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The Staff of SOH
DHC's Adventures?? In The Andes
- Thread starter DHC120
- Start date
Flight #13 Down In Flames!!!
Took Off SPHO in broad daylight.. Next thing I know, I can see stars in the sky.. Where's the sun?? Sinking in the Pacific Ocean, and at a rapid rate!
Firewalled the throttles (engines be damned!) in an effort to arrive with "some" daylight left..
Fog set-in down in the valleys.. lovely.. At about fifteen miles out, I started descending from 16,000 to get below the fog.. That worked.. Got under fog, right over the town, so I'm looking for the airport.. I'm at 12,500'.. then 12,000 then 11,500', 11,000.. The runway is suppose to be at 10,860.. I got nothing, except I'm running out of town.. Why is it so black in front of me?? HILL!! Pull Up.. Climbed back to 12,500, went over hill into another town.. Slow descent, scanning the town for runway lights.. No lights, but I spotted the runway and it's only a few degrees off to my left.. Side-Slip the rudders, keeping the nose on the runway.. Too high, dropped to 11,500.. I coming down long, but I'm going slow enough that it won't be a problem.. Then the landing lights "Lit-Up" the runway.. in a TOTAL White-Out, the likes I haven't seen since the Blizzard in Rapid City (SD) in JUNE 1949!! I cannot see a thing.. I can't tell if I'm high, over the runway, nothing.. Then the ball of flame erupts.. Crap!!
Took Off SPHO in broad daylight.. Next thing I know, I can see stars in the sky.. Where's the sun?? Sinking in the Pacific Ocean, and at a rapid rate!
Firewalled the throttles (engines be damned!) in an effort to arrive with "some" daylight left..
Fog set-in down in the valleys.. lovely.. At about fifteen miles out, I started descending from 16,000 to get below the fog.. That worked.. Got under fog, right over the town, so I'm looking for the airport.. I'm at 12,500'.. then 12,000 then 11,500', 11,000.. The runway is suppose to be at 10,860.. I got nothing, except I'm running out of town.. Why is it so black in front of me?? HILL!! Pull Up.. Climbed back to 12,500, went over hill into another town.. Slow descent, scanning the town for runway lights.. No lights, but I spotted the runway and it's only a few degrees off to my left.. Side-Slip the rudders, keeping the nose on the runway.. Too high, dropped to 11,500.. I coming down long, but I'm going slow enough that it won't be a problem.. Then the landing lights "Lit-Up" the runway.. in a TOTAL White-Out, the likes I haven't seen since the Blizzard in Rapid City (SD) in JUNE 1949!! I cannot see a thing.. I can't tell if I'm high, over the runway, nothing.. Then the ball of flame erupts.. Crap!!
Wow! Got us sitting on the edge of our seats. What a tremendously bold effort. Hmmm. Now what is that saying about bold pilots and old pilots ...
Mike;
"There are Old Pilots and there are Bold Pilots... But there are NO Old, Bold Pilots!" (Except Gen. Chuck Yeager!!)
I didn't figure I was being bold, I've landed at night before (in a high-quality sim plane whose "Landing Lights" actually lit-up "down" the runway.. (FSX AccuSim B-17).. I can only say that the rendition code for the landing lights of the C-87 I'm using was (1) not tested for a night landing, or (2) not intended for actual night landing... Either way, I lose!
This makes Three Crashes.. 12 Maintenance Points.. I am highly discouraged.
Tenson;
Walking away from "spectacular" landings is a good thing in real-life.. we simmers only have to hit the "Reset Flight" button and it "erases" history (even the FS9 logbook has no record of the flight/crash)..
The problem is, in an event like the Clutch Cargo where doing well is dependent on a number of factors like fast flight times, low fuel consumption, high cargo loads and no mistakes (maintenance points), it doesn't take much to put an entrant into 30th place out of twenty-three contestants..
Flight #13A Refly SPHO-SPZO
Last Attempt..
Departing SPHO for SPZO.
Gross Weight: 46386.
Fuel: 5402.2.
Payload: 10,000.
Flight Aborted!
Plane totally uncontrollable.. I don't know is something got corrupted, or what..
A few flights ago, I lost "sound" on load-up.. Had to start with another plane, then switch to C-87.. Now, it will not flight "straight & level".. I'm "chasing the needle" just to keep in in a +500/-500 range.. the bad part is, this is more than just a "twitch" up and down on my yoke, but a significant "push/pull"..
Will check more later..
Last Attempt..
Departing SPHO for SPZO.
Gross Weight: 46386.
Fuel: 5402.2.
Payload: 10,000.
Flight Aborted!
Plane totally uncontrollable.. I don't know is something got corrupted, or what..
A few flights ago, I lost "sound" on load-up.. Had to start with another plane, then switch to C-87.. Now, it will not flight "straight & level".. I'm "chasing the needle" just to keep in in a +500/-500 range.. the bad part is, this is more than just a "twitch" up and down on my yoke, but a significant "push/pull"..
Will check more later..
SNAFU
I do not know what happened, or why, but my controllers (Yoke, Rudder Pedals and both Throttle Quadrants) have all gone haywire..
The yoke (elevator) will go "full up" with back pressure, to go "full down", I must push the yoke forward until it bottoms, then pus a little more.
The Rudder Pedals are just as bad slight toe pressure will "lock" the brakes, but to get them to release, I must push down hard with my heels.
The Throttle Quadrants were set for Engines #1, #2, #3 and #4, with the two remaining levers for RPM and Mixture While in the sim, engines at idle, the Throttle Levers are against the stop (but before you engage the "Reversers" if one was flying a hair dryer), moving the levers to "Full Throttle" results in FOUR separate throttle settings, with NONE of them actually producing "full power" on any of the C-87's engines.
Also, when I first open FS9, I set the C-87 as the "default" aircraft with the fuel and cargo also "pre-set".. The plane will load, but there is no sound.. I change aircraft to the Cessna, got engine noise, change back to the C-87, got sound, but ALL my Fuel, Cargo, WX, Location, etc. setting "default" to Max Fuel, Limited cargo and in Seattle, Washington.
Thinking this was "just an FS9 glitch", I went into FSX and selected my "default" aircraft there.. the A2A AccuSim B-17G.. The TQ's do the same thing in the B-17..
I don't know what glitched, but I do not have the time to uninstall/reinstall both Flight Sims then spend several hours reinstalling the Addons, and "adjusting" all the controllers (I been messing with the controllers all day, as it is)..In the scheme of things, whatever is wrong, it "terminal" at this point in time..
It was a honor to share the airways with you guys, even if it was only twelve flights.. Until next time....
I do not know what happened, or why, but my controllers (Yoke, Rudder Pedals and both Throttle Quadrants) have all gone haywire..
The yoke (elevator) will go "full up" with back pressure, to go "full down", I must push the yoke forward until it bottoms, then pus a little more.
The Rudder Pedals are just as bad slight toe pressure will "lock" the brakes, but to get them to release, I must push down hard with my heels.
The Throttle Quadrants were set for Engines #1, #2, #3 and #4, with the two remaining levers for RPM and Mixture While in the sim, engines at idle, the Throttle Levers are against the stop (but before you engage the "Reversers" if one was flying a hair dryer), moving the levers to "Full Throttle" results in FOUR separate throttle settings, with NONE of them actually producing "full power" on any of the C-87's engines.
Also, when I first open FS9, I set the C-87 as the "default" aircraft with the fuel and cargo also "pre-set".. The plane will load, but there is no sound.. I change aircraft to the Cessna, got engine noise, change back to the C-87, got sound, but ALL my Fuel, Cargo, WX, Location, etc. setting "default" to Max Fuel, Limited cargo and in Seattle, Washington.
Thinking this was "just an FS9 glitch", I went into FSX and selected my "default" aircraft there.. the A2A AccuSim B-17G.. The TQ's do the same thing in the B-17..
I don't know what glitched, but I do not have the time to uninstall/reinstall both Flight Sims then spend several hours reinstalling the Addons, and "adjusting" all the controllers (I been messing with the controllers all day, as it is)..In the scheme of things, whatever is wrong, it "terminal" at this point in time..
It was a honor to share the airways with you guys, even if it was only twelve flights.. Until next time....
Flight #13B SPHO-SPZO
This is the "Come Hell Or High Water" Flight!
Departing: SPHO.
Fuel: 5402.2.
Payload: 10,000.
Gross Weight: 46387.
MTOW: 56,000.
I resolved the Controller issues, and I am determined to finish these flights (if I'm allowed back in).. Even it is might be in September!!
This is the "Come Hell Or High Water" Flight!
Departing: SPHO.
Fuel: 5402.2.
Payload: 10,000.
Gross Weight: 46387.
MTOW: 56,000.
I resolved the Controller issues, and I am determined to finish these flights (if I'm allowed back in).. Even it is might be in September!!
Flight #13B SPHO-SPZO Arrived!
Third Time's Charm!!
Arrived SPZO.
Gross Wt @ Landing: 44413.2.
Fuel Used: 1952.4.
Direct Distance: 134.4nm.
Flight Time: 00:58:30.
Max Altitude: 15930.
Payload: 10,000.
Maintenance Points This Flight: ZERO!!
I can only assume that the original crash at Airport SPZO "somehow"
managed to throw a monkey wrench into the works..
What I eventually "discovered" was not only were the "Sensitivity" settings
on my controllers totally out of whack (every axis had a different setting!), but
the "use settings" totally changed.. I had to go into the Assignments in BOTH
FS9 and FSX and reset every Axis and every button on my Yoke, Rudder Pedals and both Saitek Throttle Quadrants.
I have had crashes before, so that's nothing new, but I have never had (or heard of) a "plane crash", not a system crash, causing a total disruption of the settings on one's controllers. Live and learn, I guess!
View attachment 44438View attachment 44437
View attachment 44439View attachment 44440View attachment 44441View attachment 44442
Screen Shots:
Halfway into the flight, Ground Fog developed.
Descending towards Runway Altitude of 10860'.. Meet a mountain at 13,000+ feet
View of Approach to runway. PAPI lights were visible "just long enough" to get a heading, and hoped that the runway was actually pointing in that direction!
Landed at SPZO (probably one of the smoothest landings I've ever made!
Third Time's Charm!!
Arrived SPZO.
Gross Wt @ Landing: 44413.2.
Fuel Used: 1952.4.
Direct Distance: 134.4nm.
Flight Time: 00:58:30.
Max Altitude: 15930.
Payload: 10,000.
Maintenance Points This Flight: ZERO!!
I can only assume that the original crash at Airport SPZO "somehow"
managed to throw a monkey wrench into the works..
What I eventually "discovered" was not only were the "Sensitivity" settings
on my controllers totally out of whack (every axis had a different setting!), but
the "use settings" totally changed.. I had to go into the Assignments in BOTH
FS9 and FSX and reset every Axis and every button on my Yoke, Rudder Pedals and both Saitek Throttle Quadrants.
I have had crashes before, so that's nothing new, but I have never had (or heard of) a "plane crash", not a system crash, causing a total disruption of the settings on one's controllers. Live and learn, I guess!
View attachment 44438View attachment 44437
View attachment 44439View attachment 44440View attachment 44441View attachment 44442
Screen Shots:
Halfway into the flight, Ground Fog developed.
Descending towards Runway Altitude of 10860'.. Meet a mountain at 13,000+ feet
View of Approach to runway. PAPI lights were visible "just long enough" to get a heading, and hoped that the runway was actually pointing in that direction!
Landed at SPZO (probably one of the smoothest landings I've ever made!
salt_air
Charter Member
Welcome Back
Nice recovery Charles,
It's a nuisance figuring out whether the demons in the simulator or those in Windows are causing strange problems.
I'm sure, like myself, the rest of this crowd loves to "see" someone pushing through a rough patch and coming out on top ... all on his own.
Well Done .... great flight and post!
I wouldn't put a whole lot of weight on the plane crash messing up the control settings theory ... strange coincidence at best.
Welcome Back!
Nice recovery Charles,
It's a nuisance figuring out whether the demons in the simulator or those in Windows are causing strange problems.
I'm sure, like myself, the rest of this crowd loves to "see" someone pushing through a rough patch and coming out on top ... all on his own.
Well Done .... great flight and post!
I wouldn't put a whole lot of weight on the plane crash messing up the control settings theory ... strange coincidence at best.
Welcome Back!
Austin;
Appreciate the kind words.. although I have no "kind words" for Micro$lop when IT decides IT owns and runs the computer, instead of me!! What was that book?? "When Machines Rise Up", or something??
Yeah, on the "rough patch", seems like the crap all hits the fan at the same time..
Hopefully, I got everything fixed (knock on wood) and can get back to more important things.. like flying the Andes!
Flight #14 SPZO-SPNP
Arrived SPNP
At Landing...
Gross Weight: 44478.8.
Fuel Used: 1824.4
Distance: 175.6nm.
Flight Time: 00:53:38.
Max Altitude: 16,911'.
Had a great "waypoint" of a large lake on the approach (I knew that from the FS9 map I used to plot the flight). While I'm straining my eyes for the PAPI Lights, my "guestimate" was the airport was behind this rather large, low-hanging cloud.. I knew the airport altitude was 13,123', I was "undulating" in the 13,300-13,700 range, trying to find the airport under this cloud.. In the "search" for the airport, I allowed my airspeed to fall and the C-87 to climb (bad combination a few hundred feet off the ground).. I nosed the C-87 down, throttled-up a bit, got out of the stall and noticed the airport off to my left.. not a little off to my left, WAY off to my left (how'd I do that??) The sluggish C-87 fought the turn as I noticed the airport is now off to my right front (what, West Texas winds in Peru??) As I'm zigging and zagging, trying to get lined-up, both the ground and the airport are getting closer.. I landed "near" the runway and came to a full stop at the end of the runway.. Smooth landing, crappy approach.. GreenView attachment 44462 Duenna!!
View attachment 44462View attachment 44461
Arrived SPNP
At Landing...
Gross Weight: 44478.8.
Fuel Used: 1824.4
Distance: 175.6nm.
Flight Time: 00:53:38.
Max Altitude: 16,911'.
Had a great "waypoint" of a large lake on the approach (I knew that from the FS9 map I used to plot the flight). While I'm straining my eyes for the PAPI Lights, my "guestimate" was the airport was behind this rather large, low-hanging cloud.. I knew the airport altitude was 13,123', I was "undulating" in the 13,300-13,700 range, trying to find the airport under this cloud.. In the "search" for the airport, I allowed my airspeed to fall and the C-87 to climb (bad combination a few hundred feet off the ground).. I nosed the C-87 down, throttled-up a bit, got out of the stall and noticed the airport off to my left.. not a little off to my left, WAY off to my left (how'd I do that??) The sluggish C-87 fought the turn as I noticed the airport is now off to my right front (what, West Texas winds in Peru??) As I'm zigging and zagging, trying to get lined-up, both the ground and the airport are getting closer.. I landed "near" the runway and came to a full stop at the end of the runway.. Smooth landing, crappy approach.. GreenView attachment 44462 Duenna!!
View attachment 44462View attachment 44461
Jt_Dub;
Thanks.. It was NOT a pretty landing.. Looked like a rookie in a Piper Cub, but it was a very "smooth" landing.. Something I am NOT noted for ;-}
Flight #15 SPNP-SLLP
Arrived SLLP LaPaz.. I'm in Bolivia!! No more "hard ceilings", Right??
On Landing...
Gross Weight: 45725.7.
Fuel Used: 1223.7.
Distance: 116.9nm.
Flight Time: 00:40:13.
Max Altitude.... 17,415'
Take off from Ventilla was a bear.. All that runway and I could not get
up to take-off speed.. The 13K ft altitude was killing my poor engines!
I had to back way off in the boonies, about a quarter mile from the beginning
of the runway to have a chance.. Even at that, I left the end of the runway
at 100 miles per hour (full flaps), hoisted the gear, pulled-up over the trees and buildings, but still was NOT gaining any speed.. Nosed the C-87 down on the back side of the hill, still struggling to maintain 100mph.. at 125 per I raised the flaps to half.. still heading downhill.. I finally got above 140 and raised my flaps the rest of the way.. Set my course across the lake. Was busy working the E-6B to see what my ETA should be.. I had a positive climb rate of 1000fpm then glanced at the altimeter.. Sixteen Nine and Change.. Talk about becoming a "Vertical Dive Bomber" in a hurry.. Later in the flight I climbed to 17-4.. I assume we lose the "hard ceiling" restriction one we are out of Peru, but am not 100% positive..
Below me, the "normal" ground fog had rolled in.. it was sunny & clear at Ventilla.. Go figure.. About thirty miles out from LaPaz, I'm "on the beam" with the Radio Compass pointing right at "Zero".. I descend to 14,500' and I can't see the nose of the plane.. I went down to 13-5.. Nuthin' but soup.. My paper said the airport runway was 13-3, and several times I was below that, trying to FIND the airport.. I kept hopping that Radio Compass wasn't off a couple of degrees.. Finally the PAPI Lights come into view.. to my right and above me!!.. My air speed had dropped below 100 (got too involved in looking for the airport) that I had to firewall the throttles at 100% Plus Full Turbos to keep from stalling.. My engines just don't like 13,000' for landings or take-offs!!.. I actually landed on the runway (this time), rolled-out, pulled onto a taxiway and stopped!
View attachment 44674View attachment 44675
Arrived SLLP LaPaz.. I'm in Bolivia!! No more "hard ceilings", Right??
On Landing...
Gross Weight: 45725.7.
Fuel Used: 1223.7.
Distance: 116.9nm.
Flight Time: 00:40:13.
Max Altitude.... 17,415'
Take off from Ventilla was a bear.. All that runway and I could not get
up to take-off speed.. The 13K ft altitude was killing my poor engines!
I had to back way off in the boonies, about a quarter mile from the beginning
of the runway to have a chance.. Even at that, I left the end of the runway
at 100 miles per hour (full flaps), hoisted the gear, pulled-up over the trees and buildings, but still was NOT gaining any speed.. Nosed the C-87 down on the back side of the hill, still struggling to maintain 100mph.. at 125 per I raised the flaps to half.. still heading downhill.. I finally got above 140 and raised my flaps the rest of the way.. Set my course across the lake. Was busy working the E-6B to see what my ETA should be.. I had a positive climb rate of 1000fpm then glanced at the altimeter.. Sixteen Nine and Change.. Talk about becoming a "Vertical Dive Bomber" in a hurry.. Later in the flight I climbed to 17-4.. I assume we lose the "hard ceiling" restriction one we are out of Peru, but am not 100% positive..
Below me, the "normal" ground fog had rolled in.. it was sunny & clear at Ventilla.. Go figure.. About thirty miles out from LaPaz, I'm "on the beam" with the Radio Compass pointing right at "Zero".. I descend to 14,500' and I can't see the nose of the plane.. I went down to 13-5.. Nuthin' but soup.. My paper said the airport runway was 13-3, and several times I was below that, trying to FIND the airport.. I kept hopping that Radio Compass wasn't off a couple of degrees.. Finally the PAPI Lights come into view.. to my right and above me!!.. My air speed had dropped below 100 (got too involved in looking for the airport) that I had to firewall the throttles at 100% Plus Full Turbos to keep from stalling.. My engines just don't like 13,000' for landings or take-offs!!.. I actually landed on the runway (this time), rolled-out, pulled onto a taxiway and stopped!
View attachment 44674View attachment 44675