Opa Locke,FL.Airport released

Man, that field sure has changed. I used to always fly into OPF during the late 70's. Back then, Customs was housed in a small little trailer. The field was loaded with old radial-engined anythings, and most of the old military base buildings were still there. The old blimp hangar was also there. In fact, a few episodes of Miami Vice was filmed inside that hangar back in the mid 80's. The old Lockheed Constitution sat down there for years until it was finally scraped. Art has done a bunch of airports throughout Florida. He did North perry back in December or so. That was the field I flew from. It was about 5 NE from OPF. Off to download and add in. :) Now if I only had an AZTEC to fly!! (hint-hint, developers!!!!!)

Don
 
Bushpounder said:
Man, that field sure has changed. I used to always fly into OPF during the late 70's. Back then, Customs was housed in a small little trailer. The field was loaded with old radial-engined anythings, and most of the old military base buildings were still there. The old blimp hangar was also there. In fact, a few episodes of Miami Vice was filmed inside that hangar back in the mid 80's. The old Lockheed Constitution sat down there for years until it was finally scraped. Art has done a bunch of airports throughout Florida. He did North perry back in December or so. That was the field I flew from. It was about 5 NE from OPF. Off to download and add in. :) Now if I only had an AZTEC to fly!! (hint-hint, developers!!!!!)

Don
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Hey,
Did you say the North Perry is available...both airports are right down the road from my home. Now if we could just get someone to re-do MIA and Homestead, all would be right with the world!
 
Yes, id like to get North Perry also, as i go by it heading to Hooters (SE corner of Pines and University) every wednesday for bike night. Flown out of there quit a few times in RW.
While were at it has anyone done KFXE? Grew up right down the road from this field and watched many of great air shows when i was a kid. Last show they had there the Blues were still flying Skyhawks.

Joe
 
Butcherbird17 said:
Yes, id like to get North Perry also, as i go by it heading to Hooters (SE corner of Pines and University) every wednesday for bike night. Flown out of there quit a few times in RW.
While were at it has anyone done KFXE? Grew up right down the road from this field and watched many of great air shows when i was a kid. Last show they had there the Blues were still flying Skyhawks.

Joe
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I was actually at that show...oh, wait, it was down at Kendall late 70s, but small world, just the same.
 
I've installed the KOPF scenery package and it is a great improvement over the stock version. Well done... except I see a couple of DC-3's that look to be in the process of being scrapped. The tubeliners being scrapped I don't mind, but the DC-3... oh, well, it's Opa Locka.
 
stansdds said:
I've installed the KOPF scenery package and it is a great improvement over the stock version. Well done... except I see a couple of DC-3's that look to be in the process of being scrapped. The tubeliners being scrapped I don't mind, but the DC-3... oh, well, it's Opa Locka.
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Actually, from my back porch I can see DC-3s and DC-4s flying out Opa Locka every so often. In fact I've seen a couple of DC-3s fly over in the past 2 weeks. Gotta love the sound of the DC-3.
 
Look at Avsim. I know North Perry is there (KHWO) Pretty good rendition. It has changed greatly since I was there, but matches what I see on Google Earth fairly well.

Don
 
Art's North Perry is listed as Hollywood (hollywood_fl.zip) over at Avsim.

Not too long ago he put up Boca also (boca_raton_fl.zip) in case you missed it.

FAC257
 
I'll also have to try his North Perry airfield. The stock FSX version (at least on my computer) lacks night lighting of the runways. I found that out the hard way. Took off just before sunset and all was fine, came back at night and landed by moonlight. :isadizzy:
 
I used to live about a quarter mile from North Perry, right under the western approach. It's a cool little field. There used to be an aviation school right on the corner of Pembroke Road and University Drive. The whole area has changed quite a bit from the mid 80's, when I first moved to Pembroke Pines, the town in which the airport is located. The Post Office calls it Hollywood, but it really isn't. There was a minor movemnet to shut down the field some years ago, but Broward County said, uh, uh, ain't gonna happen. Too many dignitaries fly in to North Perry when there is something big going on like the Super Bowl. Joe Robbie-Dolphin-Land Shark-Sun Light-Whatza-ma-callit Underwear Stadium is right down the road. That stadium has had more names in the past 20 years than Carters got peanuts.
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Art Poole has done quite a few Florida airports for FSX. Check'em out on AVSIM

Thanks Art!!!
 
Just tried out Boca Raton and North Perry, great improvements and NP has two runways illuminated at night, just as it should be. :jump:
 
I started flying at North Perry in 1972. Not much is left from those days, but there are a few things that are still as they were. I flew from there and worked there from 72 to late 78, and then from 81 to 87. I left the area for good back in 91, but have kept a close eye on it by the internet. Lots of GREAT memories, both good and bad.

Don
 
The first airplane ride I ever took was on an Eastern Airlines DC-7 that looked pretty much like the plane in the vid. I was 7 years old and was flying from Idlewild (JFK) to Miami for a visit with relatives. I was accompanied by friends of my parents and it was all pretty exciting. Well, we finally got boarded and they started up the engines and taxied out to the runway. Once we were cleared for take-off we turned onto the runwway and got lined up...the pilot gunned the engines, we started to pick up speed and I was looking out the window with bulging eyes when all of a sudden we heard the sound of loud warning bells ringing up front in the cockpit. The plane immediately started to slow down as the pilot pulled back on the throttles and we taxied back to the gate. Evidently there was a fire in one of the engines so back to the gate we went. We spent the next 4 hours waiting for another aircraft to be brought over from Newark. Once it arrived we boarded once again and proceeded to have a beautiful flight to Miami aboard one of the most iconic aircraft ever produced. That Eastern DC-7 had one of the most beautiful paint schemes ever put on an airliner!

And yeah, those Stewardess were gorgeous and took wonderful care of me!

Wow, how lucky was I!
 
big-mike said:
I just found something interesting over in the ORBX forum
about a restored DC-7 making a test flight from Opa Locke,

http://nycaviation.com/2010/08/a-promise-kept-the-eastern-dc-7b-story/

http://www.youtube.com/user/douglasprops

A real beauty!
Michael
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Okay, that is where I had heard of this airport before! ;)
This DC-7 is the only one flying today in original airliner configuration, and is based at Opa-Locke. It debuted at Airventure-Oshkosh last summer, and has been to several other venues since, including Sun N' Fun just a few weeks ago. I believe they have a ride program for paying customers. Some great photos inside and out, on the ground and in the air here: http://airchive.com/html/museums/1/historical-flight-foundation-douglas-dc-7/367

I grew up seeing this aircraft parked at a local airport up until 2004 when it was sold and flown to Florida and fully restored (it had been sitting for roughly 30 years!). Despite sitting for that long, the interior, although now fully refurbished/restored, was still intact as it originally had always been.
 
Joe Robbie-Dolphin-Land Shark-Sun Light-Whatza-ma-callit Underwear Stadium
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You really crack me up Mitch!

Wonderful story re your first airliner ride. I missed the radial era by a hair and my first one was from Idlewild to West Palm in a National Airlines DC-8 in 1966 which I will never forget.
 
expat said:
You really crack me up Mitch!

Wonderful story re your first airliner ride. I missed the radial era by a hair and my first one was from Idlewild to West Palm in a National Airlines DC-8 in 1966 which I will never forget.
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