This week 's flight begins where we finished last week at RAF Valley on Angelsey, from where we will take off and visit the Mach Loop again for a few laps before we head east to RAF Scampton, home of the Red Arrows. Take your pick of Red Arrows videos on YouTube, but I thought you might particularly enjoy this one:

 

 

After Scampton we'll come back west via RAF Leeming in Yorkshire to visit Warton aerodrome, where various notable aircraft were developed including the Lightning, Nimrod, Tornado, Hawk and Typhoon, before turning north and heading into the Lake District, where we can try out our new low-level skills transiting this highly scenic area. Leaving the Lakes and England behind we go into Scotland, passing close by Edinburgh airport (hint: there are two very tempting-looking bridges over the Forth estuary...) and making a quick detour over the city on our way to the former RAF base at Leuchars. The route will finish at RAF Lossiemouth after a flight across the Highlands (high or low, pilot's choice).

 

Aircraft suggestions as last week - any fairly manoeuvrable subsonic jet.

 

Flight Plans

FSX

Plan-G

 

Scenery

Nothing special required; Orbx England, Wales & Scotland are likely to enhance the experience, as does the FTX Global + Vector + EU Landclass + Mesh package.  A decent mesh is probably advisable; if you don't already have something applicable to the UK, there is a freeware UK mesh in the AVSIM library.

 

Freeware enhancements:

RAF Valley - MSPG

(as used last week)

If you have ORBX England & Scotland the airfields are already upgraded from default so no enhancements are necessary. For those without ORBX England/Scotland, the following from UKMIL provide good basic improvements:

RAF Leeming

RAF Lossiemouth

 

Date and time: Saturday 24 September 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 1100 Local, and I suggest turning the date back to August for better scenery colours.

Looking forward to another exciting jet tour.  I will be flying the Milviz Sabre in RNoAF colors.

 

Oh dear. I'm really torn between two Sabres and an L-39.

 

 

 

 

F100. There, I've decided.

Fine choice Ron!

Ron, seen you on the spreadsheet a little while ago changing back... Was modding up for your L-39 and said to myself. "Make up your mind man!"   
 
Question for you vets of the sheep shearing experience. In Skyvector re: the 4th waypoint in the loop. Does that extend farther down to the SW  where one would follow the river then turn north in the valley when the river splits? Re: points 5 & 6; Is that basically direct or does one go farther north before turning. May not have the opportunity for a practice run before tomorrow. Thanks. 
 
Edit - Loaded the flight up in Plan-G with my super duper, ultra deluxe, mapbox data source and it's now clear. Goin to HAVE TO make time for a practice run I see.

 

 

I know, I know. 

Fine choice Ron!

That will depend upon how many mountains I fly into! If I can keep it down to the low twenties it will be a fine choice. :smile:

 

 

Question for you vets of the sheep shearing experience. In Skyvector re: the 4th waypoint in the loop. Does that extend farther down to the SW where one would follow the river then turn north in the valley when the river splits? Re: points 5 & 6; Is that basically direct or does one go farther north before turning. May not have the opportunity for a practice run before tomorrow. Thanks.

 

Roman, a good question. I spent some time figuring out where that 4th waypoint should lie.  Most of the maps of the loop that I found online had it where I put it, rather than following the river all the way down to Machynlleth village, only 1 or 2 put it there.  When I tried flying all the way down the valley to Machynlleth there is a very tight 180 degree turn that I suspect woud cause a problem (I only found one aircraft in which I could do it, Dino's MB326).  The deciding factor was when I found a cockpit video from an RAF Hawk where they followed the route I eventually took, pulling out of the valley just before the 180 turn and picking up the river on the other side of the hill.  Debatable point I'm sure, but if it's good enough for the RAF pilots it's good enough for us!

Roman, I'm confused about which aircraft you're using. You state the repaint title is 'Miss Liberty II' but the closest I can find is texture=F_Pave, which is ui_variation 70-2390 'Miss Lyberty II', PaveTack fit. Will I see the correct paint?

Ron,

 

Yes sir, you will see the paint. The UI entry "70-2390 'Miss Lyberty II', PaveTack fit" is kind of an inside reference to the attack on Libya. All that counts is the title= which is "17_SHRS_F-111F" .  We had to use a cryptic kind of title so the configurator program knows which aircraft it's dealing with. BTW if you have no plans to fly it, don't worry about the configurator program. 

 

Took a practice run around the loop,,, woah Nelly! Slow her down!  

Nick,  I don't see where a 180 degree turn is necessary anywhere near that village (which isn't on Roman's map btw).  But a pretty sharp L 90deg is certainly called for there, which I recall making several times in practice.

Geez!  You guys and your Sabres. 

I've got a baaaad feeling about mine. I've been practicing approaches and landings and have balls up a long succession of them.  :blush2: :unsure:

That baaaad feeling was misplaced, I'm happy to say. Apart from an OOM right at the end.

It was all very enjoyable.

 

 

Roman in his mighty F111

 

Well done Nick. I shall miss the jets. We must do it again soon.

Still ketchup-ing up.. These are from Nicks excellent Mach Loop II from way back on September 24th. Ooooh the memories. A fun run that burned many calories!
Thanks a bunch Nick!



"Most" of the group, mission ready @ RAF Valley / Anglesey airfield (EGOV). From foreground clockwise - Ron in the F-100D Super Sabre, Stew in the L-39 Albatross, Bert in the T-45C Goshawk, Nick in a F-86 Sabre, Roman in the F-111F Aardvark, Mike in the Hawker Hunter F6 & finally Frippe in the other F-86 Sabre. (IIRC, Jeff came in later with another F-86)



Another view from behind. Looks like Bert dropped out.



Ron coming in at my 5, contributing to global warming.



Ron tucking up nicely over the River Churnet in Leek. Formation flying is considered "easy" compared to flying the loop.



Ron chatting it up while holding on... I gave him a little "sun burn".

Ron looking REAL GOOD coming in on 23, RAF Scampton. (EGXP)



Mike performing a hard procedure turn for finals after a 1st try go-around (Bob Uecker - "Juuuussssst a bit fast"). In the distance one can see RAF Scampton and the hangars.



Stew over the top at RAF Scampton.. The nice little L-39 didn't have the "grunt" to keep up but probably was the best performer, along with the T-45 while in the loop.



Frippe showing his legs (OH THE THOUGHT!), speedbrakes out, coming in over Gatenby Lane, RWY 34, RAF Leeming (EGXE).



It was an exceptional landing! He kept the nose up nearly 2/3rds down the runway until the elevator gave up. BTW he was on the secondary hydraulic system with no flaps!



Nick looking "smooooooooooooooooth" at RAF Leeming. Jeff in the background looking on.



Stew in his smart little L-39 at RAF Leeming. Looks like 34R   



Lined up @ 16 RAF Leeming, another nice group shot. Stew (L-39), Mike (Hunter), Frippe (F-86), Ron (F-100), Nick (F-86), Josh? or Gunter? (Late arrival, F-86 in Nick's colors), Jeff (F-86), Bert (T-45) & finally myself (F-111).





"Oh no, you didn't!"
RE: "Oh yes we did"
"Oh no, you didn't!"
RE: "Oh yes we did, multiple times!"
NW Edinburgh, N/S Queensferry, the RR & Forth Rd. bridges.



Jeff coming in on 27, RAF Leuchers Station (EGQL). Nick, Frippe, Ron, Bert & Mike looking on. The vapor coming off the tips is a sign of what's to come. (temp=dew)



Frippe spraying for mosquitoes (spooling up) as we await our turn.



Frippe about ready to touchdown on 23 at our destination - RAF Lossiemouth (EGQS).



Ron on the way in... Lossiemouth. IIRC, it was IFR, zero vis until a mile out.



We made it! No Squawks to report. Fore to aft - Ron, Stew, Mike, Frippe, Jeff, Nick, Bert & Myself.



We're all shut down and debriefing in the pub.   

Magical!