DHC120's Excellent Misadventures
- Thread starter DHC120
- Start date
Flight #14 WAJJ to WABB
Flown May 20, 2011.
WAJJ/Sentani to WABB/ Frans Kaisiepo
Set Up for flight (Real Weather) said Winds Calm, 59 degree temp 53%RH (this is the same as a previous flight.. but then, it's Micro$oft)..
Took off from Sentani and after establishing a positive rate of climb, getting Flaps and Wheels up, I turned to Compass Heading 283 degrees.
I had the WAJJ NDB "ZN" on to give me a "radio track", just in case.. Twenty-four minutes later I was out-of-range of NDB "ZN".. I have noticed that unless you are "going" towards an NDB, you do not get the Morse Code Identifier.. That's not right! Used NDB's "coming and going" in FS9.. Go Figure..
Sixty-one minutes into the flight, I picked-up the WABB "ZM" NDB.. and turbulance.. Thunderstorms were forming off the coast of Indonesia.. The "popcorn" type of storms that are here, there, etc. Fortunately for me, other than rocking the wings, they caused no grief.
I maintained my compass heading, correcting for winds (they were front right, from the port wing, quartering left rear, even gave me a "push" on approach.. With Flaps & Gear Down, you have to keep the B-17 under 147mph.. It got close!.
Came in on final and was elated to see over two miles of paved runway in front of me.. A welcome change from 3/4 mile long grass "fighter" air strips!!
Flown May 20, 2011.
WAJJ/Sentani to WABB/ Frans Kaisiepo
Set Up for flight (Real Weather) said Winds Calm, 59 degree temp 53%RH (this is the same as a previous flight.. but then, it's Micro$oft)..
Took off from Sentani and after establishing a positive rate of climb, getting Flaps and Wheels up, I turned to Compass Heading 283 degrees.
I had the WAJJ NDB "ZN" on to give me a "radio track", just in case.. Twenty-four minutes later I was out-of-range of NDB "ZN".. I have noticed that unless you are "going" towards an NDB, you do not get the Morse Code Identifier.. That's not right! Used NDB's "coming and going" in FS9.. Go Figure..
Sixty-one minutes into the flight, I picked-up the WABB "ZM" NDB.. and turbulance.. Thunderstorms were forming off the coast of Indonesia.. The "popcorn" type of storms that are here, there, etc. Fortunately for me, other than rocking the wings, they caused no grief.
I maintained my compass heading, correcting for winds (they were front right, from the port wing, quartering left rear, even gave me a "push" on approach.. With Flaps & Gear Down, you have to keep the B-17 under 147mph.. It got close!.
Came in on final and was elated to see over two miles of paved runway in front of me.. A welcome change from 3/4 mile long grass "fighter" air strips!!
Flight #15 WABB to RPMD Last Flight!
Flown May 24, 2011.
From WABB/Frans Kaisiepo to RPMD/Bangoy International.
I set-up to fly the longest and, for me, the last leg in the SOH South Pacific Event...
After a frustrating "settings" set-up procedure, I finally got to where I could Start the B-17 (aka Duenna!)... after over twenty minutes!!
I took-off from WABB/Frans Kaisiepo at 1339 hours, local time, cleared the trees well before the end of the runway and turned to a heading of 304 Degrees. I climbed slowly (300fpm) to a cruising altitude of 6500'AMSL.
For the next three+ hours the vista was miles and miles of miles and miles of open water.
I could not figure-out "Why" my Flux Gate compass was showing a direction of forty degrees "off" from my direction of travel.. Although the winds were 2-4kts from 243 degrees, I just could not figure-out why I had to adjust so far west to fly a 304 degree magnetic heading. This was the highlight of the entire flight! (just before landing, I pressed "B" and "D" on the keyboard.. Flux Gate immediately pointed in the correct direction!! Duh!)
About 160nm out from RPMD, I ran into thunderstorms and complete "undercast". At 6500', I guess I was above everything, but there was enough turbulence to keep my wings rocking. Winds were now showing 14kts!
Not fifteen minutes later, the thunderstorm and undercast were gone.. Blue Water, Blue Skies with clear enough visibility that I could see the southeastern tip of Mindanao Island. I was about sixty miles from that tip.
Three Hours Twenty-Eight minutes into the flight, I picked-up the "DAO" NDB, telling me I was about seventy-five miles from my last landing of the event! I began a slow 100fpm descent.
At 4500'AMSL I was crossing over the southeastern tip of Mindanao and began picking up turbulence (wing rocking), again.. tho not a cloud in the sky!
At 1716hrs local, I continued the descent to 3000'AMSL at 500fpm, reducing my throttles, while maintaining 190-200Kts air speed.
I had slowed to 170kts (150mph) and turned to 049 degrees for a Straight-In Approach.
As my compass slowly turned to 049, the approach lights came to bear in the pilot's windscreen, just to the left of the B-17's "Observation Dome".
At 1741 Hours Local (CDT), the Boeing B-17's wheels touched-down and rolled to a complete stop!
I started this flight with the Main Tanks Full. I landed with Eight Percent remaining.. In my elation of being finished, I did not even bother to check just how many gallons that might have been.. Maybe it's better that I not know..
I believe I can honestly say, I am the First Boeing B-17 to finish in the South Pacific 2011 Event. The way things are looking, with Ed G having dropped out, and Dusty not having made a flight since May 14th, I might be THE Fastest Boeing B-17 to finish in the Bomber Class
.. (okay, only B-17.. don't pick the nits!)
So, being the FIRST Four Engine Aircraft to finish the SOH South Pacific Event, that ought to be worth a beer, of two...... From EACH of the Fighter Jocks out there :salute:
(I also know that I will finish dead last in my class, that's just the way it is!
).
Had a ball, guys.. Looking forward to the next SOH Event..
Thanks to SOH, Paul and anyone who may be hiding in the background, for putting on this event..
Flown May 24, 2011.
From WABB/Frans Kaisiepo to RPMD/Bangoy International.
I set-up to fly the longest and, for me, the last leg in the SOH South Pacific Event...
After a frustrating "settings" set-up procedure, I finally got to where I could Start the B-17 (aka Duenna!)... after over twenty minutes!!
I took-off from WABB/Frans Kaisiepo at 1339 hours, local time, cleared the trees well before the end of the runway and turned to a heading of 304 Degrees. I climbed slowly (300fpm) to a cruising altitude of 6500'AMSL.
For the next three+ hours the vista was miles and miles of miles and miles of open water.
I could not figure-out "Why" my Flux Gate compass was showing a direction of forty degrees "off" from my direction of travel.. Although the winds were 2-4kts from 243 degrees, I just could not figure-out why I had to adjust so far west to fly a 304 degree magnetic heading. This was the highlight of the entire flight! (just before landing, I pressed "B" and "D" on the keyboard.. Flux Gate immediately pointed in the correct direction!! Duh!)
About 160nm out from RPMD, I ran into thunderstorms and complete "undercast". At 6500', I guess I was above everything, but there was enough turbulence to keep my wings rocking. Winds were now showing 14kts!
Not fifteen minutes later, the thunderstorm and undercast were gone.. Blue Water, Blue Skies with clear enough visibility that I could see the southeastern tip of Mindanao Island. I was about sixty miles from that tip.
Three Hours Twenty-Eight minutes into the flight, I picked-up the "DAO" NDB, telling me I was about seventy-five miles from my last landing of the event! I began a slow 100fpm descent.
At 4500'AMSL I was crossing over the southeastern tip of Mindanao and began picking up turbulence (wing rocking), again.. tho not a cloud in the sky!
At 1716hrs local, I continued the descent to 3000'AMSL at 500fpm, reducing my throttles, while maintaining 190-200Kts air speed.
I had slowed to 170kts (150mph) and turned to 049 degrees for a Straight-In Approach.
As my compass slowly turned to 049, the approach lights came to bear in the pilot's windscreen, just to the left of the B-17's "Observation Dome".
At 1741 Hours Local (CDT), the Boeing B-17's wheels touched-down and rolled to a complete stop!
I started this flight with the Main Tanks Full. I landed with Eight Percent remaining.. In my elation of being finished, I did not even bother to check just how many gallons that might have been.. Maybe it's better that I not know..
I believe I can honestly say, I am the First Boeing B-17 to finish in the South Pacific 2011 Event. The way things are looking, with Ed G having dropped out, and Dusty not having made a flight since May 14th, I might be THE Fastest Boeing B-17 to finish in the Bomber Class
.. (okay, only B-17.. don't pick the nits!)So, being the FIRST Four Engine Aircraft to finish the SOH South Pacific Event, that ought to be worth a beer, of two...... From EACH of the Fighter Jocks out there :salute:
(I also know that I will finish dead last in my class, that's just the way it is!
).Had a ball, guys.. Looking forward to the next SOH Event..
Thanks to SOH, Paul and anyone who may be hiding in the background, for putting on this event..
or 
Thank YOU, Paul, Smilo & Robert for the beer. The BBQ is a Texican Treat for y'all :salute: I had the Crew Chief just pack the meat around the '17's four 1200 Hp Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radials so it would cook in flight.. Did cause my CHT to run a tad hot, tho.. And, I don't think my gunners were aware that we replaced the boxes of Fifty Cal with cases of Lone Star Longnecks 8-o..
While landing the big B-17 at some of the short (and I mean SHORT) grass fields was, to say the least, a royal challenge (cost me a lot of tires and landing gear struts).
The huge advantage to being a Bomber Pilot is simple.. Ya can get up and go to the bathroom anytime during the flight!
Besides, we Bomber Pilots look so cool with our A-3 leather jackets and "Fifty Mission Hats" on at a jaunty angle
Next round is on me!:ernae:
While landing the big B-17 at some of the short (and I mean SHORT) grass fields was, to say the least, a royal challenge (cost me a lot of tires and landing gear struts).
The huge advantage to being a Bomber Pilot is simple.. Ya can get up and go to the bathroom anytime during the flight!
Besides, we Bomber Pilots look so cool with our A-3 leather jackets and "Fifty Mission Hats" on at a jaunty angle
Next round is on me!:ernae: