Equatorial RTW flight in modified DC3
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 9:00 pmIt seems I've caught "Round-the-world fever", and in my delirious state have decided to do it the hard way: along the equator. Well, not entirely along the equator, but in such a way that every leg will cross the equator, with each stop only a few degrees north or south.
I'm starting from General Rivadeneira Airport in Manta, Ecuador. The first stop is to the west at Puerto Villamil in the Galapagos Islands, nearly 700 nm away.
The ship has been modified: seats removed, and extra fuel loaded in auxiliary tanks for a total of 1550 gallons. The fuel consumption figures for the trip as shown by FS9 don't seem right, so although this current mod. is probably not enough for the second looong leg from P.V. to Cassidy Airport in the Christmas Islands, I know it'll get me through the first leg, and give me a fair idea of the real consumption rate. Flying alone, I've brought about 200 lbs. of rations, survival gear, and small parts. Might need some heavy stuff for repairs later, but I've got ground crews meeting me along the trip with spare engines, tires, etc., as well as lots of fuel and oil.
I'll only be using the 1930s nav. radios for the entire voyage- no GPS, no VOR radials, no peeking at the map. I suppose a lone pilot on such a trip could also navigate by stars and sun, but I don't know much about that.Doubt it would work very well in FS9 anyway...
I've guesstimated my mag. compass corrections, and will tweak it every so often to compensate for variation. After this first leg, I'll probably go IFR, at least over the water routes, so I'll have a little help and occasional altimeter settings...
Takeoff from SETN goes well; soon I'm climbing out over the ocean.
Soon there is nothing but low clouds, mist, and water. The IA at 2500 is disappointing, but winds are favorable; I should have plenty of fuel.
"Well, this is exciting", I say to myself. Starting to wish I'd filed IFR: I've got nobody to talk to now.
Finally, land appears: I am well ahead of the arrival time estimated by the FS Flight Planner. Assuming, of course, that this is the Galapagos Islands. but it must be... there's nothing else for thousands of miles. I try to raise Seymour, but for some reason I can't raise anybody. Maybe the tower's closed... I climb a bit to better orient myself, continuing more or less on my original heading.
Realizing I'm north of my intended course, I skirt the tip of the first island, heading SW. A mass of clouds looms in the way...
Eventually I spy Puerto Villamil ; in my haste to get down I wind up landing way long. Between that and the load of fuel still remaining, I barely stop the big twin before rolling down a hill. The good news: it only took 4 hours and a little over 500gals. of fuel to get here. the bad news: That won't cut it for the next leg: nearly 4,000 miles over the empty Pacific to the Christmas Islands.
Since Puerto Villamil has no fuel available, my ground crew has brought some over from Seymour. I tell them to go get more- along with materials and tools to install more auxiliary tanks. Looks like we'll be staying here a little while...
This is how poorly my ded. reckoning worked out; not disastrous but that error of a few degress could mean real trouble on the next leg.
I can't find the credits for the "Bare Metal" texture; part of a package I got somewhere. This DC3 also uses M. Beaumont and D. Bitzer's DC3_BB3.zip, which is a cfg tweak for a more realistic
experience. The weight and fuel mods (which I'll change again for the next leg) are my own amateurish work...
The water and cloud textures are add-ons also, but again, I can't remember where they came from. Need to rummage through my folders...
Next: The Big One- Galapagos Islands to Christmas Islands!!
I'm starting from General Rivadeneira Airport in Manta, Ecuador. The first stop is to the west at Puerto Villamil in the Galapagos Islands, nearly 700 nm away.
The ship has been modified: seats removed, and extra fuel loaded in auxiliary tanks for a total of 1550 gallons. The fuel consumption figures for the trip as shown by FS9 don't seem right, so although this current mod. is probably not enough for the second looong leg from P.V. to Cassidy Airport in the Christmas Islands, I know it'll get me through the first leg, and give me a fair idea of the real consumption rate. Flying alone, I've brought about 200 lbs. of rations, survival gear, and small parts. Might need some heavy stuff for repairs later, but I've got ground crews meeting me along the trip with spare engines, tires, etc., as well as lots of fuel and oil.
I'll only be using the 1930s nav. radios for the entire voyage- no GPS, no VOR radials, no peeking at the map. I suppose a lone pilot on such a trip could also navigate by stars and sun, but I don't know much about that.Doubt it would work very well in FS9 anyway...
I've guesstimated my mag. compass corrections, and will tweak it every so often to compensate for variation. After this first leg, I'll probably go IFR, at least over the water routes, so I'll have a little help and occasional altimeter settings...
Takeoff from SETN goes well; soon I'm climbing out over the ocean.
Soon there is nothing but low clouds, mist, and water. The IA at 2500 is disappointing, but winds are favorable; I should have plenty of fuel.
"Well, this is exciting", I say to myself. Starting to wish I'd filed IFR: I've got nobody to talk to now.
Finally, land appears: I am well ahead of the arrival time estimated by the FS Flight Planner. Assuming, of course, that this is the Galapagos Islands. but it must be... there's nothing else for thousands of miles. I try to raise Seymour, but for some reason I can't raise anybody. Maybe the tower's closed... I climb a bit to better orient myself, continuing more or less on my original heading.
Realizing I'm north of my intended course, I skirt the tip of the first island, heading SW. A mass of clouds looms in the way...
Eventually I spy Puerto Villamil ; in my haste to get down I wind up landing way long. Between that and the load of fuel still remaining, I barely stop the big twin before rolling down a hill. The good news: it only took 4 hours and a little over 500gals. of fuel to get here. the bad news: That won't cut it for the next leg: nearly 4,000 miles over the empty Pacific to the Christmas Islands.
Since Puerto Villamil has no fuel available, my ground crew has brought some over from Seymour. I tell them to go get more- along with materials and tools to install more auxiliary tanks. Looks like we'll be staying here a little while...
This is how poorly my ded. reckoning worked out; not disastrous but that error of a few degress could mean real trouble on the next leg.
I can't find the credits for the "Bare Metal" texture; part of a package I got somewhere. This DC3 also uses M. Beaumont and D. Bitzer's DC3_BB3.zip, which is a cfg tweak for a more realistic
experience. The weight and fuel mods (which I'll change again for the next leg) are my own amateurish work...
The water and cloud textures are add-ons also, but again, I can't remember where they came from. Need to rummage through my folders...
Next: The Big One- Galapagos Islands to Christmas Islands!!