Oregon Backcountry Ski Trip!

[CavalierDuck 106]

Backcountry Ski Trip - Part 1

First, Happy New Year everyone!

This is the first of 3-4 flight plans taking us around small backcountry and farm airstrips in Central and Eastern Oregon.  And as we're now in the winter months everything is under snow, so it's time to fit your skis or tundra wheels!

We'll start in the Willamette valley at Hobby Field (77OR) in Creswell. It's just a short ride to a quick stop at Jasper Ridge (36OR) to make sure we've got our short-field skills up to scratch before we head into the snow.  Next, up and over the Cascade range, stopping at McKenzie Bridge (00S) and passing the Three Sisters peaks, landing at Sisters Eagle Airport (6K5).  Then we start on the small strips: The Citadel (61OR), Tailwheel (18OR) and Wilson Ranch (OG12). A longer leg then takes us across the Ochoco National Forest to the Painted Hills (depicted in the scenery), thence to Land's Inn Ranch (49OR) and finally landing at Longview Ranch (OG39).

 

Flight plans

PLN format

GFP format for F1 GTN

 

Aircraft

There are some small and sometimes sloping strips on this plan so you would benefit from taking something suitable.  I did my testing using the C185F with either skis or tundra wheels (both work).  It's not a long plan so we don't need much speed (120kts would be fine) but remember there are some mountains to climb....

(Note: I have modified my Carenado C185F to incorporate the alternative Bernt Stolle flight dynamics, Roman's STC mod and also the GTN 650 fitted in the VC. If any of you would like the combined mods let me know and I can send you the relevant files).

 

Scenery

The plan is based on Orbx Central Rocky Mountains region, which will greatly enhance the experience.  Hobby Field (77S) and Longview Ranch (OG39) are both available from Orbx but not required.  Orbx OG39 also includes Land's Inn Ranch (49OR) as a bonus field.

Note that the Orbx sale ends today, 1 Jan 2018!

 

Particulars

Date and time: Saturday 6th January 2018, 1900 UTC.
Where: AVSIM RTWR Teamspeak - Casual Flights Channel
Teamspeak Server Address: ts.teamavsim.com
Cross-Platform Multiplayer: JoinFS. (FSX, FSX-SE, and P3D)
If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

 

[MM 426]

At Nick's suggestion, we shall have the opportunity to fly skiplane models. In these operations, on snow-covered runways, we shall not have to worry about all the sorts of tricks necessary for ski operations. (In any case, P3D doesn't seem to model deep snow or freezing skis or thin ice or overflows or flat light.) Nevertheless, you might enjoy reading a little about flying skiplanes, just for curiosity's sake. Here are two primers.

From AVweb The Pilot's Lounge #18: They Put Skis on People, Don't They?

From BackcountryPilot: Intro to Ski Flying Part 1: Equipment and Intro to Ski Flying Part 2: Operations

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On a small note. Pilots using repaints for the Carenado C185F skiplane version will note that the "gear movement" gauge is merely a lever against a "painted on" background. You might want to substitute the appropriate "Care185Finterior_E.bmp" texture from the stock amphibian model in place of that texture for the tundra model repaint package. (As ever, make a backup first.)

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By the way, Nick has picked a few interesting airstrips.
 

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

3 hours ago, MM said:

interesting airstrips.

Don't like the sound of that!

[spokes2112 179]

6 hours ago, MM said:

On a small note. Pilots using repaints for the Carenado C185F skiplane version will note that the "gear movement" gauge is merely a lever against a "painted on" background. You might want to substitute the appropriate "Care185Finterior_E.bmp" texture from the stock amphibian model in place of that texture for the tundra model repaint package. (As ever, make a backup first.)

Thanks Mike!! Looks much better..
_________________________________________________________________________________
On another note, and this may not apply to you guys.. (My C185 folders are a "cluster-fudge" due to multiplayer integration fixes) 

1) If, and only if, any one of the repaints have a texture.cfg file within the repaint's folder, and within that file has an entry of (either 1 or both) -
fallback.X=..\texture   <-- Points to the Airplanes\Carenado C185F Ski\texture folder
fallback.X=..\..\Cessna C185F\Texture <-- Points to the Airplanes\Carenado C185F\texture folder

2) Then, go to both pointed folders and see the if it has the following files in them -
Care185Ffuse_A.bmp (or .dds)
Care185Ffuse_B.bmp (or .dds)
Care185Ffuse_C.bmp (or .dds)
Care185Ffuse_D.bmp (or .dds)
Care185Ffuse_E.bmp (or .dds)
Care185Ffuse_F.bmp (or .dds)
Care185Ffuse_G.bmp (or .dds)

3a) If the above are present rename all of them to --> Care185Ffuse_X.bmp (or .dds)  to Care185Ffuse_X.bmp.OFF (or .dds.OFF) where "X" is "A" thru "G"
-- OR --
3b) Follow the steps in the link provided below making the fallback a newly called paint.

Having these in a fallback folder "may" (most likely will) cause other aircraft to show in all white or some other fallback (UGGH!) ..
We have seen this before in the C-47 too.
It is not JoinFS's deal, just how fallbacks work within FS. If any one of the exterior fallbacks gets called, some of the other players aircraft will use that set. (it's all about the timing when other player's aircraft are loaded into the sim) 

I wrote about this here --> https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/515225-proper-c185-textures-sundays-flight/
And since doing it to a few aircraft that have this setup, no one has ever showed as a duplicate or some kind of "repainter's" texture provided by the developer in multiplayer.
 _________________________________________________________________________________
Unknown yet if I'll make the flight, been under the weather since before Christmas. Seeing the shaman for the third time tomorrow, hopefully she gives me drugs that will work. Not bad, just some days are much worse than others.

 

 

[CavalierDuck 106]

As we've all now read the guides Mike found (thank you Mike!) for flying on skis, I was motivated to find a couple of frozen lakes and waterways to try our new skills on. 

The first is Ochoco Reservoir, just a few miles off our planned route.  It's shortly after takeoff from Tailwheel (18OR).  Fly on a bearing of 070 for a couple of minutes and you'll see it (yes I've tested it, you won't get wet!).

Second is the "gravel pit" (aka the water runway) at Longview Ranch.  Today it's quite solid.

The light is getting rather murky by 1600 local at our final destination, and I think this flight will be better in strong light (we might even see sun...) so I'm going to start my clock at midday local.

[MM 426]

It would be totally irresponsible to note that there is a flat spot between "Faith" and "Charity" of the Little Sisters. This is between 0.06 and 0.09 nm northwest of Nick's waypoint 3SIS. (Just west of Irving Glacier and the 2 Chambers Lakes.) Any rash pilot who might possibly consider this would land from west to east because the "flat-ish" snowfield slopes upward when landing to the east. Again, this would be foolish. (And we may not have the extra time to clean up the aluminum.)
[PS. Do not land long.]

[Ron Attwood 3,465]

5 hours ago, MM said:

there is a flat spot between "Faith" and "Charity" of the Little Sisters

No there isn't! I bounced from one lump of ice to another until I emerged out the other side of the mountain. Unscathed of course, because I braced myself.

Apart from that, a terrific flight.

[spokes2112 179]

Thanks Nick for the wonderful flight! What a turnout!
Just a few screenies, nothing really that good. My keyboard and computer were acting up, the actual screeny would take place around 3 seconds after clicking the shutter button.

Also made 2 posts over at Peter's site re: MP shutdowns w/Carenado aircraft. The second post includes a quicker acting lua (diagnostic routine removed) - feel free to become a guinea pig.    

OOOPs - having a difficult time uploading the screen shots here, I'll just share the folder instead.