T-K's Andean (mis)Adventures

Off we go again.

Leg 16

Taking off SPLP-SPHO

Takeoff Weight: 59,382 lbs
Fuel: 3,342 lbs
Payload: 12,500 lbs
 
That was an interesting flight with a bit of everything. Heavy coastal cloud cover until I reached cruising alt and then barely scraping over the ridges in the middle section with a relatively easy landing at the end.

Arrived at SPHO

Fuel Used: 1486.0 lbs
Flight Time: 00:50:30
Maintenance Points: 0
 
Wow, what a difference a leg makes!

I started out enjoying what I have come to expect over the mountain interior so far on this trip. Nice clear skies and no worries about the weather. Just avoid the lumps and stay in the hollows.

CCAA_Leg_17-1.jpg


However, after about 20 minutes of flight I started to see this....

CCAA_Leg_17-2.jpg


....which rapidly turned to this...

CCAA_Leg_17-3.jpg


...and it got steadily worse the further I flew.

At about 10 miles out it started to rain heavily and I ended up trying to fly in a narrow slot between the main cloud base and the ridge tops. As I crossed the final ridge I had the throttles chopped and the AP set to an approach altitude but I could see no sign of the airport in the murk. I popped to outside view to see if I could see any better but failed to notice my rapidly decaying airspeed. The first I knew of imminent issues was when the nose suddenly started pointing up on me. I switched back to the VC and sure enough it was in a stall so a frantic scramble ensued for the next few seconds. I had to kill the AP, firewall the throttles and try to get the nose down while winding back over 20° of up trim put on by the AP! I managed to get things back under control, barely, and looked up to see the runway dead ahead and about 1 mile away! So then it was another scramble to get the gear and flaps down and lose the remaining altitude which meant a hot approach. I am really glad it was a very long runway! I did get her down safe but it wasn't pretty! :isadizzy:

Arrived at SPZO

Fuel Used: 1085.0 lbs
Flight Time: 00:37:31
Maintenance Points: 0
 
Ahh yes, the old switching to an outside view when something important is happening. I think we've all done that at least once. I'm glad you had sufficient altitude to recover from the stall. It is a very disconcerting experience in the DC-4. Good job getting things back under control and saving the leg. Nice one.:salute:
 
Thanks Jeff and salt_air. I don't want any more legs like that as it was a bit 'white knuckle' towards the end.
 
Tako_Kichi said:
I had to do a go-around at the destination as I was just a touch hot but as it was surrounded by trees I didn't want to risk a repeat of leg one. Got her down safe on the second attempt from the opposite direction.
Click to expand...

Bra-vo! Tako!

I know this was some days ago... but I just now saw it. :applause:

I think it takes quite of bit of discipline in FS to Go-Around rather than force a bad position and risk crashing. At least it has been a HUGE temptation for me that I normally fall into (not going around) with predictable results (crash).

Rob
 
Great Ozzie said:
I think it takes quite of bit of discipline in FS to Go-Around rather than force a bad position and risk crashing. At least it has been a HUGE temptation for me that I normally fall into (not going around) with predictable results (crash).
Click to expand...
That was a lesson I learned the hard way during my first RTWR. I was in a Vought A-7 Corsair II and I was using a new-to-me AP which also had AT (which I had never used before). I had set the AT to 350 KIAS during the descent and when I was on short final I kicked out the AP and expected the AT to disengage too....WRONG! :isadizzy::redf:

I touched down at 350 knots and wondered why it wasn't slowing down despite having the brakes full on. I should have lifted off again and sorted it out on a go-around but dummy me kept the brakes on and prayed...lol. I shot off the end of the runway and down a hillside before hitting a tree and busting into flames. :angryfir:
 
I lost a few days of flying time due to some health issues here but I am finally feeling well enough to climb back into the cockpit.

Leg 18

Taking off SPZO-SPNP

Takeoff Weight: 59,258 lbs
Fuel: 3,218 lbs
Payload: 12,500 lbs
 
A bit of everything in that flight! Started out in clouds which meant dodging the lumps on the climb-out. The clouds cleared out about 1/3 into the leg to leave nice clear skies but then I ran into turbulence and wind-shear which I have not seen at all so far on this entire trip. It got quite bumpy at times and I was keeping a very close eye on the altimeter to make sure I didn't bust the cap. At the end I had a real hard time trying to spot a thin brown line in a brown landscape and was over the airport before I spotted it. Luckily I was only about 2,500 ft AGL so it was a simple case of over-fly and then join the DW leg on a RH circuit.

Arrived at SPNP

Fuel Used: 1552.0 lbs
Flight Time: 00:52:39
Maintenance Points: 0
 
Just had a total computer lock-up about 3 minutes into the flight so I am going to re-start this leg later.
 
Tako_Kichi said:
That was a lesson I learned the hard way during my first RTWR. :angryfir:
Click to expand...


Tako amazing to hear that story as I had an almost identical experience (I think my first RTRW) but in the FSX Lear 45.

Final... Nice approach, flair, spoilers, brakes... and I am not slowing down! Like 110kts straight down the runway. Never occurred to me to retract spoilers and attempt to take-off since I wasn't getting stopped. Crash right into the localizer antenna. :banghead:

Apparently the Autothrottle was still engaged... I thought I had disengaged both and iirc both "AP" and "SPD" lights were out. Tried to repro (dis-engaging both but SPD still enabled despite the light out) just a while ago but unable.

Live and learn... :redface:
 
After some unforeseen RL delays I can now attempt to continue this event.

Leg 19

Taking off SPNP-SLLP

Takeoff Weight: 58,195 lbs
Fuel: 2,155 lbs
Payload: 12,500 lbs
 
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