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Kalizzi's photo diary


kalizzi

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Okay I now have a new baby, courtesy of Aerosoft who discounted the price for me by 20%: the DHC Twin Otter Extended. Using a series 100 model in the colours of the RNoAF. I took the brand new ship for a check ride around the airport. I will be using it for the next leg of the flight.

 

 

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This is the pilot's seat of the highly evolved model, by Aerosoft, the detail is breath-taking. It is certainly one of the better aircraft available for FSX. Very happy with the new toy.

 

 

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Overhead the airport I noticed the same airship that was over Bombay now over Calcutta, maybe it is the news cameras following the around the world in 80 days event? some sort of airborne paparazzi?

 

 

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I went around the ship for a closer look, no camera flashes went off out of its portholes,,,, so I am not that sought after celebrity after all!

 

 

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well that is the route of the next leg, 1,452 nautical miles in total, with four waypoints between Calcutta and HK. It is almost all eastward heading, and again the altitude to cruise at is 12,500 ft., the highest that can be used without oxygen. I intend to seek out a certain kiwi warship en rout and parachute some more beer onto its helipad. Or maybe its a modified Halifax bomber? anyone tried to transfer beer between two flying airplanes before?

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A truly magnificent feat and exceptional airmanship from both pilots!

 

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What good is it if we don’t put our aircraft into good use? I heard the droning of an HP Halifax overhead Calcutta and heard an SOS on 121.5, in a Kiwi Accent. The people on board had an emergency: they had a long flight in this hot weather, were apparently very thirsty and dehydrated and needed help fast. I scrambled into my newly acquired Twotter and made a quick takeoff and a swift climb. As I got closer, I saw that it was a Halton and not a Halifax. No worries! we had a number of super chilled Indian Cobra beer crates on board and used a Very pistol to signal to the distressed ship to align and deploy an ingeniously improvised net. It took a lot of calculation from the load master but we managed to aim deliver spot on!  We received a Morse light reply from them with a big thank you and signed with a certain SG initial! Wonder who that may be?

 

Anyway with all these Cobras on board, they will have (Snakes on a Plane) but in a very nicer version!

 

Cheers! :cheers_s:

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11 hours ago, kalizzi said:

A truly magnificent feat and exceptional airmanship from both pilots!

 

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What good is it if we don’t put our aircraft into good use? I heard the droning of an HP Halifax overhead Calcutta and heard an SOS on 121.5, in a Kiwi Accent. The people on board had an emergency: they had a long flight in this hot weather, were apparently very thirsty and dehydrated and needed help fast. I scrambled into my newly acquired Twotter and made a quick takeoff and a swift climb. As I got closer, I saw that it was a Halton and not a Halifax. No worries! we had a number of super chilled Indian Cobra beer crates on board and used a Very pistol to signal to the distressed ship to align and deploy an ingeniously improvised net. It took a lot of calculation from the load master but we managed to aim deliver spot on!  We received a Morse light reply from them with a big thank you and signed with a certain SG initial! Wonder who that may be?

 

Anyway with all these Cobras on board, they will have (Snakes on a Plane) but in a very nicer version!

 

Cheers! :cheers_s:

And well received it was too in this hot hot weather!  So hot in fact that we barely made 19000ft on the way across!

 

SeanG

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The story so far:

 

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Time to leave Calcutta, and it is only appropriate to display this poster, for it has a Short Calcutta flying boat. The British aircraft industry, especially in the inter-war years, made a habit of naming their models after the jewels that studded the British Empire. There is also the Bristol Bombay bomber to mention another.

 

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Now to have a real look at the Ford Airship (Blimp) I saw in my Indian part of this trip

 

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26 October, 07:00 take off Calcutta, calm wind, 15C, QNH 1013, took a heading of 97 and climbed to 12,500 ft.

 

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07:19 Suffered a failure at the starboard engine, upon entering the Bangladeshi airspace over the bay of Bengal. managed to sort things out and resume, but lost 7,100 feet in the process.

 

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09:05 Hitting landfall, waypoint 1 Chittagong (Shah Amanat Int'l), ploughing on.

 

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09:27 flying over high territory, the Chin Hills in West Burma. Overhead Mt. Victoria, which is a touch above 10,000 ft. in height.  

 

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10:35 Overhead Waypoint 2, Mandalay (as in the Ian Dury song), the former royal capital of Burma, founded in 1857. Cruising at 12,600 ft. doing 170 kts. ground speed. OAT is -10C

 

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10:44 Over the very dense Burmese jungle, 12,600 ft. 159 knots GS and -6 OAT, heading East (97 degrees)

 

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13:15 This is not the Cat, I have to land and refuel at Dien Bien Phu. Vietnam. On the base leg of this airport that have witnessed an epic battle in the 50s.  

 

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Taking on fuel at Dien Bein Phu FSX shows a hut for an airport terminal, not very appealing to spend an overnight in. Decided to take off and resume. Took off at 13:45

 

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14:10 Resumed flying and back to my cruising altitude of 12,500 ft. now overhead Na San, which is the scene of another major battle between the French and Vietnamese in 1953 in what was once French Indo-China. Have a good tail wind now and doing 140 kts. IAS and 181 kts. G/S.

 

(tbc...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(... Cont'd.)

 

OK here is the remainder:

 

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15:15 26 October, overhead the Red River valley in (North) Vietnam

 

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15:40 Over Hanoi, 12,900 ft. 140Kt. IAS and 188 Kt. GS (great 19 knots breeze for a tailwind)

 

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15:50 Sight of the Gulf of Tonkin on the horizon, brings about the name of USS Maddox (incident) that triggered the Vietnam war.

 

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16:00 Overhead Haiphong, the last waypoint, GS 159 Kt. and 12,600 ft. changed heading to 80 degrees magnetic, towards Hong Kong.

 

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16:30 Entering Chinese airspace.

 

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18:25 Top of descent point, 40 nautical miles shy of Hong Kong. 

 

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Over the mega metropolis of Hong Kong, a huge landscape with so many high rise building, truly gigantic.

 

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Landed at Hong Kong old airport at 18:49. Concluding this leg of the journey.

 

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looking forward to some rest and recreation now, cheers! :cheers_s:

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Splendid news: I got my white Cat back. Having said that, I may add that the Twotter was an easy "love at the first flight" too! Two awesome heavyweights from Aersosoft! The amount of heart put into making these models is beyond belief, and it shows.

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So the next leg it's the Cat for me, all serviced and readied for the long haul to Yokohama (Via Shanghai). Cheers! :cheers_s:

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Ahead of schedule

 

Decided to move on because of a possible real life commitment that may distance me from my computer before the journey is over.

 

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Leg 5, Hong Kong to Yokohama, via Shanghai.

 

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29 October, finished transferring all our stuff from the good old DHC-6. Happy to be back in my white Cat.

 

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Early start at Hong Kong, just after 5 am, checked all is fine and then took to the air at 05:30. Its almost November and the days are getting shorter.

 

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Climbing away from Hong Kong, calm wind, light cloud, 6 degrees C, QNH 1020, climbing to 11,000 ft and on a heading of 41 degrees magnetic, with a GS of 111 Kts. in the direction of Shanghai.

 

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08:50 Overhead Pucheng, 11.142 ft. GS 118 Kts, all is well.

 

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11:20 Finds me overhead Xiaoshan, 11,142 ft. 125 Kts GS and -12C OAT

 

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11:55 Overhead Shanghai, 11,000 ft. GS 125 Kts. changed heading at this waypoint to 78 degrees magnetic, 600nm to Hirsoshima

 

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12:25 Last sight of China, ploughing over the Yellow sea.

 

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14:45 Over the straits of Korea and into the sea of Japan.

 

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15:50 Hitting Japanese mainland just north of Fukouka.

 

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16:38 On final approach to Hiroshima, with the last light of the day. Will overnight here and complete the leg tomorrow.

 

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16:45 On the ground Hiroshima, fuelling up and making ready for the remaining 400 miles to Yokohama. Then its time for some relaxation :cheers_s:

 

(tbc...)

 

 

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(... Cont'd.)

 

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After having an overnight in Hiroshima, for I did not wish to waste the scenic flight over Japan by doing it at night, took off from Hiroshima's Nishi airport at 08:45. Weather was nice and had a QNH of 1014 and good visibility.

 

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Climbed to 11,000 ft. and assumed a heading of 85 degrees, towards Yokohama. I was impressed by the way FSX has reproduced Hiroshima -compared to real picture inset.  It is a sad reminder to the utter stupidity of war.

 

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09:45 I am overhead Okayama, which is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. As of February 2017, the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km². What I noticed that Japan has large cities built on large estuaries and is a very populous place, especially so in contrast to many of the lanscapes I have flown over thus far in this journey. 

 

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11:11 Abeam another major Japanese city, Osaka -from the north. Doing a GS of 133 Kts, 11,000 ft. altitude  OAT -13 C, QNH is up to 1023 and the skies are almost clear. Osaka  is a large port city and commercial centre on the Japanese island of Honshu. It's known for its modern architecture, nightlife and hearty street food. The 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, which has undergone several restorations, is its main historical landmark. It's surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees.

 

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11:26 I am just past Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes, and geisha, female entertainers often found in the Gion district.

 

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11:40 finds me over Nagoya, capital of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, is a manufacturing and shipping hub in central Honshu. The city’s Naka ward is home to museums and pachinko (gambling machine) parlors. Naka also includes the Sakae entertainment district, with attractions like the Sky-Boat Ferris wheel, which is attached to a mall. In northern Naka is Nagoya Castle, a partly reconstructed 1612 royal home displaying Edo-era artifacts.

 

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11:47 and with a good tailwind pushing my GS to 151 Kts. I pass over an interesting place, Toyota! Toyota City is an industrial city east of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, west of Toyohashi. Toyota was previously known as Koromo until 1959, when the name of the city was changed to Toyota city to reflect the importance of the town's major employer - Toyota Motor Corporation. During the Meiji and Taisho periods the area was a major producer of silk until the decline of the industry in the 1930's when the heir to Toyoda Loom Works, Kiichiro Toyoda, set up the Toyota company's automobile manufacturing base here. Toyota City does not appear in many tourist guides to Japan, but has a large number of foreign workers either working in Toyota's factories or researching at its facilities in the city. The wider area is also home to a number of Brazilian and other South American nikkei - immigrants of Japanese descent who have come to the area to work in Toyota's car factories and other associated industries. Toyota is a sister city of Derby in the UK, where Toyota has a factory and of Detroit, the original "Motown" in the USA.

 

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12:00 the terrain becomes mountainous as I plough east on towards Yokohama.

 

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On the horizon, I get the first sight of the magnificent mount Fuji.

 

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Japan’s Mt. Fuji is an active volcano about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Commonly called “Fuji-san,” it’s the country’s tallest peak, at 3,776 meters. A pilgrimage site for centuries, it’s considered one of Japan’s 3 sacred mountains, and summit hikes remain a popular activity. Its iconic profile is the subject of numerous works of art, notably Edo Period prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige.

 

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Now even closer through the windshield, one can't help but admire the beauty of this symbolic place. Its last eruption was in 1707 and it is snow capped all year round.  

 

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it to the side, doing 12,500 ft., the peak of this mountain is some 100 ft. below my level.

 

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12:40 Abeam Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan by population, after Tokyo, and the most populous municipality of Japan. Just south of Tokyo, was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade, in 1859. It contains a large Chinatown with hundreds of Chinese restaurants and shops. It’s also known for Sankei-en Garden, a botanical park containing preserved Japanese residences from different eras, and the seaside Minato Mirai district, site of the 296m Landmark Tower.

 

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12:50 Overhead Tokyo the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government. Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Formerly known as Edo, it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (Tōkyō-shi). Below is a full panorama of the cityscape from Wikipedia. As of October 1, 2015, the population of Tokyo is estimated to be 13.491 million, or about 11% of Japan's total population

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13:07 Landing at Tokyo's Narita International airport. Seen on final approach to R/W 34L. This concludes the 5th leg of this journey.

 

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Considering this for the next leg, has a ferry range of just over 2,000 miles with one hour reserve, economic cruise speed is 300 knots. It's the Beriev Be-200.

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Will test fly the freeware FSX model.

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On ‎02‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 8:29 AM, kalizzi said:

Considering this for the next leg, has a ferry range of just over 2,000 miles with one hour reserve, economic cruise speed is 300 knots. It's the Beriev Be-200.

Will test fly the freeware FSX model.

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Test flown it, its a nice aircraft. Impressive performance, nice handling.

 

I will stick to my Cat, though.

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Leg 6 Yokohama to San Francesco

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The map of this leg, it is quite long and at high latitude. Spams almost 5,000 nautical miles.

 

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Starting off at Tokyo Narita, goodbye Tokyo, sayonara Nippon!

 

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November, 06:00  Take off at dawn, Narita, R/w 34L, in the direction of Kushiro, the northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido. Flying on a heading of 27 degrees. Weather is good, QNH 1011, 15 Kts. wind coming from 294, 7 degrees Centigrade, 80km visibility, cloudy. This time of the year and at these latitudes it is essential to utilize every second of daylight. Hence the early departure.

 

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Climbing to my cruising altitude of 12,500 ft. in the warm reddish rays of the sunrise, I break through the cloud layer at 10,000 ft.

 

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08:50 First sight of the Hakkaido, in clear skies, doing 12,450 ft. 108 kt. IAS and 130 Kt. GS, it is -10 deg. C OAT and everything is in good order.

 

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09:25 overhead Kushiro (RJCK), my first waypoint, 472 nm away, 137 kt. GS, 12.454 ft., changing heading to 049 to continue to Russia. Kushiro is a city in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaido. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Kushiro as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. Kushiro has been an important port because it is more reliably ice-free during winter than alternative Russian Far East warm-water ports such as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky or other ports in Hokkaido such as Hakodate, which occasionally do freeze for short periods due to the lower salinity of the Sea of Japan. For this reason, Kushiro was considered a valuable target for the Tsars during the Russo-Japanese Wars, but it only became a really important port during the 1920s with the growth of commercial fishing, for which its reliable freedom from ice reduced costs. Following the Soviet invasion of the Kuril Islands in August 1945, Kushiro was favoured by the Russians as the eastern cornerstone of a border between an American-occupied south and a Soviet-occupied north--coupled with Rumoi as the western cornerstone. However, these plans were declined by President Harry S. Truman.

 

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10:00 last sight of Japanese land, barely discernible through the gap in the clouds. Now I have 38 kt. tailwind and my GS shot up to 166 kt.

 

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14:45, before reaching Russia, I fly alongside the Alaid Vulcan. Alaid is the tallest and northernmost volcano in the Kurile Islands. It is essentially the cone of a submarine volcano protruding above the Sea of Okhotsk to a height of 2,339 metres (7,674 feet).

 

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15:15 Russian Landfall at Kamchatka. Here I have tidy 40 kt. tailwind and my GS is 169 kt. The Kamchatka Peninsula is a 1,250-kilometre-long (780 mi) peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about 270,000 km2 (100,000 sq mi). It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west. Immediately offshore along the Pacific coast of the peninsula runs the 10,500-metre (34,400-ft) deep Kuril–Kamchatka Trench. The Kamchatka Peninsula, the Commander Islands, and Karaginsky Island constitute the Kamchatka Krai of the Russian Federation. The vast majority of the 322,079 inhabitants are ethnic Russians, but there are also about 13,000 Koryaks (2014). More than half of the population lives in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (179,526 people in 2010) and nearby Yelizovo (38,980). The Kamchatka peninsula contains the volcanoes of Kamchatka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kamchatka receives up to 2,700 mm (110 in) of precipitation per year. The summers are moderately cool, and the winters tend to be rather stormy though rarely producing lightning.

 

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16:00 and with the last light of the day I join the left circuit of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky airport. Everything is different here, with a winter landscape and scarcely populated lands.

 

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On short final Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the runway is again a 34L (just like Narita).

 

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16:10 touchdown Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and to head out to a good rest in preparation for the next long day. We have travelled just over 1,300 nm from Narita, and and a tad over 10 hours flying time. That is enough flying for one day.

 

(... tbc.)

 

 

 

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(... Cont'd.)

 

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After an overnight at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky , took off at 07:30 next morning (05 November). using R/w 34 R. The wand was a nice breeze at 9 kt. coming from the North. Visibility extended to 80 miles, sky was clear, 14 degrees C with a QNH of 1013. Climbed to 12,500 ft. on a heading to the East. I have 831 miles before my next waypoint  at Shemya Island.

 

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11:50 overhead Eareckson (PASY), doin 12,611 ft. and a ground speed of 127 kt. The OAT was -23 deg. C, calm winds and scattered clouds with a ceiling of 800'

Eareckson Air Station, formerly Shemya Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. It was established in the early 40s as a B-29 base for operations against Japan but this never materialised and no B-29s used this base. During the cold war it hosted the Cobra Dane radar which was part of the SALT II treaty to monitor the USSR ICBMs. The airport was closed as an active Air Force Station on 1 July 1994. However, it is still owned by the USAF and is operated by the USAF 611th Air Support Squadron at Elmendorf AFB for refueling purposes. It also serves as a diversion airport for civilian aircraft. The base previously hosted the AN/FPS-17 and AN/FPS-80 radars and since 1977 the more powerful AN/FPS-108 COBRA DANE phased-array radar. Eareckson Air Station is located on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian islands near the larger island of Attu, and is located approximately 1500 miles southwest of Anchorage. The airport lies on the south side of the 2-mile by 4-mile island and is 98 feet above mean sea level.

 

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13:35 (02:35 Zulu) crossed the International Date line, or Antemeridian. This is quite a significant moment, because the clock and calendar jumped back one day to the 4th of November! I was at 12,524ft and doing 130 kt. GS. The QNH went down to 1003. The 180th meridian or antimeridian is the meridian 180° east or west of the Prime Meridian, with which it forms a great circle dividing the earth into the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. It is common to both east longitude and west longitude. It is used as the basis for the International Date Line because it mostly passes through the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. However, the meridian passes through Russia and Fiji as well as Antarctica. This is where Phileas Fogg gained the crucial day that made him win the challenge.

 

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13:45 with the huge expanse of water in all directions and the failing daylight, I decided to overnight at the 4th waypoint (Adak I or PADU in Alaska). Adak Island (Aleut: Adaax]) is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island. The island has a land area of 274.59 square miles (711.18 km2), measuring 33.9 miles (54.5 km) on length and 22 miles (35 km) on width, making it the 25th largest island in the United States. Due to harsh winds, frequent cloud cover, and cold temperatures, vegetation is mostly tundra (grasses, mosses, berries, low-lying flowering plants) at lower elevations. The highest point is Mt. Moffett, near the northwest end of the island, at an elevation of 3,924 feet (1,196 m). It is snow covered the greater part of the year. Adak, Alaska, is its largest and principal city. The word Adak is from the Aleut word adaq, which means "father".

With 910 nautical miles flown, I'm off to a hot shower and a hot meal, refuelling the Cat and preparing for what comes next in this somewhat scary northern crossing of the Pacific. Of course never forget the beers! Cheers :cheers_s:

(... tbc.)

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13 hours ago, Jeff W said:

Very informative narrative.  Learning a lot on this trip.  Thanks.

Thank you very much for your nice words, Jeff. Best wishes.

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(... Cont'd.)

 

The story continues, the northern crossing of the Pacific. This part is all in Alaska,

 

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05 Nov. 08:00 took off from Adak (PADK) to continue on to PADU. Temperature was 1 Deg. C wind was calm and the QNU is 1002. Adak is a state owned, public use airport located west of Adak, on Adak Island in the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is the farthest west for the entire United States at 176.64W. Adak's airport is one of the largest and most sophisticated airports in the Aleutian Islands. Built by the U.S. Navy for Naval air transport, the airport is a world-class facility consisting of a 7,800-foot (2,400 m) runway and a 7,600-foot (2,300 m) runway, equipped with an Instrument Landing System and glideslope which facilitate Instrument Flight Rules landings. Adak currently has scheduled jet service provided by Alaska Airlines.

 

 

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Climbed to cruising altitude, and at 08:30 was cruising at 12,599ft. the outside air temperature was -22C, my ground speed was 125 kt.

 

 

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10:30 passing Mount Vsevidof, which is a stratovolcano in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its summit is the highest point on Umnak Island, one of the eastern Aleutian Islands. Its symmetrical cone rises abruptly from its surroundings. Its most recent eruption was caused by an earthquake on March 9, 1957. The mountain erupted on March 11, 1957, and the eruption ended the next day.

 

 

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12:50 flew over the peak of Mount Shishaldin. It is a moderately active volcano on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of Alaska. It is the highest mountain peak of the Aleutian Islands.

 

 

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13:35 overhead The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, the smallest of the National Wildlife Refuges located in the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies on the northwest (Bering Sea) coastal side of central Aleutians East Borough. Most of the refuge (300,000 acres) was designated as Wilderness in 1980 under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The refuge is administered from offices in Cold Bay.

 

 

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14:41 finds us over Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve is a U.S. National Monument and National Preserve, consisting of the region around the Aniakchak volcano on the Aleutian Range of south-western Alaska. The 601,294-acre (243,335 ha) monument is one of the least-visited places in the National Park System due to its remote location and difficult weather. The area was proclaimed a National Monument on December 1, 1978, and established as a National Monument and Preserve on December 2, 1980. The National Monument encompasses 137,176 acres (55,513 ha) and the preserve 464,118 acres (187,822 ha). Visitation to Aniakchak is the lowest of all areas of the U.S. National Park System, according to the NPS, with only 134 documented recreational visits in 2014. Most visitors fly into Surprise Lake inside Aniakchak Crater, but the frequent fog and other adverse weather conditions make landing in the lake difficult. It is also possible to fly into the nearby village of Port Heiden and proceed overland to the Aniakchak Crater.

 

 

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16:10 and with the last light of the day, made it to Kodiak. Overnighting here because I do not fancy flying at night in these quarters.  Kodiak is one of seven communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline. The population was 6,130 as of the 2010 census. 2014 estimates put the population at 6,304.Originally inhabited by Alutiiq natives for over 7,000 years, the city was settled in the 18th century by the subjects of the Russian crown and became the capital of Russian Alaska. Harvesting of the area's sea otter pelts led to the near extinction of the animal in the following century and led to wars with and enslavement of the natives for over 150 years. After the Alaska Purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to be the mainstay of its economy. A lesser economic influence includes tourism, mainly by those seeking outdoor adventure trips. Salmon, halibut, the unique Kodiak bear, elk, Sitka deer (black tail), and mountain goats attract hunting tourists as well as fishermen to the Kodiak Archipelago. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains an office in the city and a website to help hunters and fishermen obtain the proper permits and learn about the laws specific to the Kodiak area. The city has four public elementary schools, a middle and high school, as well as a branch of the University of Alaska. An antenna farm at the summit of Pillar Mountain above the city historically provided communication with the outside world before fiber optic cable was run. Transportation to and from the island is provided by ferry service on the Alaska Marine Highway as well as local commercial airlines.

 

 

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06 Nov. 08:00 with a fresh day of light at hand, took off from Kodiak. Runway 29, took a heading of 82 Deg. towards Annette Island, the waind was 7 Kts and the QNH a high 1030 which promises good weather. The visibility was 43 nm.

 

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10:30 I took this shot in the middle of nowhere, over the bay of Alaska. I wanted to document the feeling of solitude while flying over a completely featureless seascape that extends beyond the horizons. I feel so lucky to have crossed all of this in excellent weather. The Pacific is HUGE!

 

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14:55 finally at Annette Island. There is not much in there but this marks the end of the most hazardous parts of this leg. From now on I should be flying alongside the US west coast till San Francesco. Annette Island is an island in the Gravina Islands of the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean on the southeastern coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is about 18 km (11 mi) long and about 18 km (11 mi) wide. Annette Island is located west across the Revillagigedo Channel from the Alaska mainland and south of Revillagigedo Island. The Island was named in 1879 by William Healey Dall, an American naturalist and explorer in Alaska, in honor of his wife Annette Whitney Dall. Since the late 19th century, it has been the base of the Annette Island Reserve of the Metlakatla Indian Community, composed mostly of Tsimshian people. This is the only remaining Indian reservation in Alaska.

 

Thanks to Wikipedia for all the info, and hope you enjoy the exponential surge in knowledge that this journey offered each and every one of us. I will enjoy a good rest and head south tomorrow! Cheers :cheers_s:

(... tbc.)

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Great diary!! Sorry to say, I never got around to complimenting you on that emergency beer transfer from the Otter!!  What a humane act!!!!

 

I'm sorry we missed you yesterday when you were in Kodiak!  We ended up staying overnight in Juneau last night due to the RW winter weather forecasts.  I haven't looked around outside this morning so I don't know hoe bad things were.  Hope they didn't affect you!!  And frankly I also hope both the Honda and the Beaver are safe as well!!

 

BTW:  Where is that post with the frequent flyer miles?  Sue Ling and I are fervently hoping Mae Ling will opt to travel Emirates when we arrive in Seattle!  We really would appreciate receiving those frequent flyer miles!!   :P:P

 

Rupert

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Juneau Weather Update.  I was just on Wunderground and discovered we're still under a high wind warning until at least 09:00 her in Juneau.  We didn't get any additional snow last night, which is a relief.  But we're not even going down to the hangers until we get some better news about the wind!

 

Rupert

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(... Cont'd.)

 

Final part of this leg, getting to San Francesco.

 

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07 Nov. 09:00 take off Annette Island, R/W 30, Wind Calm, Light Clouds, Temp 14 Deg. C, QNH 1013

 

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09:07 Climbing over Dog Bay and taking a heading of 146 magnetic that should get us to SF after 1,111 nautical miles.

 

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11:05  Flying over Lanz and Cox islands provincial park  in British Columbia, Canada, located off Cape Scott on Northern Vancouver Island.

 

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Hit US landfall at Kalmiopsis Wilderness, which is in the Klamath Mountains of south-western Oregon, within the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest.

 

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17:00 Reached Top of Descent (TOD) point over San Pablo Bay. It is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in the East Bay and North Bay regions of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California.

 

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17:10 Overhead the breathtakingly beautiful San Francesco Bay area. Enjoying the beauty of the scene as I descend towards my destination.

 

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17:15 Passing the Oakland Bay Bridge and seeing both Alcatraz and Treasure Islands.

 

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17:25 Touchdown R/W 28R at San Francesco Int'l

 

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17:30 Safely parked at last. That was quite a leg! As soon as everything is in order head out to freshen up and enjoy the beauty of the city. Quenching the thirst as well!  :cheers_s:

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Hey Brother!  I just got the wire with the Frequent Flyer Miles!!  Thanks so much!!  As soon as we get to SeaTac Mae Ling (MamaSan) will start traveling in a one person suite on Emeriates!!;):D

 

Rupert

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25 minutes ago, rupert said:

Hey Brother!  I just got the wire with the Frequent Flyer Miles!!  Thanks so much!!  As soon as we get to SeaTac Mae Ling (MamaSan) will start traveling in a one person suite on Emeriates!!;):D

 

Rupert

 

I travelled once on board it To Entebbe on business class. Overnight in Dubai (their hub) was truly 5 stars, paid for by the Airline. On the way back the plane had no business, only first, so we were automatically upgraded to 1st. Class. The luxury was surreal, I had the chef de cabin come to the boarding area to take me on board and to carry my camera bag and my laptop bag! The on board entertainment system had 4,096 choices of what to watch. I had a 24" screen in front of me, and the seat reclines to fully flat (a full bed). The food trolley was silver service and the plates were hot. There was only me and another passenger in the 1st Class cabin, so we were spoiled extra. I am sure your "mother in law" will have a swell time. 

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Whoa!!!  Mae Ling isn't my mother in law!!  Sue and I are "friends" traveling together!!;)

 

But yes, your experience traveling with Emirates sounds like the best ever!!  My best long flight experience was when I and seven others traveled from San Francisco to Narita (Japan) in first class on the upper deck of a 747 in 19987.  The upper deck had a piano, which was played off and on during the flight and the eight of us had our own stewardess 24/7 and everything we could ever desire to eat and/or drink was inclusive.  Through most of my business career I always traveled Business class.  But on this flight, since four of us were about to write a $37,000,000 check to Komatsu, they made sure we were happy every foot of the way! 

 

However we didn't have a reclining bed!!:(  I guess they hadn't been installed or even thought of yet in 1987.

 

Yet again, thanks for taking MamaSan out of the picture!!  I'm sure our flights will be a lot less stressful till the rest of the rally!

 

Rupert

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20 hours ago, rupert said:

 

However we didn't have a reclining bed!!:(  I guess they hadn't been installed or even thought of yet in 1987.

 

 

This is what I was on:

 

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The 10" tablet device is actually the remote control for the entertainment system, with 4096 choices of what to watch, all the latest stuff, the screen is 24"

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, DaveLTB said:

Your Alaska poster is priceless ;)

Thank you Dave, only a man of good taste would never pass this without duly noting. Cheers :cheers_s: 

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The next leg, is San Francesco to New York, 2251 nautical miles on a west to east track. I will try to make it in two hops, probably stop in the middle (Lincoln, Nebraska) for an overnight. Again because this is a mainly overland leg, I will temporarily part with my Cat and reunite with her at the end of the leg for the final show.

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I have chosen a beautiful and historically significant aircraft for this leg. It is one of my favourite FSX models and is a true pleasure to fly.

 

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This is the baby, it's a DC-2 with the colours of the KLM Uiver.

 

 

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Took the baby for a check-ride of the San Francesco bay area, just to once more get the feel of her after not flying her for some time.

 

 

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The Douglas DC-2 is a 14-seat, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. It is the predecessor to the larger DC-3, which became one of the most successful aircraft in history.

General characteristics

  • Crew: two-three
  • Capacity: 14 passengers
  • Length: 62 ft 6 in (19.1 m)
  • Wingspan: 85 ft 0 in (25.9 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.8 m)
  • Wing area: 940 ft² (87.3 m²)
  • Empty weight: 12,455 lb (5,650 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 18,560 lb (8,420 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Wright GR-1820-F53 Cyclone 9-cylinder radial engines, 730 hp (540 kW) each

Performance

 

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Although overshadowed by its ubiquitous successor, it was the DC-2 that first showed that passenger air travel could be comfortable, safe and reliable. As a token of this, KLM entered its first DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (Stork) in the October 1934 MacRobertson Air Race between London and Melbourne. Out of the 20 entrants, it finished second behind only the purpose-built de Havilland DH.88 racer Grosvenor House. During the total journey time of 90 hours, 13 min, it was in the air for 81 hours, 10 min, and won the handicap section of the race. It flew KLM's regular 9,000 mile route, (a thousand miles longer than the official race route), carrying mails, making every scheduled passenger stop, turning back once to pick up a stranded passenger, and even became lost in a thunderstorm and briefly stuck in the mud after a diversionary landing at Albury racecourse on the very last leg of the journey.

 

 

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Sadly, on 20 December 1934, some four months after winning the race, the Uiver crashed in Rutbah Wells, Iraq en route from Amsterdam to Batavia, on a leg between Cario and Baghdad. There were no survivors out of the seven people on board.The ensuing investigation blamed the crash on "unfavourable weather conditions along with less favourable handling characteristics of the airplane in severe turbulence and fatigue of the pilot ...have resulted in a collision with the ground." I am using this model as a humble tribute to those pioneering brave aviators who lost their lives so tragically. May their memory live on.

 

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