It's happened to you...

[Ralf Roggeveen]

It certainly makes a change to be first in line for once!

Honestly, this just happened - I didn't set it up.

So here we are lined up on RW22 and you can now see the radar switched on. The Electra climbed very nicely with flaps down just one notch.

Don't know quite how the Blues Brothers managed to take over from me & Dirk, but I've included this for another view of the AI waiting behind and for the still interesting negative ALT (Schiphol is actually at -13ft, but of course you'll get the reading of your altimeter's exact position relative to sea level). They gave us 21000 for Low Altitude Airways to Copenhagen, 2000ft higher than the DC7 had for High over the Atlantic. Having completed the climb, looked at the map:

Quite near the major cities of Bremen & Hamburg in Germany there. I was too busy concentrating on the unfamiliar aircraft to look out for them; but don't worry, you'll get to see plenty of Germany courtesy of those Carters. I did take this one picture of the sort of scenery we flew over:

These islands are part of the Ostfriesische Inseln (East Friesian Islands) which belong to Germany. We have a province in the Netherlands called Friesland which includes the rest of the chain of islands called Waddeneilanden (= 'Mudflat Islands'). The Germans make a big joke of Ostfriesland and say their dumbest folk come from there. Oddly enough, it's the other way round in Holland: the most intelligent, bravest & good-looking Dutch come from our Friesland (OK, and Groningen & maybe Drenthe).

Descending towards Kastrup:

We flew north of Hamburg and crossed Schleswig-Holstein.

Just about to land in Denmark...

 

[Ferry_vO]

the most intelligent, bravest & good-looking Dutch come from our Friesland (OK, and Groningen & maybe Drenthe).

Don't drink and fly, Ralf... ;-)

The only good argument to keep Friesland in our kingdom (Or would that be Queendom?) is Doutzen kroes..

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Don't drink and fly, Ralf... ;-)

The only good argument to keep Friesland in our kingdom (Or would that be Queendom?) is Doutzen kroes..

I must apologise for my friend, he's from the South! Mind you, he has a point about Doutzen...

Wearing rather a lot for her in this particular picture. Not your typical Dutch girl...

Though perhaps Mrs Carter surpassed herself when she searched the length & breadth of Holland to find this particular lady:

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Meanwhile, back in fs9 Denmark...

I got the Electra down safely, but not before this Go-around:

Annoying; but did do a good job of it, climbing back up to 3000 and never entering Swedish airspace just a bit further east!

There are the most attractive old airport buildings:

Another view of them as we follow this SAS Convair...

Unfortunately we followed him to the new, ugly airport complex!

Realised I'd still got full flaps down...

...that's better. There is an early form of jetway there, not sure if they can lift up to actually connect with the aircraft.

(Yes, Mr Gates, I know my engines are not started, I just switched them off. But I'm still playing with the toy I bought from you). Anyhow, it looks like those jetways just led to the ground, though clearly this is a neat, modern parking arrangement for the early '60s. If you like retro SAS aircraft, then this is the place to hang out.

A Convair CV440 leaving (I think it was for Schiphol); and I was parked beside one of their DC7Cs:

As there was quite a lot going on here, left the computer on when I went downstairs to make a coffee (my only vice, Ferry!). Annoyingly, several aircraft LEFT while I busy doing that, but we'll try to start the next leg to Stockholm from in front of the old buildings for a change of scene.

 

[Drzook]

...Oddly enough, it's the other way round in Holland: the most intelligent, bravest & good-looking Dutch come from our Friesland (OK, and Groningen & maybe Drenthe)...

My Great-Great Grandfather was born in Groningen (my last Dutch-born ancestor).:ernae:
Ralf, you know how to spin a yarn and put a smile on everyone's face! Keep up the good work!

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Well, there you are. (Miss Schripsema is also from Groningen and sometimes I suspect she only likes me for being Frieszen - that and giving her hagelslag & herrings...) :ernae: Drzook!

We are going to Bromma (ESSB) Airport in Stockholm. Arlanda is now the main one there, but it didn't open to passenger aircraft till 1960. You won't be disappointed by the 1959 traffic that TG has put into the default Bromma though.

As mentioned above, wanted to start from in front of the old building. Flight planner gave a choice of Gates A1,2,3, etc and B# whatever at Kastrup, so it seemed just a question of which terminal they rated A. Tried A for the older one, but was back at the jetways. It must be B! But no, that just put me the other side of the new parking arrangements. Then I noticed a space called Gate O1 small. Tried that, and this was where I found Lima Echo Echo:

Success! (O for Old?) And parked nearby was something worth seeing:

The Finnair Convair is mildly of interest, but of course I mean that SAS Sud Aviation Caravelle, the first French-built jet we've seen (presumably an SE210 Caravelle I as the IIIs only appeared at the very end of 1959).

Quite a long wait for arrivals using our runway. First there was this old fellow:

There he goes...

Then this came along:

They wanted me to go off in between those two, but I sensibly ignored the Tower and waited. (Didn't fancy a DC-6 up my six o'clock).

While I was waiting the Finn caught up with us:

This shot is more for the buildings outside than for the gagues...

...you can also just make out that DC-6 turning off up there.

 

[tgibson]

Hi Ralf,

A bout with stomach flu has kept me away from the computer for a few days, so I'll try to catch you up.

The LOT aircraft at EHAM was indeed not an IL-14, but instead a CV-240, bought second hand from SABENA in 1957 after they had bought a later model. They tended to use them on their runs to Western Europe, and reserved most of the IL-14's for flights to the East Bloc. You *can* see an IL-14, though - that morning in EHAM as you were departing in your Electra - note the shot of the PAA Stratocruiser. You can also see a CSA (Czechoslovakian) IL-14 in the shot - the one with the red stripes and black 4 bladed props. That's the easy way to tell the difference between Convairs and IL-14's - the props (just like DC-6's and DC-7's).

I believe that Fokker built (or modified?) the F-104 Starfighter under license from Lockheed, so that is why they are mixing with just-built F.27's at the factory.

Having a great time following along and Happy New Year,

Tom Gibson

 

[Ferry_vO]

Fokker did indeed built the (T)F-104 Starfighter in license, and the NF-5A/B and F-16 later on. These were all G models (G for Germany), the main difference being the leading edge slats and the blown flaps.

 

[Trans_23]

Ralf, Where did you get you DC-7 panel. Mine is a Cal-Classics panel but must be old as it doesn't look like the one you have installed. Could you point me in the right direction? Thanks for the story. Great reading.:ernae:

 

[tgibson]

Hi,

The latest version of the DC-7 panel is available from my DC-7 page (United DC-7 Base Pack). The latest DC-7C with opening doors is available as the Pan American DC-7C Base Pack. The other DC-7's don't have opening doors yet, but they do have the latest VC (based on Jens' great DC-6 VC).

www.calclassic.com

Hope this helps,

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Hi Trans23, Tom's the Man! If you look at the start of this story I did still have the old DC-7 arrangement. He sent me a PM pointing out how to improve it, which I did over Christmas. The improved panel will be with your Base Cal Classics DC7, then you can add other liveries and alter their texture files within the base to give them the panel, opening doors, stairs, etc. Print out the instructions and follow carefully and it's quite straightforward. You must make sure that you remove ALL your old DC7 arrangements before installing the new - I still had the old KLM separate from the Cal Classics, so it didn't work till I'd taken that out too (you know how it is). Good luck, it's certainly worth setting aside the time to do it!

It's always strange to see an aircraft from one 'side' painted in the colours of the 'enemy'. Big red stars where it should say Pan Am in blue. I can't bear Spitfires with swastikas or Me262s in RAF roundels. Most interesting about the Poles getting Convair 240s. :ernae: to you, TG - hope the 'flu's becoming a distant memory.

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Later on the Carters are going to fly right into the middle of the Cold War, but for now we're getting them to the harmless Scandinavian countries. Here's the Electra leaving Danish concrete and managing not to do to the Icelandair DC-6 what it recently threatened to do to us at the other end of the runway...

...if you see what I mean. Pretty propblades on him and a good view of the new Kastrup terminal. As usual I checked the map when our climb (to 11000ft, Low Alt Airways) was completed and was horrified to find that we were heading due north over the Kattegat towards Norway! But Scandinvavian ATC was very good and they soon put me right:

Here is the moment of crossing the coast:

Into Sweden. Approach map to Bromma, circling round for RW30:

You come in pretty close over the city:

Can see why they moved the airport when The Jet Age began. That default scenery is quite good, though should maybe stick a few boats in. Desperately trying to slow down with full flaps there, but at least the gear's ready to do its job...

Hope we're not disturbing all those Swedes having sex & commiting suicide down below (expect they're used to it - aeroplanes landing I mean).

Now I've got to go & dig the car out of a snowdrift and try to get to 2010 work, but will post the excitement of '59 Bromma in a few hours' time...

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Made full use of the somewhat short runway there and turned off at its end:

This reality terminal must take first prize for looking like Microsoft flight simulator default buildings:

Young Sven Goran looking unusually scruffy & carrying his own bags there.

At this time it was still the HQ for Scandinavian Airlines System, sensibly formed by Sweden, Norway and Denmark amalgamating national carriers after World War 2. Sweden also had the domestic airline, Linjeflyg, illustrated by the Convair landing below:

The Swedish planespotters must have been excited when something as exotic as a Dutchman turned up.

Fine 7C there:

They sent me to Gate 3 and it was nice, easy parking without having to manoeuver round in a tiny space. It was also close enough to the runway to see (and hear) lots of landings coming in:

Where are those steps?

During the War neutral Sweden managed to keep some sort of airline service going with England. One or two DC-3s were shot down by the Germans, presumably in occupied Norwegian airspace, though the RAF and Royal Navy tended to have control over the North Sea. That last CV-340 which landed went to park at Gate 1:

It was another case of people coming and filling spaces just after I'd taken the 'final view' shot!

Why the Hell did we come here? Oh yes, the Carters.

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Real Life Adventures

So you think these Roggeveen journeys are entertaining? You should have been with me yesterday in the car coming home from work. It's about 15 miles and usually takes around 40 minutes between the English East Midlands city of Nottingham and the market town of Mansfield. It started to snow heavily when I got there, just an hour late. We all got sent home at 13:00, but I left half an hour earlier. It then took TWO AND A HALF HOURS to cover A MILE AND A HALF just getting out of Mansfield. The roads had not been gritted & it was gridlocked. Luckily I knew what to expect & just inched forward with everyone else - I'd brought a bottle of water & a good book to read! Had an apple to eat at 15:00.

When I finally got to the edge of town the main road ahead was practically empty. In fact, had to leave the apple half-eaten for a while as I could go at about 40, but needed to drive carefully concentrate on the one car still in front. Got home at 15:40.

Hillary Clinton has written a book called It takes a village about how to make this bad old world a better place. I'm going to write one called It takes an Assh*le, about why it is such a sh1tty place. I'm going to blame people who ignore traffic lights simply because there is snow on the road, the entire District Council of Mansfield (responsible for gritting) and the entire local Police Force. The latter were nowhere to be seen, though they pop up at a moment's notice, with photos, 3 points on your licence & a big fat fine if you go at 34mph in a 30 zone on a quiet summer's evening. Oh yes, and we'll include people who think it's funny to throw snowballs at traffic jams; let's not forget them.

(Anyway, I busy was reading that book by Ryszard Kapuscinski about journalists very nearly getting murdered in the Congo in 1960, which kind of put my own little problems into perspective).

Incidentally, everyone in the gridlock was incredibly patient (even if they did stupidly crawl through red lights), the only idiot who used his car horn was me (when I was going quite fast up an icy hill & a guy pulled out in front of me).

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Back to virtuality

I'm not quite sure exactly why the Carters had to go to Scandinavia, although there was a visit to a Sanatorium (for massage!) in Copenhagen, and they did see Greta Garbo's house in Stockholm. They may have visited the mysterious 'organisation' in both places. Interestingly, though, Glenmore got their visas for Prague sorted out in Denmark, though they didn't fly direct from there. This may have been easier than doing it in Holland or Germany; maybe they would have had to go to the Hague or Bonn for Czech consulates in those countries? Obviously KLM didn't pay for the Sanatorium, but I guess the Carters simply took advantage of the fact that they did run scheduled flights to both cities. Stockholm was their furthest north (nearly 60 degrees N), Cairo their furthest south (about 30N of the equator, roughly parallel with Houston!)

As promised, we'll fly them straight from Stockholm back to Amsterdam:

Note 30000ft for High Altitude Airways there. It takes about two hours.

Left at around 8 in the morning and it was still dark:

I hung around for a little hoping to get a good view of this Swissair Convair who was coming up to take off after us:

But there was also a DC-3 getting horribly close for a landing, so thought I'd better get out the way.

Flying over this dull bit of Sweden:

Well, I suppose the sky's quite a pretty colour. The Electra seemed to be happiest cruising at about 215-20 kias. It tends to nose up a bit, so I kept an eye on pitch. Winds weren't quite so strong on the way back as they had been going there. This is the map from over Sweden:

That Lake is called Vättern, we are above Östergotland, quite near Mjölby.

Now we're over Denmark:

This time we went just north of Copenhagen.

And here we are crossing part of the Dutch coast:

The neat & tidy Dutch have carefully swept away all their snow, but they'll be glad to keep ice for skating on (another national pastime).

 

[tgibson]

Ah, now don't you feel better after getting that off your chest? :mixedsmi:

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Risked life & limb to step out & take this picture at the last moment, but it's a beautiful line of AI waiting patiently there:

Managed to spladge Lima Lima Echo (mistakenly called LEE above, did you notice?!) down onto RW22, but you can see it was a bit too fast and we then also turned off the wrong way. This mistake had the unexpected advantage that we had to cross back over the runway and were able to enjoy sitting waiting for that lot to take off!

Wait for it...

A fellow-KLM L-188...

An SAS DC-6...

...(Don't know about you, but just recently I've had my fill of them). Not that I can get enough of the KLM ones...

OMG! A KLM L-749 Konstellation, I mean Connie! Then there was this...

...Finnish Electra, followed by...

...another Dutch one...

...There he goes. By later landing at the same time (around 10:30) & turning off the right way I was also able to get this view of that line:

Tom Gibson, I just can't thank you enough :ernae:!

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Ah, now don't you feel better after getting that off your chest? :mixedsmi:

That crap drive? Yes! Thank you for sharing my pain.

(It was made a bit more bearable bythe thought that I wouldn't have to go in today, so the virtual Carters could get back to Schiphol!)

 

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Possibly because of going the wrong way, we also got sent to park in a fascinating, obscure corner of the great airport. I think they called it something like 'Gate 44'...

...rolling down there once all our friends had taken off & we'd got the OK to cross over. Fixed landmarks include the tower with its observation terrace and that Tupolev. We're to park at Hangar 6, also named after a famous French aviator:

Could have gone right inside, but had to let those Carters & the rest of the passengers out.

As the Electra doesn't have a virtual flightdeck, it's good for taking a look right round.

L-1049 parked beside us. Nice bin (is it trashcan in American English?). NO SMOKING! Don't chuck cigarette ends onto oily rags!

Now you can see the shadow of his triple tail and these in the corner. Is that a Martinair DC-3? This scenery is so good that even a shot without any AI in it is superb:

You can clearly see the observation terrace from the earlier real-life photograph and Schiphol's first, rather experimental jetway. We have the genius of Wolfgang Gersch and Jaap de Baare to thank for this: Dankeschön, Dank je wel! :ernae:

And to our four o'clock:

Another couple of Superconnies behind. Maybe they could grow tulips on the Tupolev? This is the view on our starboard side, looking back towards the runways:

Finally for now, having made it back there, another contemporary photo of Schiphol from an old book:

That L-749 PH-TDB will be Batavia. Several different types can, indeed, be i/d'ed!

Coming up: The Carters take a peek behind the dreaded Iron Curtain...

 

[Ferry_vO]

Nice scenery, I noticed even the trucks are from the Dutch manufacturer DAF!
Should really install this and have a look around..