Today's flight... from Bellevue, Washington....

[january 19]

...straight up the West coast, at 3,500 A.S.L. keeping about 20 miles off-shore over the West Passage. I'm heading up in real-time towards the Alaskan coastline. To say that FSX is stunning in its depiction of this area of the real world, is an understatement!!! Even though I have the FPS lock-down set to 30 FPS, my system in this area keeps fighting it, to wanting to hover around 42 FPS, mean average. With A.S.E. producing today's weather in real-time., REX2 creating the cloud-scape, nVidia 157.15 Beta (with Nick Needham's FSX profile hack for stated driver), ENBSeries, and Carenado's Beach Bonanza, the moment is priceless.I was lukewarm to my wife wanting to take a cruise up the Inner Passage to check out the Glaciers and such...but if the coastline is ANYTHING like the beauty this simulation portrays...then I am now more than ever...no....actually EAGER to take the plane ride over to Vancouver, and head North for a 2 week cruise. She doesn't realize how many 'marriage perks' she gets by letting me have 'den time' with FSX! (large grin). Gentlemen, you might want to have your wife and/or partner read this post over your shoulder.... But then...be ready to enter negotiations...LOL!Back to the flight...and anticipating seeing it in real life, although from the level of a cruise ship....and not my present 3,500 feet of bliss...Mitch

Mitch- having cruised a couple of times up the inside passage to Alaska, I can certify that the scenery is more spectacular than any sim. If possible at Juneau, take the Heli tour up to the Mendenhall glacier- truly mind blowing as you fly in a five chopper formation up the side of the mountain to burst forth at the top onto the icefield. And be sure to be on deck after dark to marvel at the northern Aurora Borealis.To add some incentive, if you select the season ending cruise and stay aboard, there are some great repositioning cruises continuing on to Hawaii (done that one also) or even Ft Lauderdale via Panama! (Thinking about this one! Got a year or so before 80 so why not!)(The Inside Passage scenery is why I abandoned jets for low and slow out of hometown CYYJ, with triple mons & FS9.)Alex Reid

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Mitch- having cruised a couple of times up the inside passage to Alaska, I can certify that the scenery is more spectacular than any sim. If possible at Juneau, take the Heli tour up to the Mendenhall glacier- truly mind blowing as you fly in a five chopper formation up the side of the mountain to burst forth at the top onto the icefield. And be sure to be on deck after dark to marvel at the northern Aurora Borealis.To add some incentive, if you select the season ending cruise and stay aboard, there are some great repositioning cruises continuing on to Hawaii (done that one also) or even Ft Lauderdale via Panama! (Thinking about this one! Got a year or so before 80 so why not!)(The Inside Passage scenery is why I abandoned jets for low and slow out of hometown CYYJ, with triple mons & FS9.)Alex Reid

----------------------------------------Alex, thank you for all your suggestions! I'll capture this post and place it on my desktop, until we finalize all things. BTW, check out PNW Bellingham Intl. with the ultra-light. Tour the entire area as there is much PNW-specific eye candy...uh..er..especially around those honking huge oil tankers. Watch out for the flock(s) of Seagulls!!!. Be sure (of course) to have North America on tap in FSX Central before you load FSX. I didn't on one occasion, and no custom PNW scenery was present at Bellingham or surrounding countryside. This is needed besides just proper elevation reasons. Even if I fly now around Vancouver, I still set it to North America from Default.Again, thanks for those suggestions.Post Edit: OK...it's a real fun ride in the Ultralight today near the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, by the oil storage and refineries (near the two tankers docked at the pump out station off-shore. As you fly over them (the tankers, and check out the detail on them!) and come towards the cliffs, and over them...you get a Disney Ride, with good updrafts. I never tried soaring in FSX..but might today. A.S.E. is supplying the weather/wind currents. Happy trails! Today at Bellingham, it is a perfect Ultralight experience.Mitch

[spilok 1,132]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We actually have discussed it now...and a two week vacation is being planned for the future. My true dream would be able to do what Geofa has already done. It is that, which I am working on.....a few more years of toil and sweat, and hopefully the 'Great Escape' will be by my StationAir 6 Amphib. I think that is the way to go....for landing access anywhere, and for safety. Actually, it is that we could land on water if needs be in an emergency situation, that even has this idea out of the gate, for my wife. She isn't good with 'Puddle Jumpers' when having to fly on business...so a plane that can land on water as well as land--- is a MAJOR sale for this 'would be' adopted post retirement lifestyle with her included in the picture!Wish me luck....Mitch--------------------------------------Oh Baby...bring it on!!!The wallet will be open.....as soon as it lands....Mitch-----------------------------------------------Hi Stan!Let me fire up FSX right after I type this...as I have that start-off point as my new DEFAULT. I'll come right back here and use EDIT to let you know. Also, we are actually now going to take that trip. Probably in two years as we have commitments till then. But it's going to happen. Since yesterday, I have driven her nuts with 'hey Hon...c'mon over here and check out THIS picture' from scouring the Net. :) Ah...but Life is good.....Ok...let me fire up FSX and will pause and come back with your info request.Post Edit: Stan, it is Bellingham International. It's too bad that you can't use edit right now to do so to the title, if you need to. Bellevue should have been Bellingham. Take off and then VFR over and past Vancouver...and up the coast. Have fun! I did it at 3,500 A.S.L. When you cut out over to the Pacific from the Inner Passage, you'll need to climb to 12,500 A.S.L. or you'll chance bumping into something (smile).Mitch

Bellingham....here I come! Thanks, Mitch.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Bellingham....here I come! Thanks, Mitch.

Stan...my suggestion is to take up the Ultralight and tool right over to the refineries and tankers off-loading. PNW is truly at the top of the food chain! Have fun.Mitch'er

[jjjallen 37]

and soon ... onward past Port Hardy and north to Alaska using FTX Pacific Fjords and our PAKT Ketchikan Airport on the way.

Cool! PAKT is my current from PNW destination. I hope that you can make PAJN 'decent' also as I love to fly there as well.Can't wait till there is a FTX version of Telluride (KTFX)jja