I took some pics of one of the team events, the Gooney DC3 Classic. I was sitting on the threshold waiting to fly the next leg when I took these pics. If you look close you will see Dan on the ground about four miles short of the runway, he only just underestimated the fuel required for the flight. His Duenna was validated too which is good.Mike.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167016.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167017.jpg

Splendid flight with Highmike as wingman. We left Adlelaide (YPAD) and headed toward Victoria's Nhill

C-182 Pilots Jeff W and Speed awaited the arrival of the steel nerved Vega pilots.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167020.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167021.jpgThe pilot is pretty rough looking gent.

Classics. You gota love 'em. Cause if you don't they'll drive you crazy!!! Specifically referenced here is the Vickers Vimy; slow, ungainly, severely under-instrumented, and SLOW! However, that just makes successfully completing a leg in one (even a wingman one) even more satisfying.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167030.jpgBuzz and I, standing by for the leg.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167031.jpgBuzz practicing landings just prior to our start.In this case, Buzz and I left YBDG for YMML, just a hair over 62 nm straight line distance. If closely checked, I think I covered more like 65 or 66 nm, given all the variations in heading (why oh why did autopilot not exist back in those days?). Altitude varied quite widely from our established initial cruise of 2,500 ft (note to Vickers: ADD TRIM TAB), all a blistering absolute top speed of 82 KIAS (in a dive, off course).http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167032.jpgSoup, terrain, and no modern instruments... LOVELYIt all really makes you respect even more the pilots that pioneered the field, ultimately leading to the development of tools and technology that we so take for granted. Danke!

Lucas was scheduled as primary on this leg but experienced Duenna problems minutes before inbound pilots were due to land. StoneC0ld was scheduled as wingman went to primary and backup pilot Jeff W became wingman. The first corridor flight was done with Citation X and PMDG744. Easy flight in nice weather out to New Zealand with a Citation X escort by Bry & Harv.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167054.jpgDeparture from Launcestonhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167055.jpgEvening entroute to Dunedin

Gazer was flying one of the ocean corridors in the Citation X (a bird which he's not yet completely familiar with), when suddenly he lost airspeed indication, and the Citation started banking wildly. He was particularly concerned not to overspeed the bird which would invalidate the Duenna, but fortunately it started climbing which reduced the speed considerably. Being somewhat unfamiliar with the Citation he desperately searched for heating switches, and having found some anti-ice switches he got the bird back under control.The flight was otherwise uneventful. He was a bit high on approach, and then so low that the trees could have been a problem. It was a visual apporach in the dark which is not easy in unfamiliar country, but fortunately the PAPI lights both lit the way to the threshold, and provided a reliable indication of the glide slope. No pics, sorry.Mike.

It was late night (for that part of the world) and I was told it was time for me to take my P-38 across to an unlit airport about 400+ miles to the east. The Logistics guys had already flown my racer in and had fitted small external tanks to the plane to increase my range should it be needed. I noticed the sun was coming up and after doing my pre-flight checks I decided to snap some pictures. They turned out well considering the flash on my camera would not work.After watching my fellow pilots land, I started my #2 engine, set my autopilot, and did a final systems check. One of the pilots jumped up on my wing and handed me the baton through my open cockpit, I remember he said

The leg from NCRG to NTAA was fairly uneventful except for the fact it was my first successful baton carry. I took off in my ** P-51H while Gazer executed wingman duties in his Avanti. It was still dark as we headed east towards Tahiti. I leveled off at 25,000 MSL but Gazer headed up to higher altitude searching for winds. Around 0415L we were more than halfway through our 616nm flight and I was starting to see the first signs of daylight heading our way over the horizon. I started to descend through some scattered clouds but my route was clear once I dropped below 2500. By the time I got below the clouds, the light of early morning dusk was shimmering off the FSX water (nice effect, wish I would

"No, No, No, Remember the Overspeed!" Those were Gazers words that came through my headset when I announced that I was going to step away for a few minutes from my computer. The PMDG 744 was flying the leg to SCFX beautifully at .902M @ FL403. I was 490 miles out and had to answer a nature call. Better now than be destracted while on final to a dark airport without navaids. That was my rational for leaving flight sim unattended. Upon my return to my workstation I thought I'd check on the progress of the other teams on Google Earth. While zooming around Google Earth I must have jostled my joystick enough to disconnect the PMDG 744 autopilot. I did not notice it because Flight Sim was minimized. After a quick check I switched into FS and was confronted by:WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! and the dreaded FS red block OVERSPEED in the lower right corner. The attitude indicator was all brown. The queen was in an unrecoverable dive I grabbed the joystick in a desparate but futile attempt to salvage the situation but I knew I was too late. 2 seconds later CRASH.I interupted the discussion on teamspeak and notified Gazer that he was the baton pilot and went to the forum to post. Gazer brought his Citation X into SCFX without incident and the team only suffered an 30 minute penalty. The jinx of the south pacific corridor did not entirely spare team avism. We did not escape clean but the cost was bearable.This was my first busted leg in 5 years of RTWR race flying.Jeff W

http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167122.jpg

And anyone you can still use the plane afterward is a GREAT landing ;-)

Sorry I wasnt there for the Peru leg. I rebooted my computer before the leg to prevent any crashes during the leg and my computer wont boot up. :(I'm still trying to repair it but not having much success.Speed

The leg from SLPO-SPZO to the ancient capital city of Cuzco was to be much easier than the alternatives. Buzz and Greg made a spectacular landing at SPLO's dark mountain runway. (With the help of teammates marking the runway.) So the takeoff was straightforward--though I had to climb quickly to avoid the mountains looming unseen in the pitch black ahead. Jeff accompanied me as wing.Up to altitude and keeping in the mid 20s for the winds, progress was fine. It was disconcerting to fly at 24,000 ft and see the town lights only 10,000 feet below. High country, this. Then made a straightforward approach using the VOR marker (it's on a nearby mountaintop) and easy entry to Rwy28 between the hills. The visibility, so foggy earlier, had cleared to 5SM so everything was much easier than anticipated. All GreenJeff followed on and made an excellent landing--despite being worried about the gear. Everything worked out quite well.Mike Mhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167141.jpgCloudy Night over Lake Titicaca

I had a difficult approach to SBRB in the dark, firstly because I misread the altitude of the airport, so I was way too high on final. I turned around to enter downwind and about halfway down the leg I noticed that the winds had swung around and had picked up speed. I told the guys that I was going to approach from the other end, and turned around again to head back to the strip. It was dark and it had begun to rain so I was actually pleased to have the extra time, because the weather did not favour a visual approach. Fortunately the rain cleared, and I got down okay, but it was not a good night for flight.Mike.

Tis night, which means we're in South America (seems it's always that way in the RTWR). Flew a wingman flight with Buzz taking the baton into SLPO, one of our high altitude airports. We commented during the flight from the coast how we could see the roads very easily from the flight levels. Just how close were we to the Andes, anyway? Well, close enough to make us vigilant! Descended into the mountains listening to the TAWS warn of granite death. I elected to go a bit long before turning toward the airport, thus affording me an easy route between several mountain peaks. Landing was uneventful.Next I flew the baton into SBTF. Pretty easy flight. But I ended my descent too late and too close to the airport. METARs had clouds at 1500' and that's where I finally scrubbed the speed off enough to get everything hung out. For a few seconds it looked as if I would have to call a MA but the 'Stang dumped the speed and extra altitude quickly. Landing was easy then.Did I mention that it is a dark evening? Very dark. On the upside, the weather has been, well, not entirely ugly.