Rodger Pettichord Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 Hi all. 2024 will be a fun year in flight simulation. Microsoft will release its brand-new 2024 version. X-Plane, Aerofly FS, and P3D will offer upgrades. Orbx and other developers will present new options. It will be a great year to do some serious flying. I, for example, am going to pick up a Basler PT-67 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and fly it down North and South America then down to Rothera, Antarctica, to reproduce a rescue flight that Ken Borek's team did in June, 2016 (they did it in a Twin Otter). And that leads to this week's topic. THIS WEEK'S MEANINGLESS TOPIC: What flight sim travels/adventures do you hope to undertake in 2024? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Abernathy Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I'm planning a trip from N California to New Jersey this year with my truck/travel trailer. I'll fly a route to make sure I get all the scenic stuff! 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Heaton Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 2 trips - when 2024 arrives with its promises - both replicating my flights from UK to Cyprus for my military service in 1956/57 DC6 via Luqa in Malta - and via Munich and Athens in a Viscount - will need a substitute - probably the old Boeing - but no jets 6 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 (edited) My annual long cross country in the Mooney, from SoCal to Oshkosh to participate in PilotEdge's "SimVenture". In the past I've gone a northern route, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, or a more central route through northern Nevada, Utah and Iowa. This time I think I'll go a more southern route via southern Arizona, New Mexico, then slant northeast through Kansas. SimVenture is a great event held every July two weeks before EAA's AirVenture. Fly the Fisk or Warbird Arrival (depending on aircraft) with actual Oshkosh ATC controllers. I always take some vacation time and fly the Fisk Arrival several times. Then.fly.back to SoCal by a different route. Ken Edited January 4 by Ken Q 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I usually stick within Australia but I would like to see more of New Zealand north and south islands. I don't seem to do much flying lately but hopefully I'll find the time this year. cheers Gumby 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Burgess Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 With MSFS I very much prefer exploring areas low and slow. I did, however, decide last year to have a final world tour in P3D (I'd spent quite a while fine tuning my v4 installation). Using my old, beat up 737 I started in Seattle and flew a rather roundabout route across to the East Coast. Then headed North over to Greenland, Iceland, The Faroes and home to Scotland. Down through Europe and finally made it as far as the Mediterranean and Istanbul where, of course, the East meets the West. There I ground to a halt. So this topic has reminded me I'd better get going again and head East. Not sure of the route but it'll have to include the Himalaya and Kathmandu. Then I suppose Tibet, China, Japan, Kamchatka, Alaska and back down to Seattle. All done without leaving my study or burning a single litre of aviation fuel. I'm expecting the Greta Thunberg award for sustainable tourism All the best, John 3 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wain71 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 inspiring posts, and a great topic for discussion.....I have always fancied a world tour but don't think I could keep it going until the end so I would like this year to start with just 1 continent, maybe across America, Australia or hope around my add on airports across Europe, the trouble is I don't get much personal flying in with the BETA testing but we'll see, maybe I will make an extra effort this year, I have even bought a log book just for this purpose, I do prefer small legs though.... 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 (edited) 16 hours ago, John Burgess said: With MSFS I very much prefer exploring areas low and slow. I did, however, decide last year to have a final world tour in P3D (I'd spent quite a while fine tuning my v4 installation). Using my old, beat up 737 I started in Seattle and flew a rather roundabout route across to the East Coast. Then headed North over to Greenland, Iceland, The Faroes and home to Scotland. Down through Europe and finally made it as far as the Mediterranean and Istanbul where, of course, the East meets the West. There I ground to a halt. So this topic has reminded me I'd better get going again and head East. Not sure of the route but it'll have to include the Himalaya and Kathmandu. Then I suppose Tibet, China, Japan, Kamchatka, Alaska and back down to Seattle. All done without leaving my study or burning a single litre of aviation fuel. I'm expecting the Greta Thunberg award for sustainable tourism All the best, John Well, John, once you get to Seattle, here's a thought. Plan to get there by June, then send that tired old 737 to the shop for some much needed maintenance. Then acquire a good low and slow, or perhaps a not so low and so slow, aircraft and head east. You could do it an a 172 or 182, but a Mooney Bravo or Ovation would be faster. Enjoy the scenery and the challenging mountain flying. A stop at Cle Elum, then visit Rodger (if he's home) landing at Felts Field. Then a stop at Glacier Park, and then dip south to Jackson Hole. East again through South Dakota, Minnesota, and finally into Wisconsin. Meet me at Fond du Lac by mid July, and we can fly the Fisk arrival into Oshkosh together. Great fun! Check the gas prices at every stop, and be glad you're not paying them! Ken Edited January 6 by Ken Q 1 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 51 minutes ago, Ken Q said: Well, John, once you get to Seattle, here's a thought. Plan to get there by June, then send that tired old 737 to the shop for some much needed maintenance. Then acquire a good low and slow, or perhaps a not so low and so slow, aircraft and head east. You could do it an a 172 or 182, but a Mooney Bravo or Ovation would be faster. Enjoy the scenery and the challenging mountain flying. A stop at Cle Elum, then visit Rodger (if he's home) landing at Felts Field. Then a stop at Glacier Park, and then dip south to Jackson Hole. East again through South Dakota, Minnesota, and finally into Wisconsin. Meet me at Fond du Lac by mid July, and we can fly the Fisk arrival into Oshkosh together. Great fun! Check the gas prices at every stop, and be glad you're not paying them! Ken Ken that sounds similar to your instructions for me to get to your place for xmas. cheers Gumby 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 (edited) Yes Gumby, I suppose so. But here John has a couple of months to do this. In your case we only had a few days, so we had to get creative. Since the Concordes have become museum pieces, the best I could come up with was the Air-o-doodle. Fortunately no one has religated that to a museum, but the only one built was not available. But since we have over six months, I can meet you in Fond du Lac too. Ken Edited January 6 by Ken Q 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Heaton Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 On 1/5/2024 at 9:39 AM, gumbypickett said: I usually stick within Australia but I would like to see more of New Zealand north and south islands. I don't seem to do much flying lately but hopefully I'll find the time this year. cheers Gumby Gumby reminds me of a fight I did about 4 years ago - in P3D well before the birth of MSFS It was a - "Keep Australia on the Left" sort of flight - passing over the 4 cardinal extremities of our "Island" (12000miles) flying the Nomad - PA 34 (wish we had one in MS) Maybe I will do it again - post MS2024 - in the FSR 500 - a great aircraft - even though it has Glass instruments however - maybe the TBM 850 - or maybe - the twin 414 - steam gauges - for safety Decisions - decisions - 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 5 hours ago, Ken Q said: Yes Gumby, I suppose so. But here John has a couple of months to do this. In your case we only had a few days, so we had to get creative. Since the Concordes have become museum pieces, the best I could come up with was the Air-o-doodle. Fortunately no one has religated that to a museum, but the only one built was not available. But since we have over six months, I can meet you in Fond du Lac too. Ken I'm not going anywhere where you live, I'll end up in the Artic ocean. I'm going to take up flying kites. But thanks anyway.😟 cheers Gumby 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 37 minutes ago, John Heaton said: Gumby reminds me of a fight I did about 4 years ago - in P3D well before the birth of MSFS It was a - "Keep Australia on the Left" sort of flight - passing over the 4 cardinal extremities of our "Island" (12000miles) flying the Nomad - PA 34 (wish we had one in MS) Maybe I will do it again - post MS2024 - in the FSR 500 - a great aircraft - even though it has Glass instruments however - maybe the TBM 850 - or maybe - the twin 414 - steam gauges - for safety Decisions - decisions - Do you mean we can fight in P3d? What ever next! cheers Gumby 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Burgess Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 7 hours ago, Ken Q said: Check the gas prices at every stop, and be glad you're not paying them! - It's even worse across this side of 'the pond'. A fine sounding route you've suggested Ken. Always loved exploring the first section - Cle Elum and Felts field are sceneries I haven't visited for a while. I remember the waterfalls in the middle of Spokane. Mind you I'd have to take a detour down into Nebraska to visit the grandkids! A turn SE from Mount Rushmore should do the trick! All the best, John 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boetie Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 As I'm not proficient in the full systems of avionics, GPS and instrument flying I really enjoy VFR in the South Island of NZ. Visited the region in real life in October and was blown away by the splendor of the landscape and the atmosphere of the towns. The beauty of the place is astounding! There are heaps of quality freeware airports on flightsim.to. Just today I flew from Queenstown to Milford Sound with three stops enroute. I'll be exploring for a while. Cheers Graeme 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 (edited) 9 hours ago, John Burgess said: - It's even worse across this side of 'the pond'. A fine sounding route you've suggested Ken. Always loved exploring the first section - Cle Elum and Felts field are sceneries I haven't visited for a while. I remember the waterfalls in the middle of Spokane. Mind you I'd have to take a detour down into Nebraska to visit the grandkids! A turn SE from Mount Rushmore should do the trick! All the best, John I've gone through Nebraska on this trip too, stopping at Grand Island and Lincoln along the way. But I'm quite serious about SimVenture. This is a wonderful event. It's designed, with the cooperation of the controllers for AirVenture, as a practice/dry run for pilots flying into the show at the end of July. Since this relatively small rural airport has over 10,000 arrivals and departures in a little over a week, it is beneficial to have a practice run to understand routes and procedures. So while it is aimed at R/W pilots planning on attending, it is open to all, real world and SIM pilots alike. While a PilotEdge membership is required, the service offers a free trial which is generous enough to experience this program. Besides, I recommend PilotEdge to anyone who wants real, professional ATC as part of an immersive flight SIM experience. Unfortunately they only cover the western two thirds of the US. I should note that I (almost) always fly point to point, and hardly ever use the go-to-airport function. I'll be leaving SoCal for.Wisconsin in mid June. Actual dates, scenery and the "Notice" (formerly the "Notam") will be posted on the PilotEdge website. And if actually talking to ATC makes you uncomfortable, don't worry. They do all the talking, unless it's quiet enough for a little chit-chat. We just have to follow instructions. The event can have a few hundred SIM pilots engaged at a time. Ken Edited January 6 by Ken Q 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Burgess Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 1 hour ago, Ken Q said: I've gone through Nebraska on this trip too, stopping at Grand Island and Lincoln along the way. My family are in Omaha. My son Pete used to instruct out of Council Bluffs (Iowa) but is now a pilot with United. I've even got to go to a Huskers game in Lincoln! As for flying online - I've never tried it but maybe should. Never heard of 'go to airport' Back in the day Rob A and I were testers for Radar Contact so I got to learn a bit about atc whilst doing that. The one thing I remember above all else was Doug, who was the actual air traffic controller, mentioning someone who said it's a bit boring (in other words it always worked the same way). His reply - that's how it's supposed to work! All the best, John 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 13 minutes ago, John Burgess said: My family are in Omaha. My son Pete used to instruct out of Council Bluffs (Iowa) but is now a pilot with United. I've even got to go to a Huskers game in Lincoln! As for flying online - I've never tried it but maybe should. Never heard of 'go to airport' Back in the day Rob A and I were testers for Radar Contact so I got to learn a bit about atc whilst doing that. The one thing I remember above all else was Doug, who was the actual air traffic controller, mentioning someone who said it's a bit boring (in other words it always worked the same way). His reply - that's how it's supposed to work! All the best, John My father was born in Atlantic, Iowa, and in WW2 joined the US Coast Guard in Council Bluffs, IA. Unfortunately, he died shortly after the War, when I was two, so I never heard about growing up there from him. As a young child I visited his father (my Grandpa) in Omaha. Some memories, but rather vague. In P3D "go to..." is in "Navigation," in FSX it was in "World." It allows for selecting a starting point for any flight. ATC is minimalist "online flying." Do need a minimal capability USB headset. The Logitech is satisfactory, and quite cheap. I got started with an online friend known as "Basement Fly Guy" who is no longer active. But being introduced to it by someone familiar with it is helpful. Now I'm willing to do likewise, so if you like to try it with a flight together, I'm willing. Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillwater Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 The next virtual flight tours for me will be preparations of upcoming travels: Australia: Victoria (Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Grampians), Tasmania: Launceston (just to let you know, @gumbypickett ) - Cradle Mountain - Strahan - Hobart), NSW: (Sydney) Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Cape Town You can be sure I post as much as I can, given the condition that there is some Orbx-sold stuff in it. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 2 hours ago, Stillwater said: The next virtual flight tours for me will be preparations of upcoming travels: Australia: Victoria (Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Grampians), Tasmania: Launceston (just to let you know, @gumbypickett ) - Cradle Mountain - Strahan - Hobart), NSW: (Sydney) Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Cape Town You can be sure I post as much as I can, given the condition that there is some Orbx-sold stuff in it. Thats one hell of a trip Gerold, don't forget to pack all weather gear.☂️🥵 cheers Gumby 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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