Craig’s Cape-to-Cape Voyage of Discovery ‘Due South’

salt_air said:
I have more time in Dc-3's than the total time in everything else I've ever flown combined ... probably times 3.

It's good to see the Gooney Bird out and about ... like the Braniff uniform she's wearing.




Good Luck on your Venture South Sir!
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Thanks, Salt_Air! Your trail-blazing efforts have been an inspiration. I'm determined not to let these set-backs stop me, no matter how long it takes. Still, I expected the DC-3 to be a little more rugged. She's like a boxer with a glass jaw and seems to need some gentle hands on the descent.
 
After a much-needed rest-and-repair period, it's off to Interlaken. :running:

Update: I'm getting almost 50 kts of wind off the port bow here. This is what gave me fits over Sweden. Yikes.
 
Made it safely into Interlaken. It was an interesting flight. I was able to keep my altitude somewhere between 11550 and 11750 pretty easily, with plenty of room under the keel to spare, so I got a little cocky and cut across the dogleg in my flightplan between my last two checkpoints before hitting Interlaken. This nearly proved to be my undoing as that last ridgeline to the southeast of Lake Brienz had me sweating a little. A final twist was the winds at LSMI, which caused me to use Rwy 05, instead of the nice approach over the lake to 23. Fun!

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Bonus time earned: 15 min. for hand-flying between LIPB and LSMI, 15 min. for staying (just) under 12,000 ft.
 
Nice flight Craig!



I believe there's a stand alone 2 hour bonus just for making that flight (LIPB - LSMI) in either direction.

After you have landed safely at the next prepared airport out of Interlaken ... more than likely LFLY or LFML ... you should have accumulated a total of 3 hours bonus time ... if you did it all by the book.

One more 15 min bonus to go.



Good luck into Marseille ... That's where I sat for a while and decided which way to go from there.

Let's see ... dessert or beach? ... that's sand either way innit? :mixedsmi:




Cheers,
 
Thanks for the encouragement, Salt_Air! I've actually plotted the trip out, looking for the optimal route. I think I'm heading for the waterless beach. I've actually visited the Libyan Sahara in the distant past (via a DC-3, no less). It will be interesting to see how the new landclass compares.

OK, my previous story is worthless without pics, so here are a few.

Getting ready to depart Bolzano for Interlaken
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A nice gentle climb in the Tyrol, hoping that's not a granite cloud.
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Now things are starting to get "interesting"
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Looking for that hole in the 12,000' wall
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Interlaken in sight...I wonder how it got its name?
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First "official" checkpoint!
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I'm sorry I wasn't able to get any pics of the final approach, but I was "a little busy." :cost1:
 
Braniff International now announcing it's departure from Interlaken for Marseille-Provence, with connections to North Africa.

Edit: Just realized I forgot to check the box to disable the autopilot in the duenna. Drat.

Looks like I'll be fighting a 40-kt headwind most of the way to Marseille. Double-drat.

Only making 130 kts groundspeed at my last checkpoint. Ugh.
 
Craig,

You want to restart the leg with the "disable autopilot" box checked...just to assure that you are indeed flying without autopilot. No penalty for the forgetfulness...just ignore the leg as flown and do it over.

--M
 
Another successful leg in the books (that's two in a row! Woo hoo! :jump:)

Mike, thanks for the note, but I elected to push on. It's going to be hard to find the time to fly, so I'm OK with missing a 15 min. bonus.

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Some pics from along the way - departing Interlaken.
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I'll miss the wonderful scenery and adventure of the Alps.
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Passing Grenoble.
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Marseille in sight.
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Short final.
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Touchdown on the mains.
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