Flying Circus / Transocean Air Lines / DC-4 / North America (West)

MM

MM

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Flying Circus / Transocean Air Lines / DC-4 / North America (West)

Flying Circus

Just got a telegram from Orvis Nelson in Oakland. He's sending an entry from Transocean Air Lines. To head up the operation, he's nominated one of his experienced pilots who has flown all over South America as well as around the world. This fellow, besides flying for TAL, fancies himself a writer...perhaps you have read Island in the Sky. Nelson assures us that we can safely ignore this fact: Ernie Gann is just a wonderful guy and a true professional pilot.

For First Officer, the Transocean entry is going to pick from a rotation of equally grizzled veterans—provided one is available. At each stop, Gann will be responsible for scouring the usual watering holes to find a suitable pilot. Having just finished a job for AOA, he should be ready for this one.

In 1946, Orvis Nelson and a set of veteran ATC pilots organized Transocean as a way to seek their fortune flying around the Post War world. Based in Oakland, they first carried out trans-Pacific missions as a civilian contractor for the US military. And in the three years since then, they have conducted a number of daring operations in the Far East as they have established themselves as a world-wide presence. The pilots of Transocean have shown that adventure and business can still be combined...with profit on the side. The big airlines have taken notice.

The company is famous for seeking unusual opportunities in the air. In this case, they will be sending a war surplus C-54A refurbished by their maintenance facilities at Oakland's Hangar 28. While it is clear that the aircraft is not competitive with the more modern and more expensive entries, Gann has convinced Nelson that the experience gained on the West coast of South America will ease the expansion of Transocean's Pacific operations. And, he says, there is a book in it somewhere...
 
This is a whimsical entry. It's here for pilots who want to take a flight or two without worrying about being too competitive. And, we do need a DC-4 for Willy's B307 to beat! So please feel free to join in on the fun.

In part, this effort is a salute to the youthful enthusiasm and adventurous spirit exemplified by the men and women that made up Transocean. For lots of useful stuff, see a terrific site for TAL veterans: http://www.taloa.org/. Most entertaining are the stories: http://www.taloa.org/stories.html, and especially the three part series in the 1952 Saturday Evening Post: http://www.taloa.org/fame.html.

Jens Kristensen's DC-4 v2.1 can be found "dc4_v21.zip" at FlightSim.com. Dave McQueen's TALOA repaint for N88784 is in his package of repaints "dc4v2.zip". You should fly the C-54B flight dynamics—rather than the DC-4-1009—as this is an older 1944 aircraft. (It is not clear that N88784 flew for Transocean. Several records show it as going from the USAAF to Western (1946), American (1947), and then Australian National Airways (1948). A matter for our imagination.)

Transocean has committed to the Pacific coast route down South America. (CYUL-KLGA-KDCA-KMIA-MKJP-TJIG-TNCC-MPMG-SEGU-SPLP-SLLP -SCTI-SAEZ) Pilots should feel free to fly to intermediate stops to cut the leg length or to add interest. (Cartagena (SKCG) and Antofagasta (SKFA) seem good possibilities.)
 
That's funny, I came real close to doing the Pacific route in the "Steamship Line" Matson DC-4.:icon_lol:
 
First leg, the traditional Night Train to New York City. A bespectacled FO on this leg...all he could find.

Takeoff Weight: 65,816
Payload: 17,300
 
Safely into New York. (Trees!)

Fuel calculations off a bit--and just barely landed within limits.

Landing Weight: 62938.9
Fuel Burned: 2842.7
Flight Time: 01:32:39

Commercial Centers: 1
(KLGA)
 
No night life for the working stiffs. Getting the dark stuff out of the way...en route to "Our Nation's Capital."

Takeoff Weight: 64,871
Payload: 17,300
 
Safely down. To the home of our best politicians. Mark Twain often said, "It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress." Of course, Pogo had something telling to say about that, "We have met the enemy...and he is us."

Landing Weight: 62908.1
Fuel Burned: 1949.1
Flight Time: 01:09:35

Commercial Centers: 2
(KLGA, KDCA)

Washington's new National Airport showcases Our Nation's Capital. To natives, though, it is better known as "First in War, First in Peace ... and last in the American League."
 
Rob, you've got it! Please join in on the "Flying Circus".

Some snapshots of the bird flying down the East Coast last night. (a) Out of Dorval, (b) Moon over the Hudson, (c) Approaching NYC and LaGuardia, (d) Manhatten skyline, (e) Out of NY along East River, (f) Thunderboomers and Moon illuminate ship over Maryland, (g) DC Touchdown, (h) Parked at the ramp next to the new terminal at Washingon National.
 
Safely landed at Miami Intl (KMIA)! :unitedstates: :wiggle:

Landing Weight: 62.657 lbs
Fuel Used: 6.746 lbs
Flight Time: 04:12:36

Nite Flight: 1

Penalties: 0

Sry for the tardy post... was distracted by The Jackal
 
Well, so much for a day of tarpon fishing. Just got the call to fly a DC-4 down to Kingston.

Departing KMIA to MKJP.

Takeoff Weight: 66,675
Payload: 17,300
 
Picked up a nice tailwind. Should be over Cuba soon.

On the lunch menu today; your choice of fish fillets or exotic jerk chicken sandwiches with a slice of pineapple.
 
Setting up to take the old girl to San Juan. Guess it's time to get off the beach...to meet you on the flightline.
 
Down safe in Kingston. Nice uneventful flight.

Landing Weight: 62,532
Fuel Used: 4142
Flight Time: 02:40:59

Commercial Center MKJP off the board.
 
Picking up from Moses...from Kingston to San Juan.

Takeoff Weight: 69,060
Payload: 17,300
 
Just curious... yall mentioned taking the Pacific coast route down South America. Just how are yall planning on carrying a load of passengers in a unpressurized plane across the Andes? ;) I guess that'd be one way of keeping 'em quiet back there.... :d

The B307 is pressurized, but I figured that route would call for altitudes a bit higher than I care to go with the Stratoliner in FS.
 
Good question Willy

Willy said:
Just curious... yall mentioned taking the Pacific coast route down South America. Just how are yall planning on carrying a load of passengers in a unpressurized plane across the Andes? ;) I guess that'd be one way of keeping 'em quiet back there.... :d

The B307 is pressurized, but I figured that route would call for altitudes a bit higher than I care to go with the Stratoliner in FS.
Click to expand...

Sittin' here now figuring which leg(s) to try to fly and it looks like the rules say we can't go that way in non-pressurized equipment due to the required stop at SLLP which is sitting at an altitude of 13300 and some change (13313', I think). That's not going to be accomodated by a 12000' hard ceiling except for "flights directly over the mountains" and that would be a stop.

I'm game for whatever, but it looks like to me were about to use the wildcard or head to Trinadad.
 
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