This is Cool! Park West Air Tours Website

[Guest ScottPilot]

Hello All!I was reading an article in AOPA Pilot magazine a couple of days ago and I came across an article on ParkWest Air Tours. They are a company that sets up group vacations for pilots to fly over and around different National Parks in the United States and Mexico. They do not do formation flying but they normally travel in a group of light airplanes numbering 6 to 7 for a particular leg. You can either use your own airplane or one of their rentals.I won't go into any more detail in this post, but for more information you should check out there website.http://www.parkwestair.com/What I thought was cool is there are downloadable tour maps in PDF format that you can print out and then use to re-create the same routes in flight simulator! They are not actual sectional charts or anything, but the maps give you enough information to re-create the flight legs in flight simulator.I have already started to fly on the Rocky Mountaineer Tour Route myself. I am flying this trip in the Cessna 182S, which is a similair airplane to those being used for these mounatin excursions. I also use FSFlightMax along with the appropriate digital sectional charts for the areas that the tours cover.Being a pilot in the real world also, I would like to eventually sign up for one of ParkWest's real-world aviation excursions, but for now I will have to settle for the simulated version that I have been doing!Just thought some of you might be interested!Happy Simming!Scott :-)P.S. There is a re-print of the AOPA article located at the ParkWest website in PDF format along with the PDF tour map files that you can download! Just go to their sitemap link to get to a menu with links for all the files.

[brucek 38]

Hi Scott,I also read the article in the latest AOPA mag. Very interesting stuff, once I get a mountain check-out and migrate from the 172SP into a 182, I might also try this out.Bruce.KBJC, Jeffco, CO.

[Guest Edam]

Do you have any of the flight plans that you have made available?

[brucek 38]

There are maps at the site (one is http://www.parkwestair.com/files/tours.pdf)You would require a set of sectional charts for VFR flight plans. These areas are on the other side of the continental divide from me, so I've never flown in those areas.Bruce.

[Guest Edam]

>There are maps at the site (one is >http://www.parkwestair.com/files/tours.pdf >) >You would require a set of sectional charts for VFR flight >plans. These areas are on the other side of the continental >divide from me, so I've never flown in those areas. Yes, I've seen the maps and I don't have sectional charts, which is why I asked ScottPilot if he had any flight plans, that he has already made, available.

[LAdamson 240]

Read the magazine myself; and it's articles like this one, which is the whole reason I took up real flying! The western U.S. is terrific by air......................if you look out the window & don't fly too high!! :)L.Adamson --- still need to get to the Pacific Northwest & Alaska

[woodreau 0]

Another cool website is http://www.ifrwest.comThis website is a school which teaches/preps you for your IFR rating by doing a 10-day flight loop from Wisconsin to Washington, down the pacific Coast to California, thru Nevada, Colorado and back to Wisconsin. while shooting IFR approaches all the way.The route goes thru some pretty challenging terrain for a single engine piston, although turbocharged.So I imagine doing the route in FS2002 would be similar in the 182 RG.Cheers :)Woodreau / KMVL

[Guest ScottPilot]

Sorry for the late response. I have been out of town.I am flying the routes using VFR sectionals. I have the paper ones and the digital versions that I purchased for the FS FlightMax add-on. So, I did not create any flight plans in FS for the routes. I wanted to try to keep the experience as close to what Parkwest is doing with their air tours.I do use the RealityXP Flightline GPS from time to time (since the article stated that they do provide a GPS in the airplanes for VFR use) at times, but for the most part I try to navigate off the sectional chart(s) when possible.I have Eddie Denny's Real Scene Scenery add-on installed, so it really adds to the realism of the VFR experience. Also, it places the mountain peaks and valleys in the correct positions really well, making the use of the sectional charts easier!So there ya go!Happy Simming!Scott :-)ATP/CFII - In the real world.

[brucek 38]

Even in a C182, that's a lot of flying packed into 10 days!Great website. Thanks,Bruce.