Annuschka Adventures in the Orbx World

[simtech]

Yes, Carl, I really am enjoying this thread. I've duplicated some of your flights using a lowly five year old laptop running default scenery only because it doesn't have the horsepower. A new capable rig is on the horizon, but until then, I can look at posts much like yours and look forward to that time I, too, can share your vivid excitement and glee. Thank you for posting and I want to look up your postings in Alaska as I spent almost 8 years in the Kenai peninsula. Fair winds and clear skies. Terry

 

[cavaricooper]

Once the daydreaming that comes with sunrise was over, we thought we had better continue our travel with our head on a swivel and one eye peeled for unknown ridge lines. Having spent the majority of my life in very flat Florida, and despite spending a few years in Darjeeling (in the Himalayas) I am still mesmerized by traffic patterns that are multi-dimensional. The very carefully practiced rectangles, with proper wind component cancellation are a thing of memory. Here, it is more important to stay off the rising ridge, and if the pattern becomes a tad serpentine, so be it!

Here we are flying a pseudo-base, with s-turns around rising hillocks. S-turning on a taxiway is something I remember doing a lot of in a S2A, but in flight, because I HAVE TO......

Yet another curving carrier final.... can't really be helped.... and just look at the rising terrain all around!

This whole settling into terrain has me mostly terrified.... but then every so often, I have a moment of clear calm....

As an earthbound misfit I, what can one really find wrong with this picture. Even Richard Bach would approve... I hope.

 

[cavaricooper]

Me, and my sha... dow....

Here's another picture of the place I run to.... an America, where a single rope clearly shows where one is and isn't permitted, and more importantly SUFFICES! These small GA fields have mostly been swallowed up in the populace South, and I am thrilled to be able to escape to places of peace such as these. Even the taxiway stops decorously, to allow nature to assert herself. Very nice indeed!

The older F-150 pickup, the Ag-Tractor, a couple of 172s, an RV and a few metal buildings; all surrounded by gorgeous vistas. Put them all together and you have Cle Elum Airport- Thank-you Orbx!

Glad there are people following along. To quote Douglas, "I shall return."

Best- Carl

 

[strykerpsg]

Great shots again my friend. You capture the mood quite nicely.

 

[KevinJH]

A most excellent series - from a fellow Pink Floyd fan

 

[stearmandriver]

You've inspired me to do some virtual flying in the PNW... and I LIVE here! I spend most of my GA simming in Alaska, but I decided to test out FSCaptain and spend a little time in the MilViz Beaver tonight, so I started in Olympia, flew South to near Portland, then ran the Columbia gorge west on a charter to some private grass strip near Dalles. So much fun! Thanks! I've obviously been overlooking a lot of sim fun right in my own backyard...

 

[cavaricooper]

Thanks all, so glad you are following along... In the middle of some pretty heavy v4 conversion at the moment, but I shall need a respite (and my Annuschka) soon...

Best- C

 

[alpha charlie]

if anyone gets the An-2 working in v4 PLEASE let me know!

Couldn't get it working too but I thought this could be interesting to you. It looks like Octopus Group has resumed the work on their An-2 project that was frozen for 2 years. The project's thread at avsim.su forum has been reopened.

BTW if you want MP in An-2 indicated in mmHg, PM me.

 

[cavaricooper]

It's nice to read about ANY An-2 development, but TBT if she doesn't fly like the Sibwings (Alex Metzger) FDE... she won't cut my mustard. Still, optimism is important to maintain, so I shall try . Thanks for the news.

Best- C

 

[cavaricooper]

We fueled up, and headed out.... blasting out of the intersection departure at Cle Elum.... with the almost 80% fuel and load we had on board it was work this time... 12kPa and 2200RPM got us past the trees...

We climbed out parallel to yet another ridge line on our right... and planned on heading West, before we started our turn North towards Squamish. Just before we took off though, I got a call from the fertilizer salesman we had dropped off at WA56. Fortunately, Israel's Farm was on the way (sorta) and we told him we'd drop in and pick him up.

This time I decided to climb a bit, so here we are still pulling 10kPa and 2100, just approaching 3000m. Just stunning! How many ways can I say Orbx does scenery superbly?

Pilots are a select breed, that have the opportunity to really sense space, and the wonder of vistas. Do you remember how you felt staring out of a window at 37,000 while crossing the world in your pressurized tube? Removed from the cares of your departure, and still not burdened with the cares of your destination..... staring out into space, really feeling the enormous impact of visual distance, and your own microscopic being? I do. I miss having air under my chair, and blowing away the cobwebs of life. My Harley allows for momentary escape, but not for the true unshackling that comes with altitude. Staring into this... was freeing....

 

[cavaricooper]

 

[cavaricooper]

Here we are on a long downwind. Descending from high, we pulled back to 6kPa to cool as slowly as possible, helped by the tightly shuttered cowl, and after a continuous descent of about 20 minutes, found ourselves nicely positioned downwind.

This next photo is just about were we will turn base. The plan is to be over the silo when we crank over... but take a look at what's ahead and to the right...

This next photo illustrates everything I love about my Annuschka... VSI is plummeting, yet IAS is comfortable..... one burst of throttle and we shall arrest descent, to touch down ever so lightly... superb!

And with that burst, we arrested descent and alighted softer than a feather.... with lots of room ahead....

 

[cavaricooper]

This Russian babushka was made for places such as this... farm implements, assorted wings juxtaposed with bits and bobs rusting in the sun... she looks quite at home at Israel's Farm... doesn't she?

We are headed North next.... won't you come along?

Best- C

 

[cavaricooper]

Iv'e spent some time upgrading EZCA to the latest v2.5 beta build so that I can use P3D v4 comfortably. I thought about Chaseplane for a bit, but I know and love EZCA so I decided to stick with it. The program is totally customizable, which is GREAT, but work to get things just so... still I am happy with my decision. After all that, I needed to relax and so I set it up in v3 for my Annsuchka as well....

We left Israel's Farm and headed NNW. Vancouver was pretty, but I don't think we are all here for concrete... there's enough of that at home! I concentrated on tweaking my EZCA until we entered Horseshoe Bay.... then the scenery was too important to ignore anymore. Here we are, up high at 1500m, and about to pull power. Down below, a tanker is loading, the clouds are puffy, visibility is good and the mountainscape, in true Orbx fashion- is breathtaking!

SQUAMISH, in all her glory. Orbx has even thought to include the log rafts as they make their way South to get picked up by the logging companies for mills and further transport- incredible!

Squamish Airport is tucked behind a lee, behind the town and port.... so it takes a bit of maneuvering to locate it the first time... and the wind favored 15....

Naturally, that meant that the pattern work here was going to be interesting... very like Kai-Tak (remember the subtle warning... continued flight past 2.2 DME will result in loss of terrain clearance?). There was a point where it was fairly important we turn left!

 

[cavaricooper]

We stayed high enough to ensure terrain clearance.... but that left us high for short final... no worries, pull power, add flap and stand-by to push throttle....

As expected we stopped comfortably short (I am liking the view effect improvements that EXCA v2.5 brings, I just dial them all down to about 20% of stock values).

...and what do you know? The FedEx guy beat me here, to pick up my parcel!

The nice folks at Glacier Air said I could tie-down on their ramp. Would you believe after I shut down, a squirrel came out to see me? Would you believe I could hear the A&P hammering on aluminum and using compressed air inside the hangar? Truly incredible stuff- thanks Orbx!

Ok, back to work on v4... hope you are having fun too? It's a great time in Flight Simming!

Best- Carl

 

[cavaricooper]

BTW- if any or our very talented group here at SOH has any thoughts on how to get my Annuschka into v4, please PM/contact me! Everything I read says it's not possible, and that is becoming a source of considerable angst....

Ta- Carl

 

[griphos]

It's one of the reasons I won't be moving to v4.

 

[manfredc3]

Hi Carl,

Enjoying your adventure a lot.So much actually, that I decided that I "had to have her",and purchased this AN-2. I have several OrbX airports in the PNW scenery, and have started to make some flights using the CR1 Ford Tri-Motor. The AN-2 will require some study of the manual before I dive in to the PNW area, getting the Tri-Motor in oand out of these dirt strips is a challenge by itself.

Keep on going, and I might run in to you at some strip somewhere sometime.

 

[cavaricooper]

Manfred-

That's actually good to hear! The post had gone back to page 3 and I thought that most were tired of it. The An-2 is near and dear to my heart. Perhaps the best pilot notes are the ones written by Alex Metzger himself. I tried to put up a link, however, the forum itself seems dead now.... sadly, the future is looking pretty dull for my gleaming jewel (if you look at SP-AMN you will note the adoration in that statement) .

Best- C

 

[AussieMan]

A freeware AN-2 that may interest you ..... https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=an2zh2010.zip