This Week's Meaningless Topic (#54) (Sept 18)

[Rodger Pettichord]

Hi all. I've been flying a C-7 Caribou in FSX Orbx Papua New Guinea. I'm flying a circle route -- Moresby, Kokoda, Asimba, Yongai, Ononge, Woitape, Kosipe, Fane, Tapini, Karuku Island, Moresby. Many of these sites are on ridges or mountain sides; others in deep valleys. Flying them as a route requires a lot of ridge-hopping and steep descents, plus the thrill of the short, undeveloped runways themselves. It's a great way to learn a plane and to polish bush skills. Which brings us to this week's topic.

 

THIS WEEK'S MEANINGLESS TOPIC: Which Orbx airstrips have most helped you develop your flying skills? Any particular plane(s)?

[Stillwater]

Surely the Kokoda bushstrips are on the top of the list, for me in a Twin Otter. For Jack it might be the 747.

 

But I would not forget tricky places with mountains or offsets like Narvik (Dash 8), Innsbruck (A320), Queenstown (A320), Telluride (Hawker XP 850) or Juneau (with any plane using the ILS). And all these helipads coming along as bonus with the airorts, like the Palm Springs Tramway or all these hospitals.

[Sniper31]

For me, it would have to be places like Darrington, Bella Coola, Narvik is a good one, Agua Dulce...basically, having to deal with more complex approaches due to blocking terrain like mountains and large hills. The PNG airports are also up there, but I just have not flown into or out of them enough to say that they have definitively helped improve my sim flying. But, Darrington, Bella Coola and Narvik, well, I have hundreds of takeoffs and landings in the sims at those three airports. 

 

Landon  

[adambar]

Probably Papua New Guinea for me as well.   I also learned the names of all the bushes as I spent most of my time there and how to treat all the various rashes, abrasions I received. 

[Ken Q]

I certainly agree with Stillwater about Telluride, and Landon about Agua Dulce.  But all of the mountain top and deep valley airports in the Orbx West Coast regions are a learning experience.  In particular I'd cite Kern Valley (L05) Marble Canyon (L41) for the valleys, and Blue Canyon (KBLU) and Catalina (KAVX) for the mountain tops.  Flying from Reno to Blue Canyon is especially interesting because it goes right over the site where the Donner Party was snowed in (with tragic consequences) during the winter of 1846-47.

 

Ken

[gregmorin]

All of them add a varying level of different skills required. The PNG bush strips are the most challenging for bush flying. LOWI and NZQN for airliners on an IFR approach.

 

Greg

[Ken Q]

I should have included L35, Big Bear City.  I've been humbled every time I land there or take off.  At 6750 ft elevation, a narrow runway, and surrounded by torturous terrain, it is a super challenge, and add to it a high density altitude in the summer!  I've yet to make a landing there in which I'd want to have a passenger on board.  This also the only airport where I've had to abort a take off more than once (twice).  A real challenge!

 

Ken

[Ken Q]

2 minutes ago, Ken Q said:

I should have included L35, Big Bear City.  I've been humbled every time I land there or take off.  At 6750 ft elevation, a narrow runway, and surrounded by torturous terrain, it is a super challenge, and add to it a high density altitude in the summer!  I've yet to make a landing there in which I'd want to have a passenger on board.  This also the only airport where I've had to abort a take off more than once (twice).  A real challenge!

 

Ken

By the way, after trying a number of different aircraft, I've settled on the Mooney M20M (Bravo).

[Rob Abernathy]

Any Orbx scenery with a water landing.  My pax don't like it when I bounce  them around.

[adambar]

1 hour ago, Rob Abernathy said:

Any Orbx scenery with a water landing.  My pax don't like it when I bounce  them around.

I suppose they will be much happier treading water. 

[Rob Abernathy]

33 minutes ago, adambar said:

I suppose they will be much happier treading water. 

 

O, I always point out a cruising shark or Orca as we get lower.  Keeps 'em in their seats.  

[gumbypickett]

I mainly fly tubes, using the basic set ups, I'm not that smart.

But ymlt and ymml would be my favourite grounds. The ground crew 

just run for their lives when they see me coming.

cheers

Gumby

[John York]

I seem to remember Leeds was always a challenge.  If you ran off the end of the runway, you fell off the edge of a cliff!

[boetie]

I wrecked a few planes at freeware Vashon Muni.