How do you fly long haul?

[BFMF]

This thread has inspired me to fly around the world in the Spartan Executive in FSX.

I've already flown the Spartan from Eastern Washington to Seattle, up the coast to Anchorage, down the Aleution Islands and over to Petropavlovsk, Russia, and i'm now making my way down the Kuril Islands to Japan. Logged 23 hours so far. All done real time, at or near the computer, no GPS, and with real world weather. Not bad, eh...?

I plan to stop on every continent, except Antarctica.

[ApplePie]

This thread has inspired me to fly around the world in the Spartan Executive in FSX.

I've already flown the Spartan from Eastern Washington to Seattle, up the coast to Anchorage, down the Aleution Islands and over to Petropavlovsk, Russia, and i'm now making my way down the Kuril Islands to Japan. Logged 23 hours so far. All done real time, at or near the computer, no GPS, and with real world weather. Not bad, eh...?

I plan to stop on every continent, except Antarctica.

Good luck! I once tried flying transatlantic from from Boston to London via Canada, Greenland, and Iceland in a Cessna 210. I was about 15 miles from the coast of England when I ran out of fuel. I was sooo close!

[BFMF]

This thread has inspired me to fly around the world in the Spartan Executive in FSX.

I've already flown the Spartan from Eastern Washington to Seattle, up the coast to Anchorage, down the Aleution Islands and over to Petropavlovsk, Russia, and i'm now making my way down the Kuril Islands to Japan. Logged 23 hours so far. All done real time, at or near the computer, no GPS, and with real world weather. Not bad, eh...?

I plan to stop on every continent, except Antarctica.

Good luck! I once tried flying transatlantic from from Boston to London via Canada, Greenland, and Iceland in a Cessna 210. I was about 15 miles from the coast of England when I ran out of fuel. I was sooo close!

Thanks.

That sucks...!

I can easily fly the Spartan over 900 miles between refueling, so as long as I strategically plan my route, i'll be fine 8-)

[Pieter G. Wijtsma]

Once I flew from Amsterdam to New York in a KLM 747; I saved the flight a few times, but it was very boring (not much else but sea down there) and I was stupid enough to crash at JFK, so I felt it hadn't been worth my time.

I had more fun flying from Chania, Crete, to Amsterdam in a Transavia 737, reliving a flight I made in real life as a passenger. More to see down there: Greece, the Croatian islands, the Alps around Innsbruck...but I forgot to watch the fuel flow, so I landed in Amsterdam on the last drops of kerosine.

In general, I prefer to fly short flights, up to one hour each, over beautiful terrain (Santiago de Chile to Mendoza, Geneva to Turin, Spokane to Seattle - stunning views of Mt. Rainier along the way!). Keeps me more or less busy in the cockpit, in my own amateurish way.

PGW

[BFMF]

In general, I prefer to fly short flights, up to one hour each, over beautiful terrain (Spokane to Seattle - stunning views of Mt. Rainier along the way!). Keeps me more or less busy in the cockpit, in my own amateurish way.

Its a beautifull flight isn't it.... 8-)

[turbofire]

This my first post on this forum.

[BFMF]

[quote]This my first post on this forum.

[TigerAl]

I've flown a 'round the world' in a combination of LearJet for the big hops and Cessna 172 for short and sightseeing around some of the cities ... both default planes.

The route was across America first then Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand then Far East, Middle East, Europe then back home.

[BFMF]

[quote]Also tried another RTW but North to south - down Africa and planned to go over the South Pole and back up the other side - no-one told me the FS9 map doesn't work this way.

[Nav]

Super map, BMFW!

Very close to my own routes in short-range types. Looks as if it even includes Eareckson and the (dreaded) Yelizovo.

[TigerAl]

Cool map!!

My version's SO last century ... wall map, red pen and a ruler.

[BFMF]

[quote]Super map, BMFW!

Very close to my own routes in short-range types. Looks as if it even includes Eareckson and the (dreaded) Yelizovo.

[Ang2dogs]

[
It really depends on how you want to fly long flights. For me, I navigate using real charts, pilotage, dead reckoning, nav radios ect. I never create a flightplan, and couple the autopilot to the GPS and watch the computer navigate for me. I don't even use the GPS.

Flying cross country flights when you're the one actively navigating, checking your sectional charts, cross referencing the chart vs landmarks on the ground, busy dialing in nav radios and navigating down radials to your checkpoints, calculating your own heading/speed/location, and using your compass and clock makes things a lot more challenging and interesting.

You can still do it in the heavies. File an IFR flightplan, and instead of checking the GPS direct to option, plan your route over VOR stations spaced out 1-2 hundred miles. Don't use the Nav option on the autopilot, and don't even touch or look at the GPS. I'll guarantee you that you won't be as bored...

I've currently flown just under 40 hours on my 'round the world flight, flying from Spokane WA to my current location in the Philippines island. I've only opened the GPS once so far, because I accidentally pushed the wrong window button on my keyboard. It has since been removed from the aircraft. [glow=yellow,2,300]I don't need no stinkin' GPS to fly around the world... [/glow];D

Once you learn to navigate old school, via VOR's & NDB's or just by deadrekoning, you'll never want to use GPS again. The longest flight I did was San Diego, CA to Brooklyn, NY in a Curtis Jenny that took 31 and a half hours long (which I'm still in the process of writing a transcript about my experience), just using the onboard compass, a watch, and a Rand McNally road atlas! But since I've learned to fly using radio nav equipment, I really enjoy flying 3hr flights in GA piston powered aircraft. Nothing like tuneing radio frqs, setting headings, checking the charts, watching the time, and maintaning course, too keep a pilot from getting board ! My 2nd longest flight was a trip to Mt Everest started from my home base in Rapid City, SD in a C208B heading westward. Navigating over land is easy, but once you head out over the water you really got to pay attention (without cheating by looking at the GPS) to stay on course. So the moral of the story is,,,,, if ya don't wanna be bored, learn to fly like you would have to in the real world, cause even thoe this is only a sim, you can still imagine what can happen if you get lost over the ocean, or run out of fuel over a mountain range. But here's the real secret to staying alert (especially if you like doing long hauls in jetliners), I'll choose a failure and set it up this way,,,,,, it's set to go off 20mins after I start the engine(s), and than I set it to the max, 600mins (that's a span of 9hrs&40mins), by the time 20mins have gone by I've already forgotten about it, and hopefully by the time I am landing, nothing has gone wrong. So far i've only incountered minor problems (still relitively rarely), just remember to reset before your next flight (if you saved it), otherwise you will get caught off guard, and then your boredom will really turn into excitement

[aussiewannabe]

The longest flight I did was San Diego, CA to Brooklyn, NY in a Curtis Jenny that took 31 and a half hours long (which I'm still in the process of writing a transcript about my experience), just using the onboard compass, a watch, and a Rand McNally road atlas!

Outstanding accomplishment

My 2nd longest flight was a trip to Mt Everest started from my home base in Rapid City, SD

Home of Ellsworth Air Force Base. Oh, those were the days 8-)

[turbofire]

For something interesting, look up the routes of the Imperial Airways at the end of 1933, from London to Cape Town as well as from London to Singapore.