salt_air's Mountain Mission Expedition ... " Looney in a Gooney"

salt_air

salt_air

Charter Member
salt_air's Mountain Mission Expedition ... " Looney in a Gooney"

Delayed arrival of some spares for the Gooney Bird has postponed my first leg.

Goods should be here by day's end .... then we're southbound to Argentina.

Would say I was headed to the Andes Mountains, but I'm already there as the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, are actually submerged peaks of the extreme northern edge of Andes Mountains.



Best of luck and good times to all of the freight haulers in this event ... "Hat's in the air" for the efforts and time spent on planning and maintenance by it's authors.


¡muchas gracias mis amigos!


View attachment 40653
 
Pre-flight checks

Spares finally showed up ... (fresh windows and FS9 installs).

A few more bells and whistles and we're off.

Speaking of whistles, where's my co-pilot?


View attachment 41228


Hopefully out to Maracaibo later today (night) to get loaded ... [talking about freight here] ... and GO!



View attachment 41229


:jump:
 
Party starts

Finally getting to the starting gates at Maracaibo.

Great idea ... this "Shakedown Cruise" from Curacao ... found all sorts of last minute probs to get straight.



View attachment 41265View attachment 41266


Plenty of parking available ... most everybody's gone.

Jeeze ... the smoke from all the Pratt & Whitney's hasn't settled yet.




View attachment 41267View attachment 41268


Getting paperwork in order on all the cargo ... cash for all the various customs officials stationed along the route ... last of the provisions packed and loaded ... last of the delivery secured in the bay ... fuel and oil ... fill the canteens and don't forget the slop jar (for those who can't "hold it till we get on the ground.


Looks like all checked and ready for a dawn launch to another wonderful Andes Adventure ... plan to hit 'um all.





Yeah ... no worries on the Duenna guys ... online tracking was turned off for this flight.


View attachment 41269


Cheers,
 
Thanks!

Moses03 said:
Have any yoke time on the DC-3 Austin?
;)

Good luck Sir.
Click to expand...


Hi Kevin!


Thanks for lookin' in on me.

Yoke time indeed ... even though I still "fly" with the keyboard [talk about old school].

'bout to log some more .... next post.



Thanks! ... and Good Luck to you as well!
 
Leg 1 SVMC - SVBK

"All billed out and bound to go" ... From Big Bill Broonzy's "Key to the Highway"



Out of Maracaibo with a load of Wesson oil ... 3 tons of it! ... headed to Bocono.

They're having their first annual "Big Chicks" Oil Wrestling Championships this weekend.

Whew-wee ... that's a lotta oil there guys!

Ground crew here mumble "Las mujeres gobiernan grandes" while walking like chickens and snapping their fingers.

I can hardly wait to see what sort of cargo I'll be taking out of there :wiggle:


Taking Off: SVMC - SVBK

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,335

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 850

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Real Life Intervention

Had to leave the sim world in order to handle a situation at work (from the home) ... returned to find a crashed plane.

Resetting to start again from Maracaibo .... arrgh, not a good start matey ...aye Capn!


Pre-flight checklist to include the ignore switch on the phone .... engaged!


Taking Off: SVMC - SVBK

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,335

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 850

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe at Maracaibo

Clouds, clouds, and more clouds ... the forced go-around was more stressful than the original approach.

If seat cushions could talk ....

Sally! .. locate the heart medicine and bring it to the cockpit before we take off please.

WOW!

Landed: SVBK

Distance: 117.6

Fuel Used: 586.1

Flight Time: 00:54:35

Maintenance: 0



Total Airports Serviced: 1

Total Cargo: 6,000

Total Fuel: 586.1

Total Flight Time: 00:54:35

Total Maintenance: 0


View attachment 41339View attachment 41338View attachment 41337View attachment 41336View attachment 41335



http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=0QMYAGCiXpcGNE2ARRJSOcpRY8
 
Leg 2 SVBK - SVMD

No Ma'am ... absolutely NOT staying for the weekend ... sign here, I gotta go!



A quick hop to Meridia before preparing customs papers for Colombia.

Cargo of books being donated to a local school there.



Taking Off: SVBK-SVMD

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 22,848

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 363.6

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe at Merida

I Follow Rivers works as long as you follow the right one ... close encounters of the power line tower kind.

Valley looked like it would go the distance, but had to struggle with a near stall speed climb to make it over a ridge lurking in the mist.


We havin' fun yet?


Landed: SVMD

Distance: 69.2

Fuel Used: 279.6

Flight Time: 00:27:53

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 2

Total Cargo: 12,000

Total Fuel: 865.7

Total Flight Time: 01:22:29

Total Maintenance: 0



View attachment 41342View attachment 41341View attachment 41340
 
Leg 3 SVMD - SKBG

All paperwork in order for this load of railroad ties ... must of had some trouble with a landslide ... need these PDQ.

Heading out to beat the sunset to Bucaramanga.

[had to look over about three times to get the spelling on that one]

That will have me a my ol' gal Sal ... I mean the co-pilot Sally, in Columbia before dark.

Taking Off: SVMD - SKBG

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,434

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 949.4

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Down safe at Bucaramanga

Clouds and vis are going to be the second biggest factor in this mission ... first?, well now that would be them there granite trees I keep flying through ... some over, but mostly through.

Landed: SKBG

Distance: 149.0

Fuel Used: 593.4

Flight Time: 01:03:13

Maintenance: 0







Total Airports Serviced: 3

Total Cargo: 18,000

Total Fuel: 1459.1

Total Flight Time: 02:25:42

Total Maintenance: 0



View attachment 41427View attachment 41428View attachment 41429



http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=cwF8vRlIcAPumzn6ULpkgFifKo
 
Leg 4 SKBG - SKBO

Cargo crews are acting a bit nervous this morning while we take on a load of ammo for the capital city.

I'm instructed to make sure this ordinance gets to the right hands as there is a good bit of political unrest there.

"Beware of the bandoleros and and wait until General Pinilla himself is present before unloading a single pound."

I have been guaranteed a quick turn around at the cargo ramp ... unload and load right back with cargo for La Nubia Airport at Manizales ... some agricultural equipment.



Taking Off: SKBG - SKBO

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,139

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 654

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe at Bogata

Okay Sally ... 1.02 lbs of fuel after we park is NOT what I call having some left over for reserve ... [shaking my head while the co-pilot covers her mouth and snickers].


First Required Airport



Landed: SKBO

Distance: 156.4

Fuel Used: 638.3

Flight Time: 01:09:31

Maintenance: 0



Total Airports Serviced: 4

Total Cargo: 24,000

Total Fuel: 2097.4

Total Flight Time: 03:35:03

Total Maintenance: 0



View attachment 41497View attachment 41498View attachment 41499




http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=FpqW3Jeuvgw1TUBWEVjs6OLw
 
Leg 5 SKBO - SKMZ

All loaded up for Manizales ... not a minute too soon as I can hear gunfire in the distance ... don't think it's "huntin' season" either.



Taking Off: SKBO - SKMZ

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 22,884

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 400

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
All clear at Manizales

A left - downwind to RWY 9 was in order ... it would give me a nice look at the airport before I dropped into the soup and allow for a more gradual descent ... better suited to the terrain issues as well.

Don't usually fly with loads of any kind ... final was a bit high and a steeper angle didn't result in as much float on flare as does when empty.

Big help on this one, but could make for a loud crunching noise if the flare is too late somewhere else further down the "trail"!



Second Required Airport



Landed: SKMZ

Distance: 82.5

Fuel Used: 322.2

Flight Time: 00:35:27

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 5

Total Cargo: 30,000

Total Fuel: 2419.6

Total Flight Time: 04:10:30

Total Maintenance: 0




View attachment 41511View attachment 41512View attachment 41513View attachment 41514View attachment 41515


http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=uQKGqZr261rmBwsmsMWYECRbM
 
salt_air said:
Okay Sally ... 1.02 lbs of fuel after we park is NOT what I call having some left over for reserve ... [shaking my head while the co-pilot covers her mouth and snickers].
Click to expand...
Hehe, that's what I was telling myself as well when I saw the TO message with 654 lbs... :icon_lol:

Good fuel planning. Every ounce counts up there... You know how harsh Mrs Nellie ca be about squandering fuel by lugging unnecessary weight around. (That's also the reason why Sally's flying in a bikini, right?)

Excellent fuelefficient flying btw. :salute:
 
"Now there's a boy who understands the meaning of a dollar." -- Miss Nellie considers this high praise indeed.
 
MM said:
"Now there's a boy who understands the meaning of a dollar." -- Miss Nellie considers this high praise indeed.
Click to expand...


Waste not want not .... hehehe [blushed face] ... tell Miss Nellie Thank ya!

But what I want not is to not run out of fuel as far apart as most of these airports are ... whew!!.

Hope I'm not expected to beat that ... but of course, the spirit of saving fuel will remain to the completion of CC AA's mission.





teson1 said:
Hehe, that's what I was telling myself as well when I saw the TO message with 654 lbs... :icon_lol:

Good fuel planning. Every ounce counts up there... You know how harsh Mrs Nellie ca be about squandering fuel by lugging unnecessary weight around. (That's also the reason why Sally's flying in a bikini, right?)

Excellent fuelefficient flying btw. :salute:
Click to expand...



Not so bad when find this sort of thing out upon landing, but when you're still 20 minutes out from destination ... and it's the nearest airport ... pretty bad on the nervous system.

A slower and higher final than I wanted, but all well.

A tad cold for a bikini lol ... heck she looks great all wrapped up!




Thanks Guys!
 
leg 6 SKMZ - SKPI

Definitely want to get this trip completed before dark.

Nothing unusual about planes getting loaded with coffee here ... but to go such a short distance.

Seems as though the locals in Pitalito prefer the beans grown here for there brew.

Reckon I'll run down there, since the road washed pretty bad in last night's rain ... Juan and his burrow are okay, but can go ... oh well, suits me and we can chalk up another load for CC AA.

Let's see ... south to Matecana and then over the ridge to the river .... pretty simple if there's any visibility at all.



Taking Off: SKMZ - SKPI

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,385

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 901

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top