The End to a most pleasurable, profitable and fun journey ...
The pleasure and fun shouldn't need a lot of explaining ... none at all really.
Where the profit comes in is not just the nice Booty captured for delivering the Vega in one piece ... on time.
It comes form all that I have gained in the form of the ability to apply a much richer understanding of the navigational skills I have sought after for quite a while now ... and the build will continue.
This event has allowed the "bringing together" of a lot of recently gained knowledge (for me) and provided a place to utilize it ... find out what works and how to best use it ... put it to work ... benefit from it.
By not skimming or trying to get around all that was required to navigate through this ... but by totally embracing the task and finding not just one, but the best solution or method with what you are allowed to use.
This is and has been an excellent classroom and proving ground all in one ... you are missing the boat if you don't walk away with at least a little of that after a 10000 NM journey where you have been held to it by rules.
Folks that's how we learn this stuff ... put that with areas of the world that you aren't all that familiar with .. other than a passing through in an RTW like a Bat out of Hell ... many new places on this route.
Speaking strictly as a participant ... if this is a pain then just walk away and go fly a Lear Jet back and forth from your home airport.
Doing not much more than flipping a few switches and spending most of your time just waiting to get where ever you were going.
Certainly not condemning that platform of simming ... whatever brings you joy ... but that is the heck and gone from what this event was and is all about.
I've got one more song to sing and I'll be done ... there's a pretty simple criteria for what makes events like these great ... both from the standpoint of being a participant and as a creator of my own and on a team.
First thing is you manufacture a theme ... not too involved, but not so moronic that it has no interest ... then you have what I'll call a draw or attraction for folks to want to participate.
That will require testing and research work on it's own to create the event, and require participants to do some research too ... an assignment if you will ... make you think ... best plane?... best route?
Secondly, you have to define the boundry ... requirements and rules to keep folks in line with your imagination and to a lesser degree theirs ... keeps all of us on the same page.
[Again as a participant .. not fussing at anybody, just a general observation .. that is what most of the who struck John questions are about .. just read and make some notes and go have fun .. not the time for input ... it's done.]
Third is to administer what you have set forth .. redefine a rule or sentence ... field questions ... levy penalty that's sometimes in a questionable or gray area (we always seem to find it) ... and then compute the results.
Sounds simple, but until you have seen these things through as an individual or group (sometimes harder) or had some involvement in it, you can't appreciate the effort ... I advise all to volunteer in this process.
Put all of that in a funnel and there's a recipe for a perfect event ... hit on or just touch all of those areas and folks will be excited to participate ... have fun in doing so ... and walk away with more than they brought.
All of this writing was not to say you guys ... The Committee ... have hit on a perfect 10 in my book ... all the writing was to describe what a perfect 10 would be .... Bang on the Nail fellas ... terrific job ... Bravo!
Thanks a lot for all it took and all that you still have ahead to do ... so blokes like me can have fun doing something we all love ... hard to believe this is free for all ... and better I know you guys are probably planning another one.
We need some virtual fireworks up in here!!
Guy standing over by the drink machine looking on ... rolls his eyes while leaning his head backwards ." whew ... man I'm glad that guy's finished talking"
Flight notes .... another glorious flight ... day light and pretty clear skies except for being robbed of some ocean views by a cloud build up roughly 100 NM's out of Cape Town .. still managed a few peek-a-boos.
As far off as my flight time guess was and as little WCA that was needed I'd say there was a headwind straight on the nose for the majority of the flight ... thankfully calm on approach ... was looking for worse on the coast.
The opposite of the early flights in Europe ... the NDB's down here ... this leg particular .. were long range 113 NM stations ... a luxury because the longer the range the less time you have to DR and the straighter your path.
Going to collect for services .. take some time off, definitely dine on something other than can food for a change and maybe check out Robben Island for some fishing and sailing ... then see where to next?
Wonder what all the work on a Ford Trimotor was all about in a hanger back there in Hammerfest, Norway? ... Reckon I'll spend some money on a classified ad : "Have Gal ... will Travel"
Good Luck to the rest of you ... hurry up every chance you get!
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to get cold. 
