Flying the Line

[Willy]

Manfred, we usually fly Monday through Saturday with a meeting up time about 9pm US Central and take off about a half hour later.

The IP address is 72.233.79.242

When we start a new flight we have decided what kind of aircraft to fly and try to fly in something that will keep up with the others. For now, we're running a twin engine propliner theme, which could change later on. We take turns coming up with parts of the route. As for scenery, we like add on scenery. But it's no big deal if you don't have it.

 

[Willy]

Nice flight to Brownswood Texas. Once we got past the traffic jam on the way to the active at Ft Stockton.

 

[Taco]

Here are some photos before the traffic jam and after.

 

[srgalahad]

Is there a way for me to see when you guys are flying? I would love to find a date and time that I can join in,

And how do I know what flightplan and airplane is allowed? Yes, the DC-2 is my favorite, but I am flexible.
Also, do you all use default scenery?

If you are in the mood any evening you can always check on the server page http://www.sim-outhouse.net:8181/ (the FSHost blue button at the top of this page will take you there). If we're already enroute it will tell you the nearest airport so you can always load there and do an "ìntercept". The flight plans are usually built by one of us at the beginning and maybe the middle so we email them out. Legs are usually about an hour ( so the eastern kids can get to bed on time) and rarely 'difficult' although Willy seems to find fog/clouds for us.

Most often it seems to be 180kt planes but we have ventured into a couple of weeks of Sabres, a month of floatplane/boats. Variety is the life of spice. generally it's something easy enough (and with Otto) so we can chat enroute (MP chatbox is the medium of choice).

 

[Moses03]

Dinner service into Lawton, OK.

 

[Willy]

Great night to be smuggling contraband into Oklahoma..

 

[Taco]

Hello there!

Here are two shots of some of Flight 19 before take off to Klaw (Lawton\Ft. Sill). As noted this was going to be a night flight.

 

[Taco]

Hello.

Well since we have this day off from flying with Flight 19, I thought I would try to brush up on my jet flying skills. Flying a DC-8-61 Delta Airlines from KORD to KSLC


Darn pictures loaded backwards. hehe

 

[Willy]

Flew on to Amarillo TX. It was kind of dark out...

 

[Willy]

Another night flight, this time from Amarillo to Downtown airport (2DT) in Oklahoma City. I went IFR and followed Interstate 40 all the way into OKC. It was kind of hard to miss I-40, especially at night. The problems started at OKC. 2DT is a somewhat smallish airport and the C-46 is far from a Cessna. And at night, it's easy to miss stuff in front of the end of the runway in the dark. I decided that with the short runway, I'd go full flaps to get my airspeed down and lift up thinking I wouldn't need as much runway. One problem with that idea. At full flaps, the C-46 has a tendency to float just above the runway. On short final, there appeared a very large tree directly in front of me and in such a position that I couldn't land on the end of the runway, because I had to pop up to get over that darn tree. I got over the tree (I'll be a while picking sticks and birdnests out of the oil coolers) and made a "dive" at the runway. The wheels hit, I was still doing about 75kts and I started jamming on the brakes. I pulled back on the yoke to get the tail down and figured I was doing okay. About halfway down the runway, I realize that I'm not loosing much speed. Then I hear the wheels hit again. I'd been floating just above the runway for most of the distance. I stayed on the brakes and as I went off the end of the runway, I was still doing 45kts with buildings coming up fast. I left off the left brake and started to try to make an emergency turn to the right, hopefully without flipping the plane over. I just barely made it with my wingtip coming within inches of scraping a building.

Now to figure out just how the heck I'm going to get the big Curtiss back out of there!

 

[Taco]

Howdy,

One of those days, Willy had problems stopping at 2DT, and I had problems finding the bloody airport, but alas We all made it. Now the show of the month is Willy and his C-46 getting airborne before he hits something, me light fuel load hope this will do it.

 

[Taco]

Howdy Folks,

Here we are posting a few snaps of last nights flight. In our Convair 240 we took off at dawn and headed for Dodge City, Hehe, sure hope they still put on shows of the old time gun fights. By the way, Willy and his C-46 made it out 2DT with flying colors! Now, we are headed for KPNC Ponca City Mun. So, will talk to you later.


Click on pictures to enlarge. Hard to see using night/dawn times.

 

[Taco]

Hi, It was just Willy and I who flew onto Ponca City (KPNC). The rest of the flight decieded to stay in Dodge City for awhile. Willy got back the Boeing 308 after some major work on the panel and electrial system. Welcome back the Boeing! Hey, we will be heading for Kansas City, landing, I believe, at the old TWA maintenance station.

 

[Moses03]

Propliner theology 101. Into Kansas.

 

[Willy]

There I was coming up on about 10nm out of Kansas City in the Stratoliner and gauges started failing. I figured, ok so we'll land her in the dark by the seat of our pants. Then I realized that almost everything else had quit working.

Back to the C-46 until I can get the Boeing sorted out.

 

[Willy]

Meanwhile in Chicago.....

 

[Willy]

Nice flight to St Louis although we seem to have landed in the middle of a winter storm. That BBQ joint behind us is looking good though.

 

[Taco]

Here are a couple of picture of our arrival at KCPS.

 

[Willy]

Nice flight from St Louis to Ottumwa Iowa. Until I tried to stop the C-46 at KOTM. Ended up having to lift off again. It was either that or go off the end of the runway into some trees. The big Curtiss just doesn't like to stop. But while I was nosing around at the local Swap n Shop, I spotted something interesting. Tail dragging cargo hauler with enough performance to keep up with those pesky Convairs. And it's pressureized too. With all that HP, short fields should be a snap. Looks like I'll be flying for Western Express for a while.

 

[Willy]

Ghosts Of The Past

Western Express didn't work out as planned so it was back to the Braniff C-46 for the flight to Sioux City. This is the same airport that that DC-10 crashed at trying to land with no controls but some really great piloting made all the difference in the world. Anyway, it was a nice early morning flight with the sun coming up behind us. About 25nm out from the airport I start slowing down so that I can land when I get there. One problem quickly popped up. The #2 engine's throttle was locked up in the full position. Couldn't get that engine to slow down no how. Thought about it for a minute and figured the best thing to do would be shut it down and feather the prop. But I seemed to remember in the back of my mind that one engine operations on a C-46 could be problematic at best. But then I wasn't fully loaded either. And the only other option I had would have been to belly it in and I wasn't fond of that idea even less.

So, I hit the feather button, pulled the mixture to cut off and flipped the magneto switches to off. By this time I was about 10nm out and started a few small manuvers to get the feel of the big Curtiss with only one engine. Didn't seem to be displaying any noticeable vices, but then I wasn't planning on any aerobatics with it either. So I pulled the throttle back to idle to let the plane slow down until I could drop the flaps and wheels and see how it flies then. At 130kias, I lower it all and surprisingly, the C-46 was pretty docile. By this time, I've got the runway in sight, so there was nothing for it but to line up and give it a go. One of the best landings I've done in the Commando. Taxiing & parking got interesting a few times when I needed to turn, but I managed to get it parked. Called the office and was told that they'd sold the aircraft to Delta and I was to collect my paycheck from them. A quick paint change, a little wrench turning on the #2 and we're back in bidness for the next flight...


ETA: Just wanted to add that California Classics has done an outstanding job with the C-46. It's probably in the top 3 freeware propliners out there. Plenty of features and I've got some decent payware that isn't this good. (my panel is not stock as I've redone it several times depending on current mood.)