Big Brown Pacific Tour

[downscc 1,327]

By fluke using FlightAware's 'Track Inbound Flight,' I was able to find a complete round robin that appears to be the same airframe making the rounds of the pacific (5X is UPS):

5X99 PANC-KSDF, 5X32 KSDF-PHNL, 5X34 PHNL-YSSY, 5X33 YSSY-ZSPD and 5X81 ZSPD-PANC

As it happens, I have addon scenery for all of the above locations and only FSDT KSDF needs to have an AFCAD modified to provide a parking spot for the B744 (comparing GE with FSDT KSDF and you'll find So end of ramp is pretty messed up in the FSDT product).  I noticed that some days of the week the flight from Sydney YSSY will sometimes go to Singapore WSSS but I don't have this location, and sometimes the flight into PANC is from Hong Kong VHHH..... so this circuit isn't flown everyday but if you poke around in FlightAware with the flight numbers provided you'll find the times and planned routes for each leg. 

This is a great way to spend five days with N581UP.

[monitron 7]

It has long been a UPS MD-11 in to YSSY everyday (along with a Fed-Ex MD-11). It changed to a 744F before Christmas. I wonder if it is a permanent change or it will go back to the MD-11?

I live right under the Richmond departure SID and hear both MD's leaving every evening. They sound different and it's always my favourite one to pick out.

[downscc 1,327]

6 minutes ago, monitron said:

I wonder if it is a permanent change or it will go back to the MD-11?

To be seen, for now I notice all B744/748 departures from KSDF are to PANC or PHNL and thence to their Pacific cargo hubs at YSSY, WSSS, ZSPD and VHHH... oh yeah I've seen flights into Seoul RKSI as well. I have yet to decipher flights from ZSPD to EDDK and a leg to Mumbai VAJJ.  I've yet to find the origin for the aircraft at VAJJ.

[skelsey 765]

55 minutes ago, downscc said:

and a leg to Mumbai VAJJ.  I've yet to find the origin for the aircraft at VAJJ.

I think you mean VABB, Dan: Juhu  (VAJJ) is nearby (and in fact has been mistaken for VABB by aircraft on final approach to VABB in the past) but it's a GA airport and very much not somewhere you'd want to take a 744!

[downscc 1,327]

15 hours ago, skelsey said:

I think you mean VABB, Dan: Juhu  (VAJJ) is nearby (and in fact has been mistaken for VABB by aircraft on final approach to VABB in the past) but it's a GA airport and very much not somewhere you'd want to take a 744!

That is interesting Simon, I have not yet dug very deep into this question but the FlightAware page for 5X15 is clearly from VAJJ to Koln EDDK: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UPS15/history/20180124/0839Z/VAJJ/EDDK ; I noticed there are three instances of 5X15 currently available.

[skelsey 765]

Interesting! That must be a Flightaware error of some description as the main runway 8/26 at Juhu is a mere 1100m/3750ft long :)

Edit: to give you a sense, the local spotters got quite excited when the Indian Air Force sent a Herc there to see if it was usable in an emergency... http://www.planespotters.in/2015/03/iaf-c130j-lands-at-juhu-aerodrome.html -- I imagine if a 744 turned up they'd be queuing up!

[downscc 1,327]

14 minutes ago, skelsey said:

the local spotters got quite excited when the Indian Air Force sent a Herc there to see if it was usable in an emergency...

I agree, similar to when an AF C-5 destined for McDill AFB (near KTPA Tampa) ended up on the small GA Whitted nearby.  I'm not sure what they had to remove from the beast to get her off the ground, but it had to be a major project.  I've scanned VABB and cannot find UPS flights so for now the mystery continues.

Over two decades ago, we had a COA DC-9 land instead of at Corpus Christi KCRP, ended up at the nearby Navy Cabaniss Aux Air Field, which has the same runway numbering.  This Navy aux field is heavily used for flight training but is suitable for BE-90s and not DC-9s.  There they were able to remove all the seating and galley equipment and get the DC-9 off in the 4900 ft available.  To this day the ATIS still has a cautionary message for pilots to be aware that Cabaniss yada yada yada and adds about 20 sec to the ATIS report. Small irritant if you are based here.

[skelsey 765]

Ah yes - rather like the Dreamlifter that landed at Jabara instead of McConnell!

Incidentally, this is a gasometer in Southall, NW of Heathrow:

The 'LH' (for 'London Heathrow') was painted on it after a Pan Am (IIRC) 707 accidentally landed at RAF Northolt (EGWU) in the 50s (in the days when Heathrow still had a runway 23 - aligned more or less with the much smaller Northolt).

[Guest]

I thought this thread was about something you had flushed!

[cgsmithmo 14]

IIRC The MD-11 routing went: KSDF-KONT-PHNL-YSSY-VHHH-PANC-KSDF. Occasionally straight from SDF to HNL. 747 Routes the other way go from KSDF-PANC-ZSPD/VHHH. Occasionally to RCTP. I believe it depends on the day of the week? From VHHH-YSSY-PHNL-KSDF.

From PANC anymore, it looks like two flights of 767's to RKSI, and possibly ZSPD and RJAA or maybe a MD-11 and a 767...

[downscc 1,327]

15 hours ago, Curtis Smith said:

IIRC The MD-11 routing went: KSDF-KONT-PHNL-YSSY-VHHH-PANC-KSDF. Occasionally straight from SDF to HNL. 747 Routes the other way go from KSDF-PANC-ZSPD/VHHH. Occasionally to RCTP. I believe it depends on the day of the week? From VHHH-YSSY-PHNL-KSDF.

From PANC anymore, it looks like two flights of 767's to RKSI, and possibly ZSPD and RJAA or maybe a MD-11 and a 767...

Welcome to the PMDG forums, please note their rules ask that we use our full names on all posts.

I am not disagreeing with your, but you didn't provide a source and no flight numbers that I can confirm with FlightAware or other sources.  I also think is depends on time of day but a little more info is appreciated. Thanks.

[Captain Kevin 586]

11 hours ago, downscc said:

Welcome to the PMDG forums, please note their rules ask that we use our full names on all posts.

Just to clarify this point, I assume your username is your real name, but PMDG wants it either at the end of the post or in the signature block, as Dan has it above.