Microsoft Flight Sim 2020

[dburne]

Just to update I did get it running better after I did a Steam Integrity check.

Spent most of yesterday and today flying around with it in my home state working on getting my settings about right and controller inputs more how I want them.

Much better mood now lol. Will still do some more testing and tweaking of graphics but I am getting there.

 

It can't handle the full Vive Pro 2 resolution at least currently, but I have it dialed in pretty good now and it is really gorgeous flying around in VR.

I should be able to squeeze some good leisurely flying time with it off and on over the next few weeks.

So yeah I am much more calm and starting to enjoy this one some now. My problem is too many good flight sims and too little time. And I be retired!

Edited September 12, 2021 by dburne

[Bremspropeller]

11 hours ago, ZachariasX said:

You can always dump fuel

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Zach's adventures really make me want to fly the Hump some day...

Edited September 12, 2021 by Bremspropeller

[dburne]

Do you guys use real time air traffic in this sim or AI traffic set to a percentage?

I am thinking using AI might be a little better in performance department? Going to try changing to AI at 50% and see how it does.

Still tweaking on my end and flying in VR I need all the performance gains I can muster. Trying to get it smooth at the highest resolution setting I can.

Currently running resolution in sim at 60 for my Vive Pro 2 with TAA.

Edited September 12, 2021 by dburne

[ZachariasX]

4 hours ago, dburne said:

Do you guys use real time air traffic in this sim or AI traffic set to a percentage?

All set to "live". In FSX that "AI" part was a killer for framerates. But with real time traffic, I don't see much impact in the framerates. I have to test wat AI does in that regard.

[dburne]

46 minutes ago, ZachariasX said:

All set to "live". In FSX that "AI" part was a killer for framerates. But with real time traffic, I don't see much impact in the framerates. I have to test wat AI does in that regard.

 

Still testing and tweaking but seems I might have gained a little when changing to AI - I set it to 50.

Have got the resolution on my Vive Pro 2 up from 60 to 75 now, going for 80 next. It is really looking good now for me.

[dburne]

Ok so with my higher resolution Vive Pro 2 it could not handle 80, it was stuttering and I can't have that. And I really do not want to lower the settings any further than I already have.  But at 75 is it silky smooth and really gorgeous. That is app 3080 per eye in Steam VR. Now I will just try upping graphic setting one at a time testing with same flight in between and see how it does.

 

But now I am really happy with the results I am getting in this sim in VR. I've come a long way with it in the last couple of days.

Once I am settled in I will enable live traffic rather than AI and see if it has an effect.

[ZachariasX]

Ok, in my DC-6 back an route... to... Well. I am stuck at Andahuaylas (SPHY). I am at almost 12k ft. altitude and I have 2.4 km of usable runway. Should I choose to take off in the direction I landed, meaning into the wind, then I would be driving uphill on the runway toward further hills.

 

 

When I read the manuals of the DC-6, it appears that there is a special place in heel for peeps that do takeoffs on the high blower. @Dakpilot would know I guess. I did that once and made a glider landing on the same runway. Here, it is probably not an option. While my 20 PAX are feeding the Llama (without hat, I hope), I remember that I actually did a successful takeoff in Hammerfest at 50 tons weight and with only 800 meters runway. Because I had a cliff to help me.

 

That's the plan: I do lft her in ground effect at the end of the runway and then make for the valley to the right. There's two ways to do it.

 

 

If things are just SNAFU, I might follow the green path, just in case I can pick up some speed in the dive, enough to climb the little pass in front of the lake. The lake will give me some additional meters to accellerate on the straight to aim over the ridge behind it. From there on, the valley is steep and almost one kilometer deep.

 

If things are worse, I might follow the red path down the valley, but that one has a very tight past the town (at the arrowhead). I don't feel like pylon racing in a loaded DC-6 at partial power.

 

But the green strategy looks so good to me that I opt for Rio de Janeiro as destination! If we all in the tube hold hands and breath, it will work.

 

 

Good to go! barely 45 inches... and slowly... slowly I pick up speed. Half way down the runway I thoroughly regret putting all that weight in the plane, but going to La Paz and explain what happened... no way!

 

 

Argh..!! Almost a tail strike when I ripped her off the runway and now I just drop her, it doesn't really fly anymore.

 

 

But diving did the trick, almost 165 knots! Now I have to pull her over the pass to get her over the lake.

 

 

There, the little gap at the far side of the lake, I make it through there, I made it!

 

 

Everybody back in the tube is to scared to puke, I'm sure.

 

 

Yeah!! Made it! Rio it is!

 

 

But first I have to make it past La Paz. Laguna Langui Layo to the left... Lake Titicaca far ahead. But the Andes are much more welcoming flying on the high blower.

 

 

Over Bolivia, it is impressive how extended agricultural land is.

 

 

Weather is nice and PAX can fight for the only can of beer that is available for them. It's all the crew can spare for them.

 

 

It's just nice when things work as intended for a change.

 

 

Night sets in... Rio! A sea of lights ahead.

 

 

I plan for an overhead while getting a runway from the tower.

 

 

Runway 28. I set the radial for opposite course  during the overhead and fly an extended downwind to enter the ILS at the correct altitude.

 

 

In good company.

 

That was something. Now... Buenos Aires next!

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by ZachariasX

[Bremspropeller]

On 9/9/2021 at 8:01 PM, busdriver said:

Plus I'm anxiously waiting for Theo Boiten's Nachtjagd Archive series to arrive.

 

Is this significantly different to the older two-volume (one black one white) war-diaries?

 

Edit:

Nevermind, I already pulled the trigger. It's going to be another expensive month ?

 

 

@ZachariasX is that DC-6 next to yours an AI aircraft?

Edited September 13, 2021 by Bremspropeller

[Feathered_IV]

Bloody hell Zach.  For pity's sake, pack more booze next time!

[ZachariasX]

5 hours ago, Bremspropeller said:

@ZachariasX is that DC-6 next to yours an AI aircraft?

Yes, that is most likely an AI aircraft. The sim aparently does spawn aircraft you own on airports. Because it is the livery that I am using, I'm rather sure that it is AI. In other instances, I came across other DC-6 with liveries that I don't own. It is a popular aircraft and if you have other online players visible, you see them. Once on my route here, it was at LAX, where I parked next to another player with the other available SWISSAIR DC-6 livery for the DC-6A. This was quiet likely another player.

 

4 hours ago, Feathered_IV said:

Bloody hell Zach.  For pity's sake, pack more booze next time!

It was not about amount, I just altered the distribution. And I told the PAX to pray that I wouldn't alter the distribution any further.

 

I am really having a good time with MSFS, desite the occasional butterflies in the stomach when running uodates. It's fair to say that it is not the actual "flying" that makes this sim such a nice proposition. The FM are all a bit meh and there are far, FAR better arcraft modules available for P3D. But it's not that. It is actually more about venturing around in a world that is constantly changing, that constantly challenges your plans and sometimes rewards you with absolutely gorgeous visuals. Here, for the first time, just going places can actually be a grand challenge. Especially when you start your journey prepared as naïvely as they were 80 years ago.Things that may seem trivial, but indeed have the potential to kill you. In the real world, flying is hard work, requiring thorough preparation. In the sim, I can just take off and find out that hard way how much of an idiot I was coming up with the idea of the actual flight plan.

 

It is also some sort of a memento mori. The need for methodic palnning in real life, as there are no second chances even to things that seem easy. A good flight is an uneventful flight. Here, i can tolerate events. And enjoy them as entertainment. But not every flight should be a lethal challenge. Sometimes, I find it nice just to hang in there and enjoy the view. So that should be my next one.

 

Rio (Galeao-Antonio C Jobim International, SBGL) to Buenos Aires. I plan on landing at Jorge Newbery Aeroparque (SABE). It apears to offer a scenic apporach along the coast. RWY 13 even features an ILS.

 

 

That was the idea. Down all along the coast. After having learned the hard way that standard load of beer can be a critically little amount for monkey class in the cabin, I loaded the aircraft generously this time. I figured, I could save on fuel if I flew on the low blower at maybe 12k ft., I both have a better view and a better economy, leaving more space for diluted alcohol. Distance is a mere 1000 nm or so. Looking up the fuel planner, it appears that 16'000 lbs of fuel will do it then.

 

 

Early morning departure. Although the weather featured a surprisingly dense overcast, it still provided a nice sight. Off I went and started the climb down along the coast toward Sao Paulo.

 

 

I quickly reached 12k ft, but then I had *this* ahead. I didn't order that! Where's the manager? Ah, well. I have a big aircraft. Beer for everyone.

 

 

Hmm.. man that got turbulent! I shouldn't have brought that beer. That will be work getting the tube clean again. But as I climb and drop all the time on autopilot, I see that even with a DC-6, it becomes unlikely that I'll make it through that and decide to climb above the weather. As I reach 14k ft. I notice that I can't hold the aircraft anymore. Speed drops, it wouldn't climb. Prematurely, I flick on high blower to get 45 inches and METO power again. As the aircraft refuses to climb even on high blower, all I can think of is Air France and being remembered as "the one who didn't know how to fly his aircraft".

 

Ah... I only put on the window and radar dome de-ice. Could it be that...?

 

 

An ice cube above Sao Paulo. The DC-6 has a couple of gas stoves mounted in the fuselage. I can heat the propellers with electricity as well. Everything on.

 

 

It took a good while at high power to get above the weather. at 22'000 ft. I saw the sky again, but I had to climb to 29'000 ft. to really be above it all, some 5'000 ft. above reasonable crusing altitude. The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser is a much different beast. You can fly at 34'000 ft with ease. But now I am getting worried about my fuel load. I made the plan for some casual nice low altitude bimbling.

 

 

For a short while, the weather cleared up, here just near Florianópolis, crossing inland again.

 

 

But as soon as I am over the continent, weather draws a blanket again. At least this time at low altitude and I can pick up some speed with a shallow dive down to 12'000 ft. Not only I got frozen up and had to climb above any reasonable cruising altitude, I have a strong headwind. I should be faster.

 

But since I cannot see anything down there, I have to use NAV beacons for location. I use the NAV of Santa Bernardina International (SUDU) as waypoint. From there I would use a from bearing of 240°. After 120 nm, I should be over Jorge Newbery Aeroparque (SABE) in Buenos Aires. But As I close in, the b*ggers want me to approach from the east, and there is no ILS. The cloud base is up to 4'500 ft. and I have no idea how low the clouds reach. That is simply no proposition for an apprach in this aircraft. Cancel the landing and tune in to San Fernando International (SADF). At least they let me land from the side where I have an ILS.

 

 

Just over Buenos Aires, a small opening in the cloud base allows a glimpe of what happens below. I opt for the standard procedure, setting a course that sets me some 20 nm off the runway and just circling down on autopilot until I hit transition altitude, then out of the turn I intercept the glideslope.

 

 

I'm down at 1'500 ft., but I still can hardly see the runway. But I keep the needles centered.

 

 

There it is. In a forrest in the city. At 500 ft. I finally get a good view.

 

 

Yeah, downtown Baires! A bloody narrow runway.

 

 

Taxi through the forrest...

 

 

..until I find my place. At least the fuel was no issue. I could save quiet a lot again by the shallow descent from altitude. Then low blower flying helped as well. But man, those clouds are always low at the coast.

 

 

My original flight plan. Over SABE I realized I will use the alternate, hence I extended the leg for some 35 nm, circling down to transition altitude and then catch the glide slope of SADF.

 

 

My journey since La Paz. It has been exciting, but so far I saw little of the scenery. Then I might as well fly a bit over the sea. Falklands/Malvinas are next. You can't just not land at Port Stanley. Then maybe Antarctica... Ushuaïa. Easter Islands... PTO is calling!

 

[dburne]

Do you guys enable/use the rolling cache? Manual cache?

Just curious of any advantages or disadvantages to this?

[ZachariasX]

1 hour ago, dburne said:

Do you guys enable/use the rolling cache? Manual cache?

Just curious of any advantages or disadvantages to this?

I used both, extensively so. The manual cache has the advantage of pre-caching photogrammetry and elevation, hence you'll see high detail regions sooner and over larger distance. Rolling cache I also had. Also the rolling cache is nice if you fly around the same airport mostly. On my world tour none of all that helps me.

 

The problem with the caches is that so far (at least until two sim updates ago), if you make a really large file (I used 300 GB for rolling cache and did one world tour...), then the sim can choke itself on that. Probably the index file gets a little large. I reduced the manual cache to 10 GB and the rolling cache to 64 GB. That seems to work fine. But with all the world updates, I probably have to delete the manual cache again and load it again. So far, that took like forever, downloads in the cahche manager were grotesquely slow. Also when touching that file makes you wait 15 min before the menu gets responsive again, it's a bit of a pain. I would start with a small(ish) cache size and the make it larger. you can do that, but you cannot make it smaller, but just delete it all. So start from 10 GB or so and go up in size carefully. You'll see how much your system tolerates.

[dburne]

19 minutes ago, ZachariasX said:

I used both, extensively so. The manual cache has the advantage of pre-caching photogrammetry and elevation, hence you'll see high detail regions sooner and over larger distance. Rolling cache I also had. Also the rolling cache is nice if you fly around the same airport mostly. On my world tour none of all that helps me.

 

The problem with the caches is that so far (at least until two sim updates ago), if you make a really large file (I used 300 GB for rolling cache and did one world tour...), then the sim can choke itself on that. Probably the index file gets a little large. I reduced the manual cache to 10 GB and the rolling cache to 64 GB. That seems to work fine. But with all the world updates, I probably have to delete the manual cache again and load it again. So far, that took like forever, downloads in the cahche manager were grotesquely slow. Also when touching that file makes you wait 15 min before the menu gets responsive again, it's a bit of a pain. I would start with a small(ish) cache size and the make it larger. you can do that, but you cannot make it smaller, but just delete it all. So start from 10 GB or so and go up in size carefully. You'll see how much your system tolerates.

 

Ok good deal I will give it a try much thanks.

[ZachariasX]

2 hours ago, dburne said:

 

Ok good deal I will give it a try much thanks.

Alright, manual caching now works as intended. I would do this mainly for your POI that you use as VFR markers.

[dburne]

Well since setting rolling and manual cache now I am getting frequent crashes to my desktop, MSFS just closes on me now.

Trying to reset them, I can do that for the rolling by just turning it off but the manual cache I can't seem to turn off or modify at all?

Edit: Google was my friend, deleted the manual cache manually.  Next flight all was fine, only have rolling cache on.

Looks like I have not been the only one with this problem with the manual cache.

Edited September 14, 2021 by dburne

[dburne]

Well it happened again next flight so I have now disabled the rolling cache.

So far have two flights ( running same test flight each time I am making graphics adjustments) in without any crashes.

Keeping fingers crossed.

Still tweaking settings and getting some individual ones a little higher which is nice.

[ZachariasX]

After I reset the manual cache and (after the two sim updates) finally cached some of my "frequent flyer" regions. I used the external viev while having the plane flown by AP and AFE. It gives a moving background for hours while doing other stuff. I have absolutely zero issues with that cache, the performance gains and loading speeds are incredible.

 

 

(Current weather, actually rather well interpreted.) I get always 30+ FPS, meaning G-Sync can consstantly create a smooth playback. Tuned to best looks with photoscenery, I get ~10 FPS in P3Dv4.5. It hurts the eye. And the looks don't even compare. Then again, FM...

 

That happens if millions of $ are put in a sim world and hundreds of $ are put in an FM SDK. As opposed to hundreds of $ being put in scenery rendering and millions of $ are put in the SDK.

 

MSFS runs better than any version of P3D ever did. Far, FAR better. At least up to v.5 that I didn't care buying anymore.

 

[dburne]

I wonder why I was getting CTD's with the cache enabled?

Been flying all day today and so far no CTD with them disabled.

Perhaps I set them too high? I started with 50GB for each, then I tried disabling the manual and changed the rolling to 32 GB.

Still got a CTD with that.

[Bremspropeller]

On 9/8/2021 at 11:09 PM, ZachariasX said:

Meigs Field. It doesn‘t exist anymore as an airfield. I remember that one… on a WANG laptop on a blue an gold monochrome screen. 

 

That sounds like a...special intrest....piece of kit....

[dburne]

I had the weirdest thing this afternoon. Last flight I launched the sim, and rather than getting to the welcome screen I got a message to "press any button to start".

I kept doing that and kept getting that message, but the sim would never continue to the loading process.

Ended up rebooting my PC, this time I got a message to press continue to sign in, which I did and it worked fine after that.

Strange. Y'all ever see a message like that - "press any button to start" ?

[ZachariasX]

8 hours ago, dburne said:

Strange. Y'all ever see a message like that - "press any button to start" ?

Yes. Sign in failure to XBox services will do that. In the beginning, it would always load to exactly that screen and then you had to press „any button“ to start, as you did. I suppose they figured out over time how daft it is to make you press „any button“ again after you started the game to… well to start I guess?

10 hours ago, Bremspropeller said:

That sounds like a...special intrest....piece of kit....

It has a built in printer. An Wang knew what makes a typewriter.

[dburne]

6 hours ago, ZachariasX said:

Yes. Sign in failure to XBox services will do that. In the beginning, it would always load to exactly that screen and then you had to press „any button“ to start, as you did. I suppose they figured out over time how daft it is to make you press „any button“ again after you started the game to… well to start I guess?

 

 

Ok good to know thanks for the info.

[Monostripezebra]

I am really loving the castles in the germanophone world

 

[dburne]

Well I seem to have solved all my CTD issues I have been having since the patch.

Did a Steam Integrity Verification. When I launched the game after that it installed something around 50 MB.

Been flying all day without a single issue. Even set my rolling cache back up and still all is well.

Thank goodness, finally a good full day of flying with it today!

[Stoopy]

On 8/16/2021 at 2:30 AM, Feathered_IV said:

I think I’m fine with my MS Sidewinder sitting on top of an upturned waste paper basket.  I really want that effing Dragon Rapide though!

 

Heads up, yon Feathered One - here y'go.  A new native model built for MSFS and not a conversion.  Although it seems to be limited for the SOH members so I definitely won't be downloading it:

 

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/125554-MSFS-dh-89-Dragon-Rapide

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Stoopy

[Feathered_IV]

Hehe, I was just coming over to give the good news 

[Monostripezebra]

Oh that looks beautiful!

 

I took the plunge on the Milviz Corsair.. and gotta say, its probably the currently best warbird for MSFS.. expensive, but fun.

 

 

[Gambit21]

1 hour ago, Monostripezebra said:

Oh that looks beautiful!

 

I took the plunge on the Milviz Corsair.. and gotta say, its probably the currently best warbird for MSFS.. expensive, but fun.

 

 

 

Yikes - looks awfully twitchy...like it’s made of fabric and wood.

 

I’ll wait for DCS.

[dburne]

I spoke to soon.

While yesterday was problem free, today was different - two out of four flights ended with a CTD.

Beyond aggravating.  Pretty much Virgin install, no mods or add-ons yet.

I will keep pounding away here and there but may end up waiting till after the next update.

Never get a CTD in IL-2 or DCS - and DCS is even in Open Beta that I run.

 

Whilst I had not run MSFS 2020 much since getting it last Dec, seems the CTD's started after the latest Hotfix. I had started back with it the first part of the week.

[Feathered_IV]

I briefly had a similar issue during on the weekend after messing with the settings for rolling cache.  In the end I had to set it back to 8 gb and leave it alone. Everything is working fine now.   I do have my windows install up to date though.  I don’t know if that has anything to do with why I’ve had so few troubles. 

8 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

 

Yikes - looks awfully twitchy...like it’s made of fabric and wood.

 

I’ll wait for DCS.

It looked windy as hell there.  I think he was right on the edge of a stall too. 

[ZachariasX]

4 hours ago, dburne said:

seems the CTD's started after the latest Hotfix.

I had one CTD after the last hotfix as well. But without changing anything, after a restart things worked again with no issues since then. But I do think that fix didn‘t just fix.

[ROCKET_KNUT]

I´m afraid, I´ll have to bite the bullet and throw money at Microsoft, again, in order to be able to fly this bird here ?

Cue the PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING!?

https://www.aeroplaneheaven.com/product_spitmk1a.php

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by ROCKET_KNUT

[Feathered_IV]

Bit miffed that I went and bought the Corsair just days before this came out.

[ROCKET_KNUT]

3 minutes ago, Feathered_IV said:

Bit miffed that I went and bought the Corsair just days before this came out.

We´ll all gonna look back with nostalgia once A2A gets their act together and pumps out the P-series (40, 47, 51 plus a B-17) for MSFS.  ???

[Trooper117]

51 minutes ago, ROCKET_KNUT said:

I´m afraid, I´ll have to bite the bullet and throw money at Microsoft, again, in order to be able to fly this bird here ?

Cue the PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING!?

https://www.aeroplaneheaven.com/product_spitmk1a.php

 

 

Yep... that's the one for me!

[Diggun]

55 minutes ago, ROCKET_KNUT said:

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING!?

 

 

I got that reference!

 

Though personally I'd have gone for

 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Diggun

[ZachariasX]

Some more DC-6 flying. I find it rather difficult to do proper approaches, as when going VFR, you can tune in your destination airport waaayyy after you already set out your descent and approach. What works well for me, is really when just timing the descent such that you end up overhead your destination at transition altitude, then ask for a runway and then you also know if there's an ILS for you. As the Sperry can do ILS approaces, this helps a lot as it frees hands for operating the cockpit dials. So it is often either the AFE doing the work on switches and levers or Mr. Sperry doing the work on the yoke. Doing both usually results a procedure that airline regulatiors might frown upon, but it is well possible to improvise.

 

This time, I wanted to fly from Buenos Aires via the Falkland Islands / Malvinas (staying strictly neutral here) and Antarctica to Usuaïa.

 

As said before, in MSFS it is not necessarily "flight" as such that intrigues me. This and that sim do that much better, same does P3D with A2A's fleet. But the case of the latter, I feel the days of 15 FPS simming are behind me. What intrigues me is the challenge the scenery and weather offers to flight. This ever present, viceral challenge that might well eclipse the dangers of enemy action in war is something that I enjoy the most and I dream of a combat sim where it is not about clouds looking nice, but where the greatest enemy to aviators is actually felt as such.

 

I quote Manfred von Richthofen on this (from here), where he describes his flight through a thunderstorm:

 

[...]

Suddenly I got out of the thunder-cloud. The rain was still falling in torrents. Still, I felt saved.

 

In pouring rain I landed at my aerodrome. Everyone was waiting for me, for Metz had reported my start and had told them that I had been swallowed up by a thunder cloud.

 

I shall never again fly through a thunderstorm unless the Fatherland should demand this.

 

Now, when I look back, I realize that it was all very beautiful. Notwithstanding the danger during my flight, I experienced glorious moments which I would not care to have missed.

 

MSFS gives us those glorious moments (to some degree) in the safety of our armchairs. Now, where on earth would one go after having seen some freak weather over Iceland and the Aleutian Islands? Antarctica & The Roaring 40's. That's gonna be the tune.

 

Having flown from Bejing to Taipeh hardened me enough to hand in a flightplan from San Fernando International (SADF) to Mount Pleasant (EGYP). Stanley (SFAL) only has about 1.1 km runway, that is on the short side. It no ILS either as I don't count on the weather being too friendly either, it has to be the larger of the two airports.

 

 

The weather in Baires was pristine, and I could start my journey with a bit of lower level flying. Flying on the lower blower saves some fuel and you tend to be faster, especially with a heavy loaded aircraft.

 

 

The flight is as smooth and uneventful as was the scenery. It is impressive though how vast the agricultural landscape is in Olavarría south of Baires.

 

As I fly down the eastern coast to Puerto San Julián where I will turn east to the Falkland Islands, a cloud cover appears, but the ceiling is surprisingly high, about 14'000 ft and I can easily fly along underneath.

 

 

Over the Golfo San Jorge I decide to punch through the cloud ceiling and climbing to about FL200. I wouldn't want to fly at low level over the sea.

 

 

Turning east, next turn are the Falklands.

 

 

Situated on an always extremely distorted place on almpst any map, I was surprised how large those islands actually are. They are pure desolation, but the weather was nice and I could make an easy wide right hand turn that brought me on approach.

 

 

That was a mighty simple trip. The next day, it won't be that easy, that I'm sure.

 

 

The idea is to take one fuel load that helps for the entire round trip back to Usuaïa. I have two stop overs, the first being Argentine's Marambio Base (SAWB) then from then on to Chile's Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport (SCRM). From there, to Ushuaia International Malvine Island (SAWH), a larger airport.

 

This was to be quiet something, even though I spawned first at all for airports to make sure I had permissinle wather. Only Mount Pleasant and Usuaïa feature ILS.

 

Speaking of weather... The jet stream is currently directly  between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica and at my practical flying altitides I have mostly 60+ knots wind from the south east.

 

 

Departure at dawn from the Falklands carrying about 22'000 lbs of fuel for the entire round trip. Plus some 4000 lbs baggage.

 

 

It doesn't take long for the weather to turn interesting. At FL190 I can fly in clear weather. But my slot gets progressively slimmer.

 

 

Now that is how hell freezing over is gonna look like.

 

 

While I gaze at those inreasingly unfriendly towers of vapor and ice (yes, bits), I suddenly notice my yoke being turned all the way in the far right position. WTF? I  disengage the Sperry, the yoke returns and the plane sails on as if nothing happened. I move the controls. Nothing. They are frozen stuck! I flick on all the gas heaters to warm up the airframe and after some minutes, I regain control. Bloody hell!

 

 

But at least, I have no problems in reveiving Marambio's beacon. I descend through the clouds and there are the islands. I can make out the base from quiet far off. Although it is rather windy, that gives me mostly head wind during the approach.

 

 

During base to final, I had a CTD. *Pooff* and back to desktop. That is actually rare in this sim. A plague in P3D with lots of ORBX, but here, this runs stable for hours normally. Reset the fuel load, set me back in approach and there I am. The runway is bloody narrow and since it is slightly elevated, veering off means black screen.

 

 

But there I am. Freezing up in mid flight gave me a scare, I never had that in this sim, so far it was just detoriating flight performance. But now, as in real life, those controls can freeze up without much visible indication.

 

 

Off to Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport (SCRM). I don't want to miss any of that nice weather as windy shows the blooy jet stream is moving in *FAST* and it's moving directly towards King George Island, where the airport is. As it is not far, I opt for staying low, maybe FL120.

 

 

Looking ahead, I see signs of trouble. There is just no sim that can depict this kind of scare: That bank of clouds behind Vega and Eagle islands, like a carpet on the peninsula of the continent extending all the way out here like a finger. My misery in two words "VFR airport".

 

 

I climb above that blanket, as I don't feel like running into a hillside. My airport is gonna be underneath *that*. My hope is that cloud  base will be high enough to kind of creep in the approach. I tune in Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport and announce my landing. They tell me to f*ck off, IFR only. Sure, if you had more than a VOR that doesn't even give a range(!) then maybe. I set my altimeter according to ATIS. Soon, dead reckoning puts me over the sea again and I decide to descend through those clouds.

 

 

That is most eerie. As I lower myself in that soup, I trim her for a very slight descent and try to make out something. But it is just that white and grey. At some point there is some darker grey slightly appearing and I am not sure if it is the hillside of where the town of Villa Las Estrellas resides next to the airport or just general bad news.

 

I go on riding the NAV radial that I set in direction of the runway. From now on, distance to the airpost is pure guessing. Altitude still inidicates some 700 ft. I lower the gears as I must be very close now. I set her on a very slight descend again. Then suddely

 

*Thud*

 

I landed! FFS, I just landed!

 

I landed on the ice and didn't even see it!! I retard the controls and tha crate slows, but before it stops I power up again and lift her off. The idea of walking across the Schiffsbucht and knocking at a door down at the village asking for directions is too much. The airport MUST be further on. But I see now that my QFE is some 650 ft. off in the bad direction! Ugh... Either pressure dropped over the course of the 100 nm I travelled from getting the ATIS reading or the ATIS has a liberal way of indicating air pressure.

 

 

Wot? suddenly the village pops out from the fog and I am heading right downtown! I power up as much as I can give without having the water injectors turned on and I yank her around to starboard where the airport then  should be located.

 

 

There, it is, but as soon as I have her up she almost stops moving forward and I dont have the power to hold her! She gradually settles tail down in front to the runway.

 

Crash.

 

Bummer. I broke her tail before in Hammerfest. And now this.

 

 

So, there's the idiot of the day, bending his aircraft straight again. The winds are strong enough to rotate the propellers in cold and dark. I have some 40 knots wind, gusts are about twice that. I will not stay here. I dump all my baggage duct tape what is apart that shouldn't be, and then I will leave.

 

 

The runway is short, but it is sloped downward. That would have been funny to land a 1.3 km runway that is sloped the bad way. But for take off combined with all this head wind, that gives me confidence again for the first time in a long while.

 

 

And how she flies, like a balloon. After some 800 meters, she even liffted herself off.

 

 

Zero visibility as I climb. For some reason, in flight sims you can always see your plane inside clouds. But in the real world, you coulnd see your hand if you stretched out your arm. But as long as I see nothing but the aircraft, it's all fine I guess.

 

 

I emerge into what Peter Jackson certainly would love as scenery decor.

 

 

Flying on the "From" radial that sould lead me to Usuaïa, I can see that I have to compensate consierably for the storm out there.

 

 

Higher up, wind gets less of a problem. I see that I have still plenty fuel and all the heaters I can find are working at their max.

 

 

I still do evade the worst of it. I have learned the hard way that weather in this sim can actually terminate your flight and after past experiences I opt for discretion.

 

 

Land! Chiles' Isla Navarino to be precise. I turn slightly to starboard in order to intercept the the westward approach to Usuaïa in suitable distance. I do have problems receiving the NAVs, and that is bad news regarding possible mountains around the airports.

 

 

As I arrive over the Beagle Channel, I receive the Nav beacon of Usuaïa and I turn into that one. But alas, it is again one of those retarded ones not giving a range signal. I look at the map, trying to figure where I am. At least the Nav of Guardiamarina Zanartu (SCGZ) shows a range and it gives me an indication of how far on the way I am.

 

 

At least, down there, there should be no fog.

 

 

But my problems are still up here with me. The approach to Usuaïa leads me over these mountains on the north side of Beagle Channel that force me to climb again.

 

 

Ok, finally the ILS! I'm really feeling the heat again.

 

 

There is bloody little margain over these mountains that often enough pop out of the clouds.

 

 

Just looking at the needles of the instruments, I fly her through that to whatever ends. and at some point... I suddenly pop out of the clouds.

 

 

Down there, there is good visibility and I did good just following the beam. That reminds me of the approach to Kabul, where I had teh feeling that this bloody ILS will run me in that mountain.

 

 

After some sweat, it gets suddely easy. During the approach, I was at times required to go full deflection on the controls to keep her on course. But now, she just sails on to where she should.

 

 

It is a large airport, but still that was for sure was an interesting approach.

 

That was quiet a challenge. Again, arctic flying showed again that it is a different kettle of fish. It certainly takes a fair amount of ignorance to just pull a Hubert Wilkins, then and now.

 

 

I covered quiet some ground here. But form now on it will get warmer, up the coast of Chile to Easter Island and Tahiti.

[Monostripezebra]

On 9/19/2021 at 5:49 PM, Gambit21 said:

 

Yikes - looks awfully twitchy...like it’s made of fabric and wood.

 

I’ll wait for DCS.

 

that was probably just the wind and my semi-broken stick. The milviz Corsair is pretty stable.. and high quality, albeit it is clearly not free from typical MSFS issues, so the flightmodel in spins is a bit odd and not as nice as in the combat sim, but for most everything else I think its pretty ok, it has a rudimentary damage system, where most planes have none, so you can break the engine or even the prop.. propstrikes even lead to bent blades. I think is really one of the better warbirds for MSFS, (but I still say MSFS is doing best in the GA area, even after all this time)

 

 

Anyway,  i am still having the most fun with some basic bushflying and sightseeing.

 

 

On 9/20/2021 at 2:44 AM, Feathered_IV said:

It looked windy as hell there.  I think he was right on the edge of a stall too. 

 

that and my stick has gotten some potentiometer issues and I haven´t gotten around to replace it, yet.

[Feathered_IV]

The freeware Rapide received an update today.  

 

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?linkid=28440&catid=243

 

[Feathered_IV]

And a Lockheed Electra coming soon from Aeroplane Heaven: