you flying over the town just before touchdown. Weather was cloudy over Frankfurt, but clearing all way down & was sunny when approaching Innsbruck (the clouds looked good over Frankfurt, with none of the odd cirrrus wavy-spaghetti lines to be seen 
..& the Marshaller was enjoying herself too much & didn’t want to put the orange sticks down when I’d stopped & turned off 
Stuck in Belize for 24 hours, I decided to rent a comanche 250 from the local aero club for a couple of hours, just to do a bit of sightseeing.
A 10 minute check ride from the CFI and I was on my way. Belize really is a lovely place.
Walking out for my check ride..
Looks far far better in VR than the pics show.
The runway that gave me so much heartache yesterday. No problem in the Comanche, but very little turbulence today either.
At this point yesterday, I was probably still doing around 20 kts. To avoid going for a swim, full left rudder and full left brake swung her around smartly on the grass and rolled the nose wheel tyre bead off the rim.
Safely back on the ramp at Belize City Municipal, aircraft secured and off for a beer in town. I hear the city centre can get quite rowdy, so it will be just my luck to get beaten up. I hear the beer is relatively inexpensive, so all is good.
Ohio tour today in the Heinkel HE 70 Blitz
Barnesville Bradfield (6G5) to Jefferson County airpark (2G2) to Carroll Co-Tolson (KTSO) to cleaver (KPHD)
Change of plan. My watch said it was 5pm local and therefore completely acceptable to enjoy a beer in a local bar, without appearing to be a Brit tourist or alcoholic.
I walked into the bar, ordered up my Corona with slice of lime and settled in the corner to enjoy my beverage. The only people in there were a group of maybe ten people, all wearing Brazilian football shirts, and all sat in front of a large screen TV.
I guess there was a big footie match going on somewhere. Dunno if they were locals or Brit ex pats because English is the official language in Belize. Did not bother to join them as football to me is like watching paint dry.
My sporting poison involves two wheels and an engine.
I squeezed out my lime into the neck of the bottle and pushed the carcass down into the beer before taking a healthy chug. Lovely.
My phone rang, it was Steve "Listen, I got onto my mate over at International and he has the identical tyre in stock and is going to lend it to me, so I am driving over there to pick it up. I will fit it as soon as I get back. should be ready by 18:30 and I can finish for the weekend. I will leave your keys with the FBO Duty Manager.
So, it looks like a quiet evening in the hotel room, I need to be out of here at early o clock to make some time back.
Arrived at Municipal at 03:30 and picked up the keys before heading out to the aircraft, sure enough it was ready. Did a quick preflight and pulled the tech log.
Steve wrote " Nosewheel tyre deflated". Supplied and fitted new tyre, O ring and valve assembly.
Bless him, instead of the new owner reading it and thinking what has this idiot pilot done to my plane, he will think Oh what a stroke of luck, I got a brand new tyre fitted for nothing.
By 03:45 I was ready to start up and get the weather. Not wanting to land in either Guatamala or Nicaragua and the possible large hits on the flight imprest; I elected to head straight for Costa Rica. However, with no wish for an unecessary long overwater leg, I opted to head inland and turn on course for Tortuguero, (MRBT) Costa Rica overhead Coban, (MGCB) Guatamala, overflying Honduaras.
International flight plan prepared, it was time to file it and start up.
Weather for Tortuguero is looking good so far.
Having phoned in my flight plan to Belize City International, time to head out. So glad I did not dump her in the ocean.
Opened the taps at exactly 04:00 and by 04:15 was on course and at cruising altitude for the first leg to Coban.
30 minutes later, we are coming up on our first turn point overhead Coban. Approx 2hrs 15mins to run.
First light close to the border with Honduras, it had become apparent that I had lost the really favourable wind and a quick calculation revealed that I would be landing at tortuguero with about 10 gallons left in each tank. Not enough, so had no choice other than a cruise climb to 20,000ft for the sake of fuel burn. Another quick calc revealed that I would have 40 gallons remaining, so long as the winds do not change; far better.
Something was niggling, I felt I had forgotten something.. Looked around the cockpit, the heater was on and cabin temp was 23C, Cabin pressure in the green. What is it… Doh! Pitot Heat!
At 10C OAT at 10,000ft, I did not bother switching it on. Now at 20,000ft, OAT is -10C. Switched the heat on lickety spit.
1 hour 15 mins to run and its starting to look like the Hondurans are going to enjoy a lovely day.
To our starboard at 12 o clock is El Salvador and the Pacific Ocean, we are headed south west (edit..South East dummy) towards Tortuguero, which is on the Atlantic coastline of Costa Rica, so we should just miss the El Salvador border. I will see the Pacific once, and the Atlantic twice on this flight.
6am local, the sun is up and we are crossing central Nicaragua.
30 mins to run and we have begun our descent into Tortuguero.
20 mins out and a final weather check. I doubt that Tortuguero will have ATIS as the even the METAR is from a reporting station 80KM away.
Dont care what the metar says, I am NOT liking the look of the stormscope. 40 miles to run and I have halted the descent, inching down 500ft at a time, watching the terrain page very carefully.
Did not have the luxury of taking screenshots, I was surrounded by squalls and thunderstorms.
On the ground in very unexpected weather. Came in on the approach through a squall and buffeting. Tortugero is on a very small, narrow strip of land surrounded by water. I half expected it to be a repeat of Belize with the short and slick runway, but managed to keep it together and stop in plenty of time.
On the ground in the middle of a thunderstorm. 06:58 local Looking to fill up, have a bit of a rest and fill my belly, then push on with another leg. Gotta make up the time lost in Belize
Tortuguero from above.
Another flight around midday local time as I made my way from Ratnagiri (VARG) to Dabolim (VOGO). I had been looking forward to this leg since I first planned it. Heading to Goa, I had imagined the sun setting as I came into land…
Leaving Ratnagiri.
Clouds began making more of an appearance the closer I got to Goa.
This isn’t how I imagined my arrival in Goa. I was met with increasingly darker clouds and turbulence as I looked down on the beaches.
Landed safely at Dabolim, just about. Just as I was touching down on the runway the thunder and lightning started. I was right in the middle of a huge storm, no rain but strong wings too. I was just thankful to be on the ground. I suppose it’s my own fault for getting here during monsoon season!
I’m now officially at the southern airports rather than the western. Next up we head to Mangalore as we stay on the Indian coast, however I am letting this storm pass first.
In the skies once again, this leg to Panama City which gets me back on schedule.
Left Tortuguero in heavy thunderstorms, much flashing of bolts and rattlings of thunder. Set autopilot for 22000ft to hopefully get out of the worst of the weather and was surprised to climb out of the clouds at 7000ft.
Never saw such weather before, looking down on thunderstorms with flashing lightning from the lofty height of 8000ft and OAT at 10C. I am calling divine intervention.
Leaving FL150 for 220. Thunderstorms way beneath us.
On the ground at Panama City (MPTO). Back on schedule now.
US tour leg 25… Oklahoma to Memphis. Some nice scenery on the way with lakes and rivers-
on the way we past a cargo going the other way, from Memphis-
Joined the approach as number 4 for 18C-
lots of other flyers and variety of aircraft at Memphis, including some other GA, 767, 330, 777, 787 and 737 Max’s. And hugely jealous that a 757 wss also there! Great to see! -
Ohio tour today in the carenado 182T
new Philadelphia (KPHD) to Akron Canton (KACK) to Columbiana Co (02G)
I’m enjoying the whole Cessna 182 family way too much
Another leg on my world tour that I did yesterday from Dabolim (VOGO) to Mangalore (VOML) as I continued south along the west coast of India. This one took me over the Arabian Sea mostly. I tried to wait it out due to the storms in the area but they’re forecast to last days yet so we got up there and got out of the area.
Leaving Dabolim.
Thunder and lightning in the distance as I continued away from Dabolim.
Thankfully as I moved away from the land into the Arabian Sea it brightened up a little.
Finally I was able to look across at India, flying just passed Brahmvara, with the Situ River below.
This is what I had originally hoped to see, golden beaches below. Here I am flying over Malpe Beach, behind that is Blue Whale Beach.
The rain was back just in time for my descent into Mangalore though.
It was actually one of my best landings yet though with extra precaution taken due to the weather, and I was safe at Mangalore.
I’ll continue South on my next few legs, hopefully today. This should also see the weather improve as we pass the worst of the monsoon weather.
My plan is to hopefully make it to Sri Lanka today, however my first flight probably won’t be until around 1pm/2pm local time so we’ll need to get quite a bit done in four hours or so before sunset.