My first hops in New Zealand...

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Dear folks,

after fiddling with addon sceneries, meshes and landclasses and having done the usual preflight occupations like collecting charts, it was about time to do what flightsimming is all about (besides tinkering...): go fly!

So I dusted off Derek Palmer's lovely DH.104/Dove/Devon (whatever you might call her), dressed her with the appropriate skins (by Ian Warren) and took her off. North Island first.

Climbing out of Tauranga, real weather looks like a nice day for flying:

My first leg was to Auckland, but this city appeared 10/10 overcast, so no pics here. Turned back heading Rotorua to get some breakfast.

Next leg to Wellington via Napier, still in nice visual conditions.
But then, Wellington tower rejected my landing request, controller said something about "currently IFR".
Well, dear: You'll never see me filing a flightplan, I can read approach charts on my own! It's always good to have some useful avionics on the board ahead...

Captured ILS beam, 9 miles out of 'Wild at Heart' Wellington, the runway is still in sight. But it was not only me descending on this beam:

That poor blue 172 bugger did file an IFR plan and was set "Nr. 1 for landing". So I kept the undercarriage (I won't call it "gear" on this airplane!) and the flaps inboard as long as I could, just to get set before this slow mover...

About 3 miles outbound, I slowly began to understand why a visual approach would have been quite tricky:

But it was getting better:

Headwind of 21 kn won't get me scared - I logged some hours at the Aleutian Chain and the "Great White North" before!

After gently touching down, this leg was done.

Here's my little travel companion again:

I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship!

Cheers,
Markus.

 

[sandar]

The DH Dove was the first aircraft I could recognise. I saw one at Coventry and asked my dad what it was. I was about 4 years old at the time and have never forgotten. Still love the Dove.
The Dove is the civil version and Devon the military version

 

[bpfowler]

love the dove!
Hope you'll put some paints together for her, great little ship.

Nice pix of Wellie, too.

 

[PeteHam]

" .... Climbing out of Tauranga, real weather looks like a nice day for flying: .... "

Great shot .... but the weather here yesterday even the ducks were grounded

I've also got the payware Tauranga scenery but the thing that anoys me is the 'half Mount' , which should look like this pic ...

Pete.

 

[CrisGer]

those are very nice pics, i just added the scenry that adds ships and resorts to the Sound and havent been down to look at it yet...thanks so much for those pics. How did you add Air NewZealand? is it with WOFI? or some other program? looks very nice in Wellington.

 

[Flyboy208]

Markus, you have inspired me. I just spent the last hour and a half downloading and installing alot of NZ sceneries. Will post some pics later tonight.

Cheers! Mike

 

[Wing_Z]

...I've also got the payware Tauranga scenery but the thing that anoys me is the 'half Mount' , which should look like this pic ...
Pete.

...There is a freeware 75m mesh available, see this page but the landclass and 20m mesh from simpilot experience will transform these sceneries...

:d ...and not only here - if you want to fly VFR anywhere in NZ I'd say it's essential.

 

[Flyboy208]

Just added proper RNZAF ai traffic too. Air Bases installed are great, but really loving the ai helo traffic at NZRU-Waiouru ...

Cheers! Mike

 

[Flyboy208]

More pix here ...

 

[Wing_Z]

Nice pix Mike...glad you like 'em!
Of course, the f16 deal got stalled and delivery never happened!
The Skyhawks are still mothballed, waiting for an approved buyer, so no fast jet fleet .

 

[Flyboy208]

I was wondering what the RNZAF used as a primary fighter, seems to me the F/A-18 would be a good fit, especially with all of the tech support in Australia ...

Mike

 

[Motormouse]

I was wondering what the RNZAF used as a primary fighter, seems to me the F/A-18 would be a good fit, especially with all of the tech support in Australia ...

Mike

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_New_Zealand_Air_Force#Postwar_RNZAF

Alas,NZ no longer have a primary fighter jet, (or any other fast-jet for that matter) since the governing Labour party decreed NZ didn't need it/them anymore to save costs....watch out UK we're next if our governing Labour party gets its' way!

ttfn

Pete

 

[Ian Warren]

It was a sad day to hear the historical No 75 and No 2 squadrons , we will keep them alive in the vitual world along with New Zealand,s historical air force base , Wigram in Christchurch , governments have a lot to answer to , FS9 has many many good freeware s but today the direction is heading towards FSX . A latest offering just happens from were you started Markus , Tauranga the FSX upgrade , to be released at this weekends Tauranga Airshow , there wont be an upgrade for FS9 but since Flightsim devolopment stalled , this give all time to catch up

 

[Ian Warren]

 

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Kia ora!

Glad you liked my little report.

@ Pete:
I must confess that taking a first glance after installing, I thought this mountain is one of those funny mesh errors!
Now of course I know something about Mt. Maunganui - hope you'll pardon my lack of knowledge...

One advantage about flying around in an unknown area is that I don't know how something should appear: there's no recognition value to be fulfilled. Maybe that's the reason for very rarely strolling above the virtual Germany. Not having to compare reality and sim can sometimes be a blessing.

@ Wing_Z:
Now that's a quite cool comparison shot!

How did you add Air NewZealand? is it with WOFI? or some other program?

Those ANZ tubes were kindly provided by Burkhard Renk's MyTraffic2004.

@ Flyboy:
Nice pics there! Glad to be inspiring...

@ Ian:
"The Mount" sure looks great in your FSX shots.
But even them can't convince me to leave my stable and highly-tweaked FS9 platform...
But wait: Will any of those funky FSX NZ addons have animated Keas? :d

Cheers,
Markus (now heading towards Cook Strait)

 

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Next leg: Wellington - Nelson - Woodbourne

My little Dove needs a rest, for this leg I'll take the Tex... pardon: Harvard!

It's the Alphasim Six, repaint by Jankees. Fluffy clouds provided by Pablo Diaz. Now crank this radial and up we go!

Heading towards Cook Strait, South Island ahead!

Wave goodbye to Wellington!

Landfall over Curious Cove:

Some haze over Picton:

We reach the turning point of today's leg, Nelson (said to be New Zealand's center point):

Now heading eastwards, we're crossing Mt. Richmond Forest Park - now where are those darn sunglasses that make me look so cool...?

Some miles later, we reach Wairau River. Woodbourne cleared us "straight in rwy 06", must be hidden behind this majestic cumulus...

D'UH! Seems like I'm slightly too high to get straight in:

 

[Wing_Z]

Paraparaumu

On the way down to Wellie, Robin Corn did a wonderful freeware photoreal strip form NZPP southward, including the airport.
It was better than the FSX version (More detail) but I can't seem to find it.

Maybe one of the less mainstream sites will have it - well worth a look.

EDIT: Oops we cross-posted, sorry to butt in Markus, you were passing by!
No matter, Marlborough is one of the finest playgrounds around, enjoying your pics too.

 

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Time for a steeeeeeep 270° righthand turn to get settled on final!

That will do! But how can I get rid of this airspeed?
Finally managed it without damaging my undercarriage:

The runway appears a little odd: There are semi-transparent remains of a second rwy texture hovering above the ground. Think I have to check for duplicate AFCADS...

Now a nice three-pointer:

I once read that a taildragger's landing isn't finished until the engine is cut off. So let's take the last phase of this landing across the lawn - not too much military traffic around...:

"Am I allowed to park here?"

So much for a taildragger's landing - that wasn't too hard, eh?


And here's today's leg:

The 270°, high-bank, steep-drop final turn (think I've chosen the right aircraft for this manoeuvre...) :

Let's see where I can get next...

Cheers,
Markus.

Edit:
Don't bother, mate!
I didn't know about the 10 pics limit per posting, so I had to cut it in two.

This Paraparaparamupa... whatever (you guys do have some funny names down there!) scenery looks great.
Hope you can find a source!

 

[Wing_Z]

Koromiko...NZPN rwy19 approach.
Then: Kaikoura (freeware)

 

[Wing_Z]

Ah! There it is - twice.
Must be that new server...

Windowlight AFCADs must be copied into /Scenery/World/Scenery otherwise they float.