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

on the ground safe at Pitalito

Whoa .... it's over there! ... shouts the co-pilot.

Following rivers works well, yeah .... except when the map shows 1 and you get there to find 2 and visibility is ... oh say 1/4 mile! :blind:

They were close enough together, but still zig zaggy flight path ... was about to turn Sally out on the wing for a better view ... right!, I mean of the airport ...sheeze!



Landed: SKPI

Distance: 191.8

Fuel Used: 745.9

Flight Time: 01:18:56

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 6

Total Cargo: 36,000

Total Fuel: 3165.5

Total Flight Time: 05:29:26

Total Maintenance: 0



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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=8P712CTobiWYcmyHXf6KOd62hU
 
Leg 7 SKPI - SKPS

Goat's Milk! .... whatever ... Goat's milk to Pasto.


Taking Off: SKPI - SKPS

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 22,835

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 350.6

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Down safe at Pasto

Got milk? ... yup!

Tried the ol' straight over the top ... sure does use up the fuel that way ... not really sure what good it did other than shorten the distance.

Eh ... false economy there ... might want to rethink that next time.

Also another close call on fuel ... put 25 lbs in each aux tank ... had to switch them before I ever got visual on the airport.

Second thought to put in the extra fuel ... woulda crashed for sure without it.



Gunna ask ya again there Pedro ... are we haven fun yet? ... yeeeup!




Landed: SKPS

Distance: 79.8

Fuel Used: 307.4

Flight Time: 00:32:36

Maintenance: 0



Total Airports Serviced: 7

Total Cargo: 42,000

Total Fuel: 3472.9

Total Flight Time: 06:02:02

Total Maintenance: 0



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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=agyEibiv0jOqk2iv86TuYg7os
 
Leg 8 SKPS - SEQU

"Quito 'fo dark" with a hot load of Kerosene for all the oil burnin' funaces ... it does get a tad cool at night.

Trivia: "On February 12, 1949, a realistic broadcast of H. G. Well's novel The War of the Worlds led to citywide panic and the deaths of more than twenty people who died in fires set by mobs.[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quito#cite_note-6[/SUP]"
Wikipedia


Taking Off: SKPS - SEQU

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,285

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 801

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safely down in Ecuador

Just doesn't seem right to be strugglin' along ... trying to put your hands through the windscreen so you can maybe feel where you are going because you sure as heck can't see ... and then a break in the clouds, just long enough for you to see that you are only a few minutes east from being able to fly at quarter of this altitude (14000') in clear skies ... and then whoosh, right back to white out like conditions ... may as well snow.


Quito is a tricky one ... been here at least 6 or 7 times in RTW's .... better show this one some respect.

Miscellaneous terrain everywhere ready to give you a "welcome hug" if your not paying attention.



Well, anyway ... Made it to Ecuador ... going to find a bunk and grab a little shut eye.


Third Required Airport


Landed: SEQU

Distance: 117.2

Fuel Used: 520.9

Flight Time: 00:50:34

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 8

Total Cargo: 48,000

Total Fuel: 3993.8

Total Flight Time: 06:52:36

Total Maintenance: 0


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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=vtiBLvwZ1nPvfOC9vJ2BWSCqnt4
 
Leg 9 SEQU - SERB

U.S. Ambassador Sheldon T. Mills just happened to be on hand at Mariscal Sucre Int'l and stopped by the cargo ramp to say hello and wish us well as we readied the Gooney for the trip through the Andean Highlands to Riobamba ... delivering some medical supplies.


After some "shop talk" with Jeff (jt_dub) I'm going to tote a bit more fuel for the rest of the way.



Also I'm looking at some differential between posted totals and what shows up on Paul's summary.

I haven't checked and likely won't, but I will make a +/- adjustments after this flight to bring my posted totals in line ... prolly a good idea to discontinue using the calculator (even with the big AARP buttons) in the dark with the only ilumination being from the glow from the monitors ... :redface:.




Taking Off: SEQU - SERB

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,186

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 701.2

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe at Riobamba

Sally ... make sure you refill all of the O2 tanks before we take off again please.

Too bad ya can't get a mask on these Pratt's .... and we ain't even in the highest part of this chain yet.

14000' and AGL was low enough to see whether or not folks on the ground were smiling or frowning .... not good in terrain this lumpy.

Relatively straight up VOR nav with a twist around a hump outside of town.


Landed: SERB

Distance: 92.5

Fuel Used: 353.5

Flight Time: 00:35:39

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 9

Total Cargo: 54,000

Total Fuel: 4346.2 (Adj. reflected in this total)

Total Flight Time: 07:28:24 (Adj. reflected in this total)

Total Maintenance: 0



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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=QxcZCAAWs8oQK67dXPWIJPnY5w
 
Leg 10 SERB - SETM

So ... we're going to haul loose household goods? ... this outta be good.

Let's keep this thing loaded as even as possible ... is that a piano?


Taking Off: SERB - SETM

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,385

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 900.8

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Leg 11 SETM - SPJE

Headed into Peru with several wooden crates said to contain some Pre-Columbian artifacts for the collection of a wealthy Banana farmer in Jaen, Peru ... to remain unnamed for now.



Taking Off: SETM - SPJE

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,135

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 650.9

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe at Jaen

Havin' a ball!

Easy navigation ... straight in to RWY 16 from a 160 degree flight path lined up on the AEN VOR at the airport.

This would have been a real pisswilly to find without the VOR ... there are no NDB's in range, but the river did make a good ground reference.

Usual MSFS white out on approach was particularly thick ... good thing it lifted during final.

I was right of the runway and about to bust it up on a hill less than a mile from the threshold ... full flaps and near stall speed to a gravel runway.

We're having fun now by golly ... and by the looks of the charts this party's just gettin' started ... :wiggle:



Landed: SPJE

Distance: 102.2

Fuel Used: 371.9

Flight Time: 00:40:46

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 11

Total Cargo: 66,000

Total Fuel: 5261.5

Total Flight Time: 09:09:25

Total Maintenance: 0



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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=QjqJI6VYpTu94aiNYEffroYWoBw
 
Leg 12 SPJE - SPJB

So we get here and there are six wagons loaded with bananas ... off go the crates to the ground ... must have been a dozen folks working ... the whole aircraft sweep out then the wagons come over one at a time they "run" the bananas (knew this would happen) into the plane and take the crates off the ground ... then down the road they go.

So we're back out loaded and headed to Cajabamba ... hope they didn't "pad" the figures on the claimed weight ... there's a LOT of bananas in here ... smells good enough, but me and Sally can't get to the facilities.

nos vamos!




Taking Off: SPJE - SPJB

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,235

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 750.6

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
down safe at Cajabamba

Yeah ..... if your just looking at the maps and charts thinking that "RWY 23 would be a good choice" ... it ain't!


The Lukla of the Andes ... well a little deeper and a good bit wider, but wider doesn't matter all that much .... unless you're doing "S" turns to bleed off ground speed and there's NO more room ahead. :icon_eek:

Good thing we had a load of fresh bananas in here ... making things smell real nice.

If the viz had been bad .....



Landed: SPJB

Distance: 128.5

Fuel Used: 539.6

Flight Time: 00:48:16

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 12

Total Cargo: 72,000

Total Fuel: 5801.1

Total Flight Time: 09:57:41

Total Maintenance: 0




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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=G4gT6IXsKLonD4QKXSeWlSvb3U
 
Leg 13 SPJB - SPHZ

Going to Huaraz at Anta with a load of boulders ... nicely shaped for a construction project.

Grabbing a extra O2 tank and a little bit heavier jacket out of the back too!


Taking Off: SPJB - SPHZ

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,185

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 700.8

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe landing at Huaraz

Clear skies (relatively) the whole trip ... that was good since this is a "Valley" run and the plane was surrounded with granite from take off to landing.

Bonus was the 2 mile long paved runway even if it was set back in the riverbank just a bit.


Fifth Required Airport



Landed: SPHZ

Distance: 107.4

Fuel Used: 422.9

Flight Time: 00:43:18

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 13

Total Cargo: 78,000

Total Fuel: 6224.0

Total Flight Time: 10:41:09

Total Maintenance: 0


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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=Wr8bTCgZVoe4qii2oCweVEH50O4
 
Leg 14 SPHZ - SPNC

Bound for Huanuco with a load of lumber that was barged here from the coast ... it would take many burros to haul it over the mountains ... the river is turning the other way.


Si ... muchos burros!


Taking Off: SPHZ - SPNC

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 23,085

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 599.7

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe landing at Huanuco

What a struggle for the DC-3 .... operating at 15000' for most of the flight.

I'm REAL glad that it's been clear.



I remember using the Gooney Bird as my Transport/Bomber class entry in what was one of my all time favorite events ... Pan AM 1941.

Wiggling through some of these same passes (I think) ... but without the aid of these 195 NM VOR's we're using here.

On one instance I squirmed around a couple of passes and got disoriented and didn't even have an NDB in range when I finally popped through to lower ground (east) ... just compass and a guess at the times for the previous headings ... then a lucky guess as to what correction angle to use and which NDB's to look for ... Good Times!



Sixth Required Airport




Landed: SPNC

Distance: 89.4 nm

Fuel Used: 361.9

Flight Time: 00:38:30

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 14

Total Cargo: 84,000

Total Fuel: 6585.9

Total Flight Time: 11:19:39

Total Maintenance: 0



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http://fs-duenna.com/flights/ShowFlight.php?flight=VlTD0scPv5irG3gQI1bVtEY91U
 
Leg 15 SPNC - SPVI

Short hop to Vicco with a crowd of folks that were on a bus that broke down and a bunch of suitcases and satchels.




Taking Off: SPNC - SPVI

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 26,200

Takeoff Weight: 22,935

Empty Weight: 16,145

Fuel: 450.8

Payload: 6,000

Crew: 340
 
Safe and sound at Vicco

Getting dark ... slow gradual steady climbing to 15000' before a slow steady descent and then dead stick on short final in to the top of the butte.

Dead Reckoning through the valley tracking out of NUC NDB with some verification from the YON NDB to the west ... stop watch was handy too!


Landed: SPVI

Distance: 57.2

Fuel Used: 274.2

Flight Time: 00:23:10

Maintenance: 0


Total Airports Serviced: 15

Total Cargo: 90,000

Total Fuel: 6860.1

Total Flight Time: 11:52:49

Total Maintenance: 0


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