American Airlines ops in the 707
Charlotte (KCLT) to Rochester (KROC)
Practicing instrument-only flying for my r/l private pilot’s license. No foggles needed, just pan to the instrument view in the sim.
Watching Netflix with the wife and dog to simulate other cockpit workloads.
Portable setup on my laptop with the Honeycomb Echo controller only runs in low graphics modes at 18 fps, but its good enough for this kind of stuff.
This morning, I also did some power-on stall practice with the same setup.
Having repositioned the Aerostar, it was time for a quick repositioning flight in the duke to Corientes as it appears that the supplier of fuel to Formosa was late in his deliveries. Result, no Jet A1.
Only about 80 miles and easily doable with the remaining fuel onboard.
For some reason I have been marshalled to the main Corientes terminal instead of the fuel box. Hmm, I smell a hit on the imprest.
After a one-day lay-over in Bronnoy, I’m back in the Do-X and continuing my VFR journey south down the Norwegian coast.
Here we are, taxiing out from my mooring spot at the airport (ENBN):
Passing Berg, on the shores of Torgfjorden:
Passengers enjoying fist-class service:
No such luck of economy class. I’d not want to sit in these seats for more than an hour or so:
Passing Vedoya island and Seierstadfjorden:
After navigating through a maze of Fjords, the Skamsund bridge waypoint tells me I’m still on track:
It’s going to be a straight-in approach over Strindfjorden to my mooring spot in the harbor at Trondheim:
Touchdown right on target off Stranheim:
Approaching the harbor. I’ll call for a tug at this point for a tow to the mooring point:
And here we are, at our mooring spot at the end of Ladebekken:
[MSFS 2024 SU7 v1.9.18.0, live weather (historical)]
Random GA ops in the Cessna 206
Rochester (KROC) to Grand Canyon (N38)
Completed the 2nd leg of the Vancouver Island bush trip. I’ve spent most of my time in MSFS-2020 in free flight mode, so now I have decided to tackle completing all the Bush trips. But I do it with twist. I fly to the country or state where the bush trip is located in free flight using an airliner or business jet. Then I start the bush trip. After completing the bush trip, I select the next region where the bush trip is located and fly there in free flight. Makes for more variety than point to point flying
A two-hour VFR flight from Trondheim to Floro in the Do-X, using fjords, prominent mountain peaks and bridges as waypoints along the way.
What happened to yesterday’s wonderful weather? Overnight it seems a front has moved in! Being towed out of the Trondheim harbor:
Climbing to 4,000 ft as we head down Flakkfjorden, we skirt a number of squalls moving in from the North Sea.
Approaching Vinjefjorden. The weather is improving slightly:
Passing by the hamlets of Farstad & Hustad:
Following the sun over Haroyfjorden:
The waypoint at Vigra airport (ENAL):
Passing Fiska & Syltefhjorden:
Turning at the Hornelen mountain waypoint, we’ll follow the shore southwest, skirt the entrance to Gulen, and meet up with Arebrotsfjorden over the hamlet at Otrevik:
Passing Rota island, we turn to base as we approach Langoya island. We’ll be landing in the stretch of water beyond the island. The town of Foro is in the distance:
Moored in Floro Harbor. I’ll be spending the night at the Scandic Victoria, a short walk from the waterfront on Markegata:
[MSFS 2024 v1.9.18.0, live weather (historical)
I climb out of the aircraft on the Corientes ramp and look around to see where I should report and pay my landing fees and see a man walking towards me waving.
He has an uncanny similarity to the customs agent at Formosa. We exchange pleasantries for a minute and I explain that fuel was unavailable in formosa, my airport of entry and require topping up.
He nods understandingly and without the slightest look of surprise that no fuel was available says that at HIS airport, fuel was plentyful and he would arrange it. If I would care to join him in his office..
Sat at his desk, he picked up the phone and barked down it for a minute before setting it down and asking for my papers. No problem, here they are in my satchel. He rifled through them, not even glancing at my passport and went straight for the aircraft entry and transit permit filled out by the agent in Formosa. He glanced at it and shook his head sadly, see here? There should be a second rubber stamp in this box here and it is missing. Without it, the Duke is not authorised to fly in Argentina.
I told him it was filled out by the agent in formosa, and once again he shook his head. “Ah Jorge, he is a little careless with paperwork, unlike myself”. He opened a desk drawer and produced an ink pad and a rubber stamp and placed them on the desk and looked up with shrewd eyes. " I can stamp it here"… Great I said..
"Of course, this will entail a great deal of effort in bringing the paperwork up to date here and in Formosa, so I am afraid there will be a fee of 300 USD. The penny drops, similarity in appearance between the two agents, the lack of available fuel forcing me to land in Corientes, they are probably relatives and I am having my leg lifted. No choice but to pay the “fee”.
I see the Duke on the apron getting towed towards the fuel pumps and stand up in alarm. The agent looks around “Ah, you see until I stamp this document, the aircraft is not legal and is impounded, you are not allowed into the cockpit, so the only way to get your aircraft refuelled is to tow it to the fuel pumps” He stamped the transit permit with gusto. " There we are, all legal, but of course there will be a fee of 200 USD for the tow, how do you wish to pay"?
Out comes my wallet again. 500 dollars light, I gather the paperwork and set out across the tarmac to the Duke which is now fuelled up and facing the pump. No room to turn around. The ramp agent walks up “Senor, will you require a push back”? No way on this earth will I ask for a pushback. Nope, its fine I say and hand him the fuel card, check the loading quantity and sign the docket.
I climb into the cockpit and square everything away and something makes me look at the fuel docket Hmm 5.39 USD a gallon, not too bad I suppose, then there it is. A 60USD “service charge”.
I fire up the Duke, put the props in beta and back up from the pumps, for gawds sake, in your rattled state of mind, do not hit the brakes to stop and dump her on her tail.
The taxi out and takeoff was unevenful, but was that the sound of laughing I heard above the roar of the props?
They had one last roll of the dice and had already charged me for the pushback…
Boy am I glad to get out of here. Next stop, Jorge Newbury Aeropargue, Buenos Aires.
I am flying above an almost solid overcast at 10,000ft and 30 minutes out, I get the latest weather for Newberry. 3000ft overcast, light wind and good vis. Runway in use is 13. I set it on the HSI. With an elevation of 20ft AMSL, I plan my initial descent for 1000ft at 20 minutes to run.
Buenos Aires dead ahead, a stunningly beautiful city.
And on the ground. Feeling shattered and need a good sleep.
In my hotel room, I look at my watch. 2pm local which will make it about 6pm back in the UK. I give Mike, the chief pilot a call and explain that I lost $500 from the imprest and how I managed it.
To my surprise, he laughed. Not to worry, happens a lot. Do you have a receipt for the $300 “fee”?
Nope. “thought not, do you have a receipt for the original transit licence”? Yes, it cost $40. “Great, look at the document, is the first stamp dated”? Yes, dated yesterday. “Is the second stamp dated”? Yes today. “Great, email me a pic of the document, a close up of both stamps and a brief statement, and I will settle it with financials, not a big deal. I will also get them to wire you another $500 to balance your imprest, it will be waiting for you at your hotel”.
Just like that, a disaster turned out not to be a disaster, Mike is a wiley old bird and with a lifetime of flying freighters all over the world, I guess it happened to him and he expected it to happen to me at some point.
Random GA ops in the Cessna 206
Flew Grand Canyon (N38) to Raleigh County Memorial (KBKW)
Continuing my journey in the Do-X down the coast of Norway. Today: Floro to Stavanger.
Taxiing out of the harbor:
Lots of ships in the fjords today:
On approach to Stavanger:
A tricky landing, as there are a number of small islets to avoid:
Moored in the harbor:
[MSFS 2024 v1.9.18.0, live weather (historical), Seafront Simulations Global Shipping 24 v1.3.0]
Took the 206 out on one of the old bush trips from Breckenridge (O64) to Inyokern Airport (KIYK). California continues to amaze with its varied landscape, going from mountain forests and lakes to desolate valleys within minutes. Overall, a great first flight in the 206, which will likely become a favorite for my bush trips.
