harrry 37 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I am planning to use a DC3 and use the northern route if acceptible. This aircraft choice could change on clarification of the number of people who must be carried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 Well the young ladies at the Santa Monica factory of Douglas Aircraft Company are just putting in the final rivets and checking the standard factory fitted extended range tanks (I prchased all 9 of them though I do not think I will need them. The aircraft is strictly a non smoking zone though as a C-47 there is no lack of ventilation. ( In New Guinea I once flew in one with a group of contract labour who got cold and did not want to bother the pilot so just were buildig a fire, just stopped them in time). Will have to pack my winter woolies for this trip I guess. I will be flying the wonderful freeware FSX/FSX-SE/P3D DOUGLAS C-47R SKYTRAIN V3.14 BETA version in P3D4. Not that Aeorosoft does not have wonderful planes but this is the best tool for the job in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANANO 11 Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Great Choice! Lovely Aircraft just don't forget your coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted September 30, 2017 Author Share Posted September 30, 2017 Coffee will be specially brought from 20 miles from where I live ChiangRai. Nice high grown, well 6000 ft coffee specially roasted. Cannot live without it, get a kilo deliverred every ten days or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerosoft Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558 Posted September 30, 2017 Aerosoft Share Posted September 30, 2017 Classy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 1, 2017 Author Share Posted October 1, 2017 My Planned first route.... https://skyvector.com/api/navlog?31154 EGLC LFAC LFPB LIMF LIBR LGAV HEPS Thats far enough to plan at my age...I take each day as it comes. Short stops will be made....for technical and for fitting the story in the book.....though I have been warned that the toilet facilities at some locations will not suit Mr Fogg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpgmultimodal 61 Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Hello Harry, Funny but we are going to fly exactly the same route : -EGMC1930 -N0310F250 DET DCT LYD M189 HAWKE UL612 RESMI UM728 KOLON UM623 VAREK -LFKJ0222 The only difference would be my speed and FL, slightly faster and higher. Good luck, JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 My plane for the most of the journey is the C47 half adapted to the DC3. QANTAS used these and as it is the worlds oldest airline a natural choice for the livery. As the oldest airline in the world it was a pioneer in service and quality and pionered many routes (Though held back by Government agreements between the Australian Government and the British Government restricting aircraft types and areas of the world it could operate. I am sure Mr Fogg will be impresseed with the choice and the level of comfort and service that the wonderful DC3. provides. Of course the ghosts of our intrepid adventurers Mr Philias Fogg and his servant Jean Passepartou will be coming on this voyage of adventure. The final contracts for our flight crew have not yet been signed however they will represent the pinacle of Aviation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Flight Number WW7883 Date Tuesday, 3 October 2017 Depart EGLC - London City Airport Arrive EGMD - Lydd Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 00:40:12 Distance 47 NM Landing Rate 127 fpm Status Approved A leisurely breakfast and a good sleep for an early start.. Noise curfews would soon eat into my charter rates so leaving early was my best bet. Mr Fogg was most impressed to see the Huge complex for the Channel Tunnel. He thought that would be much better than the wind and steam powered crossing to Boulogn that he endured in the book. My new crews living up to expectations and I will reveal more about them soon. The Douglas factory has made some sugestions which I have adopted and I am sure the journey will be improved by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Flight Number WW7936 Date Tuesday, 3 October 2017 Depart EGMD - Lydd Airport Arrive LFAT - Le Touquet-C+¦te d'Opale Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 The aircraft so far is functioning perfectly and our shourt flights have served to familiarise both our Co-pilot and our "Flight Attendendant" withh flying the plane. Time for some introductions. You have alerady met Mr Philias Fogg and his servant Jean Passepartou. We can add to that our Copilot, The ghost of Sir Hudson Fysh KBE DFC . More about that later but time for the next leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Flight Number WW7938 Date Tuesday, 3 October 2017 Depart LFAT - Le Touquet-C+¦te d'Opale Airport Arrive LFPN - Toussus-le-Noble Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 01:49:12 A roundabout way to come in from the south of Paris with nice views of the city.. Time for le déjeuner if we can find some good food in Paris. Not long to eat it though as we do have to keep moving....the train left here at 7.30 am. Our flight attendant is another Australian of note who has some exceptional skills that should come in very useful on this long adventure, The spirit of Nancy-Bird Walton, AO, OBE, DStJ. We will discover more about her later but lunch waits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Well I do not know that those French people know how quickly Australians eat lunch. What would be 10 minutes at home was an hour and a half in Paris and we got less food in that time too. Anyway, off to Turin, I know Italians knpw food. As I told you my Copilot is Hudson Fysh who was the founder of QANTAS. A real pilot who earned his wings in the bush and was a World War one pilot,. I am sad to say he is credited with shooting down 5 Aircraft. We may find those skills useful at some stage of this adventure. He was going to compete in and early England to Australia air race however his sponser pulled out at the last minute so you can see he is not a stay at home type. In building Quantas he had to constanty fight boh his owd government and the British and American ones in order to get a share of the routes. A good negotiator who may get us out of trouble at some point if we get into it, Whats more he is a great pilot and a font of good stories. Definitely a good choice to share the cockpit with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Decided to stop off in Geneva for a few minutes, the lake there with its fountain reminds me of a substitute for Canberra, Nic e weather but this bird is not known for its high altitude perormance. Flight Number WW7997 Date Tuesday, 3 October 2017 Depart LFPN - Toussus-le-Noble Airport Arrive LSGG - Geneva Cointrin International Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 01:59:24 Distance 221 NM Out flight attendant (we call her that because the law says we must have one) is a lot more than a flight attendendant. Nancy-Bird Walton, AO, OBE, DStJ. When NancyBird was 18 she leant to fly with Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. She then flew commercially in her own plane,She was instumental in setting up and flying for the The Royal Far West Children's Health Scheme to provide aerial ambulance services in 1935 and ran and operated this. Later worked for a while with KLM and then ttrained pilots for the Australian Air Force. She founded the Australian Women Pilots Association and later continud flying. I am sire we can use her skills as a pilot on our long legs and hopefully will not need her health care skills on the trip. Fortunately it turns out she is a great cook so we expect good things from the full galley that our fries in San Diago insalled in the plane along with the 4 sleeper berths. (The DC3 was originally designed as a transcontinental sleeper plane and was used as such in both the US and later by Quantas and then TAA and Ansett in Australia after QANTAS's domestic bussiness was given to TAA when itt became an international only airline. We only had four berths installed becacuse they also installed a set of extended range tanks so we should be set for all eventualities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Well e made it to Turin. Next time I think I will take a train, at least it can go under the mountain and not over it. We got some great views and barely avoided ending up with the climbers who died on Mount Blanc but we are here now and that is all that matters. Flight Number WW7826 DateTuesday 3 October 2017 Depart LSGG - Geneva Cointrin International Airport Arrive LIMF - Turin Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 01:54:00 Distance 90 NM Landing Rate -242 fpm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 What.a night that was. Pork Cuttlets and Golden Rissoto.... not to mention the Grappa. It was the whiskey that I am sure Hudson put in the coffees that did it. You just cannot trust spirits with spirits. Off to Brindisi today at 6 am. I am recovering in one of the beds while Hudson and Nancy-Bird fly. After all she did not have to cook dinner last night so she has to earn her keep. Problem is the spiritted conversation coming from the Flight Deck. Havent they heard of a sterile cockpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brindisi_stazione_ferr_1870.jpg is where our real life adventurers are terminating soon. I think we will be a few hours ahead of them so we can wave them goodbye as they board the P and O vessel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:P_%26_O_steamer_in_Venice_circa_1870,_in_album_owned_by_W.F._de_Salis,_a_director_of_the_company.jpg is probably what they are leaving on at 5pm.....will they make it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Flight Number WW7817 Date Wednesday, 4 October 2017 Depart LIMF - Turin Airport Arrive LIBR - Brindisi ÔÇô Salento Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 04:31:12 Distance 528 NM Landing Rate -190 fpm Well my nice high grown ChiangRai coffee has a Vienna roast and I think I need something a bit stronger today, off for a quick coffee then thee three of us crew will give the aircraft a good once over while we have a couple of hours to wait. Mr Fogg has decided to sit in the shade under the wings in his deck chair while Passepartou inspects the town. He has strict instructions to return by 4.30 local time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 A long day planned for today. First a flight to Athens to check the plane is fine following the checks and adjustments made yesterday. Hudson and Nancy bird spent three hours with cloths in their hands, oilcan poised and screwdriver and shifting spanner at the ready. No heavy hammer though. They both know that a well maintained aircraft is an aircraft that lasts and does not let you down. I think Hudson really wanted Arther Baird there to really do the job. (he set up much of QANTAS's maintainance base, The engine bays, wheel wells and hydraulic lines all gleam with not a leak to be seen. First flight today was to Athens. Flight Number WW7946 - Operated by Worldwide Virtual Date Thursday, 5 October 2017 Depart LIBR - Brindisi ÔÇô Salento Airport Arrive LGAV - Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 03:12:00 Distance 323 NM Landing Rate 9 fpm Which went without a hitch, The next one was planned to Adana however as NancyBird promissed to use our new full service galley to cook Roast Lamb we cut the flight short and diverted to Larnaca where enough lamb was bought to last a month....sadly it is all gone now....delicious. Flight Number WW7930 Date Thursday, 5 October 2017 Depart LGAV - Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport Arrive LTAV- Larnaca Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 02:40:12 Distance 543 NM Landing Rate -144 fpm about 45 minutes after leaving Brindisi we saw a ship wallowing along. A low pass and we confirmed our suspicions, the Mongolia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 Near Athens Please login to display this image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 Airconditioning....just slide the window Please login to display this image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 This you tube video from the web may give an idea of what is in store if they take the northern route. Stunning scenery but terrifying....and that was summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 Too busy flying to put much here. Got to Port Said light Number WW7880 Date Friday, 6 October 2017 Depart LCLK - Larnaca International Airport Arrive HEPS - Port Said Airport Aircraft WW-DC30 Flight Time 02:24:36 Distance 227 NM Landing Rate -377 fpm As usual the plane performed perfectly. My creww were in fine spirits, well that is what they are anyway and thought they would shorten the journey by breaking into a sing song festival. One thing with Radios you can turn them off. The Canal had just opened a couple of years ago. Quote On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas was officially opened in a lavish ceremony at Egypt’s Port Said. The canal took more than 15 years to plan and build, and its construction was repeatedly hindered by political disputes, labor shortages and even a deadly cholera outbreak. When finally completed, the 101-mile-long waterway permanently transformed international shipping by allowing vessels to skip the long and treacherous transit around the southern tip of Africa. Please login to display this image. Not sure that the artist who painted this had been here. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 Quote Be'old a crowd upon the beam, An' 'umped above the sea appears Old Aden, like a barrick-stove That no one's lit for years an' years! I passed by that when I began, An' I go 'ome the road I came, A time-expired soldier-man With six years' service to 'is name. Well in an hour I will be there after an uneventful trip starting just before dawn. Only problem was the sun shining straight in my eyes, I hope Aden is not as unpalatible place as Rudyard Kipling though it long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 https://www.google.co.th/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjxz8nd-OXWAhXHr48KHZ85AP0QjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Falamree.net%2Falboum-aden-old_15.htm&psig=AOvVaw078L9qtnv1uv_3aJkV853O&ust=1507721007276949 Is the sight that our passengers Mr Fogg and Passportou saw when they arived here last time. Not a very hospitible place and I have been warned about the food even now. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/yemen/safety-and-security gives the UK Governmens view of the safety in Yeman and the danger is emphasised by the recent witdrawal of US embassy staff. I have decided that our stay in Aden will be as brief as possible, we will refuel and consider if we can safely head to another destination. If not we will sleep in the beds we have in the aircraft with a lookout kept at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry 37 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 Arrived. My revised plan is to fly from here (OYAA) to OOSA VOAT VOCL VOGA VABB, I already have planned the trip to VOAT though that was just going to be a side trip from the Indian mainland. Many years ago I went there as a passenger on the Indian Government Ship that delivered supplies to the Lakshadweep formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Aminidivi Islands. Not a luxury trip, dormitary class, which just meant a big common room with matresses rather than the deck class, but as a foreigner I was able to pay a supplement to eat the same food as the ships officers did, Not very well fed in my opinion. A trip that stayed in my memories so when I heard about this trip I applied for and at last got the Lakshadweep Entry Permits for our party. Please login to display this image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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