I Have The Baton NZNV-YMHBCU IN 2...Joe***************Today we shall start a practice run for Team AVSIM to prepare for the Round the World Race. The actual race begins on February 20th. So this is a good time for old veterans to renew their skills and for new teammates to get the procedures down before the actual race begins.One of the keys to our winning the last two years has been our organization. We want to keep the baton in the air. That means that we try to have someone at the destination airport waiting, with engines warmed up and flight plan filed, ready for the arriving teammate. When the landing pilot announces on the forum "The baton is free at ICAO" (ICAO being the ICAO of the landing airport), the waiting teammate immediately announces "I have the baton" and takes off. (Best if each Race Leg begins in a new "subthread")The sequence looks like:----The "I have the baton" poster grabs the baton and takes off.He then, or in a forum edit a couple of minutes later, gives the destination airport (ICAO) and ETA in Zulu time. For fun, the pilot might also give his aircraft.Under that thread, the pilot posts updates to the flightplan. Changes in ETA or destination.The pilot lands and prepares and posts his screenshot.The pilot, while posting the confirmation shot, declared "The baton is free at ICAO"-------The ETA should be in Zulu time (say 1425z). (Zulu is UTC or what we used to call GMT. For current Zulu time, go to http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?UTC/s/0/java ) Posting the destination airport and the ETA allows the next pilot to begin his preparations

I'll be standing by at Hobart to take it on to Melbourne.

That should be quick, 332.8 milesJOIN The AVSIM RTW RACE FLIGHT TEAM****************Grab My FREEWARE Cessna 172 Voice recognition Profile here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

Will do 2 hours instead, to Mildura. Best we cross Australia in a direct path towards Darwin.

Baton FREE at YMHBJoe..http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/105100.jpgJOIN The AVSIM RTW RACE FLIGHT TEAM****************Grab My FREEWARE Cessna 172 Voice recognition Profile here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

see you in Oz

Guys, Do we need more practice with the Australia-Siberia-Alaska route or the Australia-Europe-Africa route? Or possibly the Australia-Africa (read Cairo)-Europe-Greenland route?M.

Some practice with the Japan-Alaska route would be good, especially since the weather is foul up there this time of year.That's one reason I've been looking for alternate routes to take (if allowed) and avoid that area altogether.I'd also suggest people doing some practice on Greenland and the Hebrides (especially Vagar) which is another tricky one and hard to avoid.

About half an hour out from Mildura.

Landed safe despite my rudder locking up on far left deflection on landing (something that's been plagueing me lately, guess they're due for replacement).http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/105102.jpgJoe also got her down a few minutes later after a nasty bump.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/105103.jpg

Flying the P-38J to Ballera, Queensland.

I propose we make our way back to the US from here through the Kuril and Aleuthan islands to get a taste of the weather conditions there in mid winter.Good practice for flying in some of the foulest weather known to man.

Landing was a little hard, and stalled pretty badly while I was in the bathroom (but managed to save it)....http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/105143.jpg

flying my trusty Piaggio

Descending, 10 minutes out plus circling time.