The Blue Ridge

MM · August 9, 2016

The Blue Ridge

Today we fly over the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge, and the Allegheny Mountains. We depart from Knoxville (KDKX) and climb over the old growth forests of the Smokies while passing the resorts of Gatlinburg (waypoint GATLN on the western slope) and Cherokee (waypoint CHERK on the eastern slope) and land at Jackson County (24A). Carrying on, we visit surprisingly cosmopolitan Ashville (KAVL). We then follow the Blue Ridge to stop at two scenic, enjoyable and famously challenging airfields: Mountain Air (2NC0) and Elk River (NC06). Then on to the Great Valley and land at the friendly Mountain Empire Airport (KMKJ) and execute a touch-and-go at Blacksburg's Virginia Tech Airport (KBCB). We climb up into the Alleghenies for two classic mountain resort hotels: first the Greenbrier of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (KLWB) and second The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia (KHSP). We are scheduled to stop at Ingalls Field (KHSP), the highest altitude public airport east of the Mississippi.

If we have time (another 25 minutes), we can cross back over the Blue Ridge into Charlottesville (KCHO), the site of the University of Virginia. Charlottesville was also the home of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and Tom Allensworth.

The flightplans for Plan-G and FSX as well as a "Pilots' Guide" can be found here.

The recommended payware scenery is FTX Global and FTX OpenLC North America. For depictions of six of our airfields, you may want to download the FTX North American Freeware Airports here. Finally, to generate a touch of local authenticity, you might like Brian Martin's good freeware Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (KCHO) available at AVSIM here.

We focus on two truly interesting and challenging airstrips. You might like to look at the introductory orientation films to get a sense of how real pilots approach and land at these distinctive airports: The Joy of Flying at the Top (Mountain Air) and the Elk River Airport Instructional Video.

The route length is 307nm and includes seven stops. We shall want aircraft that can cruise at 150kts or more: you might enjoy General Aviation singles such as the Cessna 182, Piper Comanche, Beech Bonanza, or light twins such as the Piper Aztec, Seminole or Seneca, the Cessna 310 or 337, or the Beech Baron, Duchess or Duke … or the Grumman Mallard. I shall fly the A2A Comanche N7480P – the real-world aircraft is now based in western North Carolina.

Date and time: Saturday 13 August 2016, 1800 UTC

Where: AVSIM RTWR Teamspeak - Casual Flights Channel
Teamspeak Server Address: ts.teamavsim.com
Multiplayer: FSX Multiplayer (IP will be provided on Teamspeak)

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet! (linked here)

Note to Ron. Please set server time to 16:10 Local

spokes2112 · August 10, 2016

SkyVector output for your map fold'n needs.

StewartH · August 11, 2016

There's a problem at Knoxville KDKX with the river banks crawling up the side of the hills opposite the airport. Vector has evidently drawn the river bank on that side over onto the hills. The effect can be negated by disabling FTX_Vector_EXX in the scenery library but this is only a workaround. Ideally the guilty exclude in that folder should be turned off, I guess, but I have no idea which one it is.

CavalierDuck · August 11, 2016

Looks like a very nice route Mike! Unfortunately I will be away on holiday for the next two weekends but I will certainly fly this when I get back. I lived in VA for 4 years so I know some of the area fairly well. Never got down as far as the Great Smoky Mountains though, I wished I had.

Hope everyone has a lot of fun with this on Saturday!

Ron Attwood · August 11, 2016

Someone had to post it.

I lived in VA for 4 years so I know some of the area fairly well

Oh for Pete's sake!

spokes2112 · August 12, 2016

Nick,
Hope you have a fine vacation. - camping isn't it? - We'll want a full write up including any addendums to Mike's excellent pilot guide. LOL

Stew,

I give it up as a newly opened ~~waterpark~~ ( ouch ) boogie board recreational area..

CYA Saturday. (after 9WS2)

StewartH · August 13, 2016

A heads-up for any who didn't see the post at Orbx--a patch for OpenLC NA has been released.

1st fltsimguy · August 13, 2016

Trees, trees and more trees

Two shots taken on todays flight.

Click to enlarge, its pretty obvious the one on extreme and one on dense.

Ron Attwood · August 13, 2016

I have to say that the 'dense' one looks better. Not so 'in yer face'. You might try 'Very dense' as an experiment.

1st fltsimguy · August 14, 2016

And for comparison...here is the real thing from the air.

Holly crap there are a lot of trees.... :smile: :smile:

spokes2112 · August 17, 2016

Some photos from last weekend's excellent flight.

Most of the group getting ready at Knoxville Downtown Island (KDKX). From right to left then aft. In Comanche's - Jeff, Mike & Josh; Ron in his beautiful B55, myself in the BT RV-7, Gunter in the C172, (aft) Bert in a Seminole then Rolf in a B58 (changed later to a RV-7).

Rallied up at Jackson County (24A), Stew joins us in the PA23 Aztec.

Ron touching down at Mountain Empire (KMKJ).

Rolf catching a gust just prior to touchdown at Greenbrier Valley (KWLB). Thunder and lightning with spurts of rain nearly half the way.

Jeff just inches from touching Mother Earth @ Greenbrier Valley.

Josh at Greenbrier blowing up some mist.

Unknown who this is, I believe Bryan. There were a few dropouts in MP and upon return the aliases didn't jive. We'll call it a mystery man in a mystery aircraft - No N-number. (KWLB)

Gunter gently touching down without any spray! SMOOOTH.

Taken (2) near Hot Springs Ingalls Field (KHSP) in the George Washington National Forest. The middle portion of the flight was filled an abundance of lightning, rain & gusty winds. Decided to record a 1 minute video showing the frequency of the lightning. Intense!

Getting closer to sundown brought a calmer atmosphere. A beautiful, pink, predusk shot taken south of the town of Goshen, VA and Lake Merriweather, just over the Maury River.

A busy Charlottesville-Albemarle airport (KCHO) as the sun sets. The home of our founder Tom Allensworth, may you rest in peace.