**The OFFICIAL All Sims Air Tour Thread**

[lucb]

Leg17 HEHY->KFFC Peachtree City Falcon
When we arrived at the airport, we checked the weather forecast. It was -2°C at ground level, with cloud cover at around 4,000 feet. Not very encouraging.
Immediately after take-off, the pitot tube froze and Amy started complaining about the pitot heater, which never worked properly. Apart from that, it was a smooth flight with plains stretching as far as the eye could see.


We made a low pass over KFFC before continuing on to the next leg.

Leg18 KFFC -> KGMU Greenville Dowtown
Our GPS indicates a ground speed of 168 knots. We therefore have a good tailwind and quickly fly over Athens Airport.


And soon the Richard B.Russel lake and the frontier between Georgia and South Carolina. Unfortunately, turbulence set in and clouds forced us to descend to 2,500 feet, where our fuel consumption increased significantly.



To make matters worse, snow began to fall as we approached. The landing went smoothly, which was fortunate because we only had 8.57 litres left in our tanks.


Total Flying time: 2h30.

 

[Melo965]

Leg 23: First Flight Airport (KFFA) to Richmond International (KRIC)

Flying the Percival Mew Gull in MSFS 2020. Using Active Sky FS for weather and Little Navmap for navigation. Using FSLTL for AI traffic.


Ready to start the engine. 91% fuel on board for this leg. Only one other smal plane here on the ramp.


Lined up for takeoff on runway 03. After the shortest taxi of all on this Air Tour.


Climbing out and on the way to Virginia.


Flying over Kill Devil Hills.


Half way there on a great day to be flying.


Williamsburg is there across the James River. My youngest brother lives there. After I get to Richmond, will be renting a car and go visit my brother for a few days. I should be back in the air on the Air Tour by this weekend.


Airport in sight ahead. Snapped this picture just as the terrain below was switching from snow covered to green fields.

Wind direction dictated a landing on runway 20.


Downwind for runway 20.

Just as I made the turn from downwind to base the simulator crashed to desktop. First time that has happened. My Little NavMap saved my flight track and I knew my altitude so I was able to reposition the Mew Gull precisely to continue the flight.


Successful short final for runway 20 this time. An almost centerline landing followed.

Taxi to the ramp went well, but the Simulator froze again, but without shutting down this time.


Parked near the airliners. 83% fuel on board. I was able to get this picture even with the Simulator frozen.

There will be a full reboot of the PC before the next flight. Next stop is Frederick Municipal (KFDK).

 

[bosspecops]

Nice work surviving the CTD Melo, that's always a pain, and far too frequent for my tastes too.

And you've caught me up again, although I should be leaving Richmond this evening flying something a bit larger than the Bugatti! But just as weird...............

 

[jgf]

For this leg of the tour I chose a simple plane, the Travelair 4000, a classic biplane of the era, many are still flying today. Mine has been updated with GPS, AP, and fully IFR compatible (sadly the pilot isn't), I'll use GPS as a chart and ADF. Early morning departure from KFFC (that airport should belong to Col Sanders)






My passenger seems to have lost face.




Passing Hartsfield, sun is up


KWDR in the distance; Barrow County Airport, aka Northeast Georgia Regional Airport (and previously Winder-Barrow Airport) is home to Dragonfly Aviation (I wasn't familiar with them either) and a medical company of the Georgia National Guard. Cruising along at 2100rpm, a leisurely 100kt at 3500ft.

 

[jgf]

Passing over 19A, Jackson County Airport (little data about it online; it has fuel, limited repair facilities, and no tower)

The real 19A


About halfway along, temperature suddenly plummets from 20 to 0, just cruising along; if the real planes are like this rendition, no wonder they remain so popular


3GE3, Broad River Airpark, Lavonia, Georgia; opened in 2006 as "a retreat for aviation enthusiasts around North East Georgia".

It's placement is quite correct-


Tooling along




Turning east to get a good approach to KGMU

 

[jgf]

Just cruising til the ADF points north


SC32, Sky Valley Airpark, Pelzer SC. Little data about it othe than privately owned, and for $35 you can get a water bottle with the Sky Valley sectional map on it.


ADF says it's time


That runway ahead? No, that's KGYH


Greenville Army Air Base opened in 1942, renamed Donaldson Air Force Base (after Col. John Donaldson, a WWI ace) in 1952, and closed in 1962. Reopened in 1964 by the city as Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park, or locally as just Donaldson Field. I'm just passing through.


Good thing I'm flying manually, stupid ILS want's to land in the grass by the runway


Apparently I'm not welcome here, instead of taxi to parking all I get are taxi to takeoff instructions


Shutdown


No parking? Well I'll just sit it right here in front of you.


176 miles in 1hr 24min, a very pleasant flight; release a balloon in celebration

 

[jgf]

FWIW, NC8708 "Magic One" is real, a Travelair 4000 built in 1929 and still flying today

 

[ScottishMike1]

Once again I covet the panel. Love the GPS in it's wooden frame!

 

[jgf]

Thanks. That's the default panel (1024x768) reworked to 1920x1080, with some added detail and texturing. Great model, especially considering it's 20 years old; though no idea who to credit for it, no docs in the folder, but I suspect it is one of Lyons' creations. GPS is one of those rare Atwater Kent units, no idea how they got all those vacuum tubes in that little case.

 

[bosspecops]

Yeah, the inside of the cockpit view does look very like the Lyons' work. There's a certain 'something' about the way they did things that sets them apart from other builders.

 

[MAD1]

Gaggle Sitrep. Where's everyone? Last update was Fri Jan 9, so a month to catch up. Route maps 1, 2. (Dates are approximate, either the flight date or report date or close to. Leg number is now within the airport list.)
KYIP1>KBTL2>KSBN3>KCGX)>KIGQ4>KMWC5>KAUW6>KANE7>KMCW8>KDSM9>KMKC10>KAAO11>KTUL12>KFTW13>KDTN14>KLIT15>
KMEM16>KEKY17>KFFC18>KGMU19>KINT20>W0321>KMQI22>KFFA23>KRIC24>KFDK25>KAGC26>KGDK(I19)27>KYIP
Thu Dec 4 scotsman KYIP>KBTL
Thu Dec 4 tao KYIP>KBTL>KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC>KAUW>KANE
Thu Dec 4 lucb KYIP>KBTL>KSBN
Fri Dec 5 SH427 KYIP>KBTL>KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC>KAUW
Sun Dec 7 Tako_Kichi KYIP>KBTL>KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC
Mon Dec 8 Tako_Kichi KMWC>KAUW>KANE
Tue Dec 9 tao KANE>KMCW>KDSM>KMKC>KAAO>KTUL
Tue Dec 9 K5083 KYIP>KBTL
Wed Dec 10 K5083 KBTL>KSBN>KIGQ
Thu Dec 10 PhrogPhyler KYIP>KBTL
Thu Dec 11 lucb KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC
Thu Dec 11 Tako_Kichi KANE>KMCW>KDSM>KMKC
Thu Dec 11 PhrogPhyler KBTL>KSBN
Fri Dec 12 Tako_Kichi KMKC>KAAO>KTUL
Fri Dec 12 bosspecops KYIP>KBTL
Fri Dec 12 srgalahad KTUL>KFTW
Fri Dec 12 K5083 KIGQ>KMWC>KAUW
Sat Dec 13 Tako_Kichi KTUL>KFTW
Sat Dec 13 falcon409 KYIP>KBTL>KSBN
Sat Dec 13 (& Sun Dec 14) PhrogPhyler KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC
Sat Dec 13 Melo965 KYIP>KBTL
Sat Dec 13 K5083 KAUW>KANE
Sat Dec 13 Tako_Kichi KFTW>KDTN>KLIT>KMEM
Sun Dec 14 falcon409 KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC
Sun Dec 14 Meo965 KBTL>KSBN>(KCGX)
Sun Dec 14 K5083 KANE>KMCW>KDSM>KMKC
Mon Dec 15 falcon409 KMWC>KAUW>KANE
Mon Dec 15 K5083 KAAO>KTUL
Mon Dec 15 Tako_Kichi KMEM>KEKY>KFFC
Mon Dec 15 PhrogPhlyer KMWC>KAUW
Mon Dec 15 K5083 KTUL>KFTW
Mon Dec 15 falcon409 KANE>KMCW>KDSM
Mon Dec 15 bosspecops KBTL>KSBN
Tue Dec 16 tao KTUL>KFTW>KDTN>KLIT
Tue Dec 16 Melo965 KCGX>KIGQ>KMWC
Tue Dec 16 bosspecops KSBN>KIGQ>KMWC
Tue Dec 16 lucb KMWC>KAUW>KANE
Tue Dec 16 K5083 KFTW>KDTN
Wed Dec 17 Tako_Kichi KFFC>KGMU
Wed Dec 17 Melo965 KCGX>KIGQ>KMWC
Thu Dec 18 Tako Kichi KGMU>KINT>W03>KMQI>KFFA>KRIC
Thu Dec 18 Melo965 KMWC>KAUW
Thu Dec 18 K5083 KDTN>KLIT
Sat Dec 20 bosspecops KMWC>KAUW>KANE
Sat Dec 20 K5083 KLIT>KMEM>KEKY
Sun Dec 21 bosspecops KANE>before KMCW
Sun Dec 21 Tako_Kichi KRIC>KFDK
Sun Dec 21 K5083 KEKY>KFFC
Mon Dec 22 bosspecops before KMCW>KMCW
Tue Dec 23 bosspecops KMCW>KDSM
Wed Dec 24 lucb KANE>KMCW>KDSM
Thu Dec 25 Tako_Kichi KFDK>KAGC
Thu Dec 25 Tako_Kichi KAGC>KGDK(I19) (flown Wed Dec 24)
Fri Dec 26 jgf KYIP>KBTL>KSBN
Fri Dec 26 (flight date) Tako_Kichi KGDK(I19)>KYIP. Entire route completed! Congrats!
Sun Dec 28 MAD1 KYIP>KBTL
Mon Dec 29 bosspecops KDSM>KMKC
Thu Jan 1 tao KLIT>KMEM>KEKY>KFFC>KGMU>KINT
Thu Jan 1 Melo965 KAUW6>KANE
Fri Jan 2 falcon409 KDSM9>KMKC10>KAAO11>KTUL12>KFTW
Fri Jan 2 jgf KSBN3>(KCGX)>KIGQ4>KMWC
Fri Jan 2 Melo965 KANE7>KMCW
Sat Jan 3 bosspecops KMKC10>KAAO
Sat Jan 3 falcon409 KFTW13>KDTN
Sun Jan 4 falcon409 KDTN14>KLIT15>KMEM
Sun Jan 4 bosspecops KAAO11>KTUL
Sun Jan 4 Melo965 KMCW8>KDSM
Mon Jan 5 falcon409 KMEM16>KEKY
Tue Jan 6 falcon409 KEKY17>KFFC
Tue Jan 6 bosspecops KTUL12>KFTW13>KDTN14>KLIT
Tue Jan 6 jgf KMWC5>KAUW
Tue Jan 6 lucb KDSM9>KMKC10>KAAO
Wed Jan 7 ScottishMike1 KYIP1>KBTL
Wed Jan 7 falcon409 KFFC18>KGMU19>KINT
Thu Jan 8 falcon409 KINT20>W0321>KMQI22>KFFA
Thu Jan 8 K5083 KFFC18>KGMU19>KINT
Thu Jan 8 ScottishMike1 KBTL2>KSBN3>(KCGX)
Fri Jan 9 bosspecops KLIT15>KMEM
Fri Jan 9 Melo965 KDSM9>KMKC
Fri Jan 9 falcon409 KFFA23>KRIC24>KFDK
Fri Jan 9 jgf KAUW6>KANE7>KMCW
Fri Jan 9 lucb KAAO11>KTUL12>KFTW
Sat Jan 10 Melo965 KMKC10>KEMP
Sat Jan 10 falcon409 KFDK25>KAGC26>I19(KGDK)
Sat Jan 10 (Fri Jan 9) ScottishMike1 (KCGX)>KMWC
Sat Jan 10 falcon409 I19(KGDK)27>KYIP. Completed, congrats.
Sun Jan 11 Melo965 KEMP10>KAAO
Sun Jan 11 (Sat Jan 10) ScottishMike1 KMWC5>KAUW6>KANE
Sun Jan 11 K5083 KINT20>... >KRIC
Sun Jan 11 bosspecops KMEM16>KEKY
Mon Jan 12 K5083 KRIC21>KFDK22>KAGC
Mon Jan 12 (Sun Jan 11) ScottishMike1 KANE7>KMCW8>KDSM9>KMKC
Tue Jan 13 tao KINT20>W0321>KMQI22>KFFA23>KRIC24>KFDK
Tue Jan 13 bosspecops KEKY17>KFFC
Tue Jan 13 Melo965 KAAO11>KTUL
Tue Jan 13 jgf KMCW8>KDSM9>KMKC
Wed Jan 14 (Tue Jan 13) ScottishMike1 KMKC10>KAAO
Wed Jan 14 Melo965 KTUL12>KFTW
Thu Jan 15 (Tue Jan 13, report filed Wed 14 Jan) ScottishMike1 KAAO11>KTUL12>KFTW13>KDTN
Thu Jan 15 (Wed Jan 14) bosspecops KFFC18>KGMU
Thu Jan 15 Melo965 KFTW13>KDTN
Thu Jan 15 jgf KMKC10>KAAO
Thu Jan 15 (Wed Jan 14, report filed Thu Jan 15) ScottishMike1 KDTN14>KLIT
Fri Jan 16 jgf KAAO11>KTUL
Sat Jan 17 (Thu Jan 15, report filed Fri Jan 16) ScottishMike1 KLIT15>KMEM
Sat Jan 17 Melo965 KDTN14>KLIT
Sun Jan 18 bosspecops KGME19>KINT
Sun Jan 18 ScottishMike1 KMEM16>KEKY17>KFFC18>KGMU
Mon Jan 19 jgf KTUL12>KFTW (KDFW?)
Wed Jan 21 ScottishMike1 KGMU19>KINT
Wed Jan 21 bosspecops KINT20>W0321>KMQI
Wed Jan 21 ScottishMike1 (KGMU19??)>KINT20>W03
Thu Jan 22 lucb KFTW13>KDTN14>KLIT15>KMEM16>KEKY
Thu Jan 22 ScottishMike1 W0321>KMQI
Fri Jan 23 Mel965 KLIT15>KMEM16>KEKY
Fri Jan 23 jgf KFTW13>KDTN
Sat Jan 24 Melo965 17: KEKY17>KFFC
Sat Jan 24 jgf KDTN14>KLIT
Fri Jan 25 (reported Jan 24) ScottishMike1 KMQI22>KFFA23>KRIC
Fri Jan 25 bosspecops KMQI22>KFFA
Fri Jan 25 jgf KLIT15>KMEM
Sat Jan 26 Melo965 KFFC18>KGMU
Sat Jan 26 (Jan25) ScottishMike1 KRIC24>KFDK
Sun Jan 27 tao KFDK25>KAGC26>KGDK(I19)27>KYIP. Complete, congrats!
Sun Jan 27 (Jan 26) SottishMike1 KFDK25>KAGC
Sun Jan 27 Melo965 KGMU19>KINT
Mon Jan 28 Melo965 KINT20>W03
Mon Jan 28 MAD1 KMQI>KFFA
Mon Jan 28 jgf KMEM16>KEKY (twice?)
Tue Jan 29 (reported Jan 28) SottishMike1 KAGC26>I19
Wed Jan 30 (Jan 29) SottishMike1 I19[27]>(KTTF)>KYIP. Completed, congrats!
Wed Jan 30 Melo965 W03[21]>KMQI
Thu Jan 31 Melo965 KMQI22>KFFA23>KMQI
Thu Jan 31 bosspecops KFFA23>KRIC
Mon Feb 2 Melo965 KMQI22>KFFA
Wed Feb 4 jgf KEKY17>KFFC
Wed Feb 4 lucb KEHY17>KFFC18>KGMU
Thu Feb 5 Melo965 KFFA23>KRIC
Fri Feb 6 jgf KFFC18>KGMU
We can see that during Jan the gaggle bunched up somewhat, they were in some airports at the same time, hopefully some of them were able to meet up for a chat over a drink (just like Melo and I did at Kittyhawk). Four pilots have completed the entire circuit so far. (I don't think many of us before this thing started, realised at how big a show it would be.)