Scotland 4: the Shetland Islands

 

This week's flight takes us on a tour of the Shetland Islands, the most northerly part of the British Isles.

 

We begin at the principal airport on the Shetlands, Sumburgh (EGPB).  We first head away from the main islands to visit two remote outcrops, Fair Isle (EGEF) and Foula (FOA). Next stop is the small island of Papa Stour (PSV), before we return to the main island and Scatsta (EGPM).  We then continue to the most northerly airport in the UK at Unst (EGPW). Turning back south, the route then takes us to another group of small islands with correspondingly small airstrips, Fetlar (FEA), the Outer Skerries (OUK) and Whalsay (EGEH).  Heading back to the main island we stop at Tingwall/Lerwick (EGET) on the way back to our departure point and final destination Sumburgh (EGPB).  This leaves us just 196 miles from Bergen in Norway....

 

Recommended aircraft:  we've got 173nm to do so something that can make 110-120kts cruise would work well.  You might want to be aware that some of these small islands also have small runways - the shortest is 1210 ft (Outer Skerries), but many others are less than 2000ft and some are sloped.  These could be quite challenging if the weather doesn't cooperate!  I will take the Loganair Islander that I couldn't fly last week due to the server switch.  Other possibilities could inlcude a Cherokee, C182 or C185, or a Twin Otter if you don't hurry.

 

 

Recommended scenery:

 

- Orbx Scotland

- Orbx Sumburgh (optional)

 

Flight plans:

- FSX

- Plan-G

- Skyvector

 

I'm in the middle of an FSX reinstallation (onto a new SSD) at the moment so I'm not going to promise a narrative!

 

Date and time: Saturday 20th June, 1800 UTC

 

Where: AVSIM RTWR Teamspeak - Casual Flights Channel

 

Teamspeak Server Address: ts.teamavsim.com

Multiplayer: FSX Multiplayer (IP will be provided on Teamspeak)

 

Don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer speadsheet! (linked here)

 

Here is some BBC footage of the islands. Gives a sense of the landscape and population density.

 

It's beginning to look as though the whole Comanche nation will be giving the Jocks something to think about tomorrow night! Who didn't get one?

If it's going to be a Comanche Convention in Shetland today, the original flight plan might be a little short (172nm).  An easy way to extend the plan could be to start at Wick rather than Sumburgh, and maybe stop at Kirkwall before going on to pick up the route at Fair Isle (EGEF).  I know we've been there already but for the first part of the flight I'm sure attention will be on the aircraft rather than the scenery. This would put the route distance up to 232nm.  I'll have this alternative plan ready in PLN and PLG formats, we can decide when we're all on Teamspeak later which route everyone would prefer.

 

 

Several of the airports in the plan are short island strips around 1400-1600ft, which should be just OK for the Comanche. It's probably more a question of what our short field landings will be like on day 2!  Plus what the weather does to us, of course (it's not looking bad at the moment).  However the runway at Outer Skerries is only 1200ft, we might want to make that a touch'n'go instead of a full stop landing.

 

Alternatively, we could do the original plan then fly the 196 miles to Bergen if we just want some more time in the aircraft! 

Not everyone has declared a Comanche. Five by my reckoning. :unsure:

I've changed to the Comanche.  I've been practicing short field landings this afternoon and it's not looking too bad :Big Grin:

Me too. Does a 50% success rate qualify as mastery?

Me too. Does a 50% success rate qualify as mastery?

 

Hmm, I guess that depends on whether you get the "good" 50% or the "bad" 50% when we're all watching.... :unsure:

Ok, I am gonna cave to peer pressure, I'll be in a Comanche too :smile:

Don't you just love peer pressure? :smile:

thanks for your company yesterday doing the Scotland 1v flight,

in my skylane, I felt like john wayne  surrounded by Comanche  Indians.

great flightplan & lots of good humoured banter.

  ron watch out for the " mokka " next week it might be disguised as an a2a Comanche.

roger.

For those that don't know what a Mokka is..(me)

 

 

A Mokka in er..mocca.