Wilga Bush Racing Series - Wanaka, New Zealand - FUN RACE EVENT

Come and join us in The Wilga Bush Racing Series!*

*Wilga encouraged, but not required :slight_smile:

Casual group flights with a focus on fun and a bit of friendly “semi-racing” competition in some stunning locations.

If you do own the Wilga, we are using the 35X or 80X, but feel free to join in any Bush type aircraft if you don’t have the Willy!

NEXT EVENT:

Wanaka, New Zealand, Canyon Race Course.
Sunday 19th March at 19:00Z

SUMMARY:

AIRCRAFT: Wilga 35X or 80X (or similar performance light GA / bush plane)
MEET: Wanaka, NZ - RWY11 [NZWF] (11L is grass, 11R is paved)
WHEN: Sunday 19th March 2023 at 19:00Z (UTC / GMT). IMPORTANT NOTE: I’m told the USA daylight savings changes between now and then so double check your local time. It’s starting at 7pm GMT (London time)
SERVER: West Europe
REGISTER: Post your name here or just turn up a little before the time and we’ll see you there. Feel free to Join my Discord (link below)
FUEL: 100% filled
LIVERY: Any DEFAULT Wilga livery (important so we see each others Willys :smiley: )
ENGINE REALISM: On (please, but see the route guide - it’s not required if you prefer not to deal with Shock Cooling on this course!)
FLIGHT PLAN: Meet at the airfield. Ideally join my Discord Voice Radio Channel so we can synchronise starting and talk during the event.
RACE: Unlimited laps but let’s just have fun! Nothing strict, just some stunts’racin’n’fun

MORE INFO:

As a coincidental tribute to the NZ World Update, we will be flying the next event in NZ!

I have found a really nice location assisted by a mod (below, not essential but if you can install it, it will be better). It’s a really nice cross-country bush race with an interesting variety of terrain, amazing scenery but not too long to remember the course. Follow me for initialisation lap to learn the route (it’s not super clear but you should be able to remember it after 1 tour around. The mod will definitely help).

Here is a map of the course that may help to visualise it:

You will ideally need this mod: Wanaka Air Race » Microsoft Flight Simulator
And this Library dependency: SBWorks Asset Library » Microsoft Flight Simulator
And the Windy Things mod: Windy Things » Microsoft Flight Simulator

Basic route guide

  • Clockwise course. On take off immediate right, and up through gate on the top of the ridge next to airport.
  • Follow the plateau towards distant mountain.
  • Into tight valleys on left. Turn tight-ish left under the cables and follow those.
  • There is a slightly tricky to see sharper right turn after some more valleys. You will see a blue pole on the hill facing you, turn right there staying low in the valley, then more cables to go under.
  • Ahead you will see a blue arch to go through up on the hill, and a few more over this mountain and back down STEEP the other side. WATCH YOUR ENGINE on the down part - shock cooling!. You may need to not dive down too fast, reduce power and close your COWL FLAPS to not kill the engine - part of the challenge (if you dare have engine realism on, but for this event I will not insist on that)!
  • You will see in the distance a smaller mound/hill after the downhill. One more blue arch on the ground to aim for then turn right around that mound.
    Straight over the flatland, with slight left when you reach the road to head back to airfield.
  • At the paved runway (which will be at 90 degrees to the direction we come from), tunr right going around the final CHEQUER gate just beyond the runway (keep that on your right) and back up to first gate for the next lap!

Join the Discord to find out more and get involved.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: I’m told the USA daylight savings changes between now and then so double check your local time. It’s starting at 7pm GMT (London time) on Sunday 19th March.

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When I train the course in the Spitfire or the Hellcat or even the PC-21,
on race day in the Wilma all might look and feel like in super slow motion :rofl:

I would say I have plan that might work … :nerd_face:

That sounds almost like cheating :thinking: :smiley:

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Oooooops,
OK, for training then the Tigermoth or the flying Kinderwagen (Flying Flea) :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Next (important) question:
Is it ok to fly “overdressed” or do we need to show up in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops?

OK, the course is easy to follow and fly, but hard to master.
And tricky … with engine realism enabled :rofl:


Engine gone …

Yeah I don’t know if we should tell everyone to have engine realism off? You really need to take care on that down hill part. Might spoil the fun, or might add to the spice?? I’m undecided!! It would be a good overtaking opportunity though if anyone is TOO cautious :slight_smile:

Good question …
But as we are not able to really controll it and the whole series is just to have fun together …
Who cares?

Here’s a vid of a Lap:

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Oh yeah… I’m looking forward to this event! I just gave the course a trial run. Quite challenging and definately need to watch that decent! I think I ripped Wilma’s wings off after getting a bit too cocky. :frowning:

PS. Just watched @EnsiFerrum666 's video. Love the German metal on Spotify! :metal:

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Thanks for the awesome video, Ensi! That will definitely help people learn the route before we start - but SMOKE ON GUYS! :wind_face:

…that will also help us not “get lost”, but feel free to follow us for the first lap and we can regroup after that and GO FOR IT properly on second lap.

I think you cut the finish though! That chequer pole should be to your right wing?! :slight_smile:

It’s a great route - I love it!! Exactly the kind of pace and “density” I am planning for all the events (some tight bits, some open bits, up and down, interesting terrain), so if anyone has any ideas along these lines for future events (or mods like this), I would appreciate you posting here or in the event-ideas channel on my Discord! I have a few more lined up but the more the merrier :slight_smile:

You remember our chat from Friday night?
Distracting and confusing the others :smiley:

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I don’t have the Wilga yet, unfortunately (soon :tm:), but what’s the cruise speed of the 35X/80X? Just trying to think which planes would be a good equivalent performance to bring :stuck_out_tongue:

We will be in the X’s so a bit faster (450HP).

It’s only a bit of fun so doesn’t matter if you are a bit faster - give us all something to aim for! I promise we won’t call in the FIA to ban you :slight_smile:

You just don’t want to be too much slower, but we won’t be cruising speed, we will be maxing out!

Will double check tonight but something around 120kts should do you fine :wink:

Ah… a fan of the great Michael Schumacher speaks :smiley:
Pushing the limits, right? :smiley:

Hey :wink:
Confirming, 115 - 120kts is a good target. Definitely no more than 128kts as Wilma can’t really reach 130 on the flat. 125kts is kinda pushing it.

I suspect we won’t be able to maintain 120kts for lap after lap either, what with that killer downhill stretch (assuming we run with engine realism on, which I think I will!).

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That sounds perf! I was thinking of bringing the Sting S4, since that has a cruise of 120kts and has realism settings for the plane as well (which i keep on regardless haha). Would that work or should i take a look at bringing something else?

I think it may be too fast. If 120 is cruise what is the sustainable top speed? That 120-125 is our MAX! :slight_smile:

But yeah it’s fine if you want to fly that, no problem :slight_smile:

That’s why i was asking what the cruise speed was rather than the max speed. If i know the cruise speed listed in-game for the 35X/80X i can just find a plane that’s comparable (since the hangar has the cruise speeds conveniently located)

Oh so you just want me to read what it says on the hangar screen?

HERE:
image

That converts to 117kts - so we are in the ball-park! :slight_smile:

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