Congratulations are due to Team Sim Outhouse for winning this years race.

Two pictures from the final leg into Dubai 

Avsim baton carrier down safely at Dubai

Ron Attwood on approach to Dubai in his favorite plane for night flying

My short PIREP, didn't want to "beam up" all over the place to take screenies. That would've put my sim (maybe even baton carriers) into an unstable state. Better off scouting offline. 

Leg #2 - Travis, Roman
My 1st leg complete, flew wingman from Freetown, Sierra Leone (GFLL) to San Pedro, Cote d'Ivoire (DISP) in a F-8F Bearcat. 

Over Liberia, nice calm night with slight headwinds, quite gusty coming into San Pedro.


Needed to land second as a wingman so went over the water and lost all situation awareness in the blackness of night.. Pure instruments..



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Leg #7 - Roman, Leon 

Day 1, T+10.5 hrs - Couldn't keep eyes open at 10:00pm but couldn't get to sleep until 11:30pm..Woke up at 1:15am and couldn't get back to sleep. Lucky timing though, during discussions it was determined a pilot was needed for the next leg using a special aircraft (combat headwinds & distance) that some other team members don't have.. I do.. The hot seat in 45 minutes, coffee is now brewing!

Awaiting departure in a few seconds.  Leaving  Santiago, Spain for Belfast, Northern Ireland in the "hot rod" P-51H. Leon, my wing in the Tigercat and Bry & Nick coming into Santiago in P-80s. 





Leon below me at 22,000 feet, I was 29,000 feet. Over the Bay of Biscay, west of Bordeaux, France.



 

Strong"ish" headwinds with a 20 knot head component, UGGH! 9 minutes to spare for the 2 hour limit.

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Leg #10 - ENNA --> EEKE,  Harv (2nd try) (Abort), Roman (Abort) ---> Roman, Gunter

Harv & Roman admiring the scenery at ENNA while Nick & Leon are inbound from ENAL.

Nick coming in from ENAL (Leg #9), just milliseconds from touchdown.

MURPHY STRIKES :-( Times 2! The way it was reported required a full restart at Banak. A 30 minute lead turned into a 20 minute deficit. 

Eamonn quotes - "I step away for breakfast and all hell breaks loose." An understatement!!!

Staying quiet, realizing the ramifications, but enjoying the scenery. The second try from Banak with Gunter as wingman.

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Leg #19 - ENNA --> EEKE, Eamonn, Roman

3 sunsets & rises in the span of a day and a half.. ;-) 
Eamonn as lead and Roman as wing, a flight from Lubango, Angola (FNUB) to Karibib, Namibia (FYKA, middle of nowhere!) 
Flat, with not much to see. Uneventful flight except -- We nailed it!

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Leg #22 - Roman, Ron

Vanderbijlpark, South Africa (FAVP) to Johannesburg, South Africa (FAGM)
It's 3:00am local time, no clue how long I've been awake (eyes only, brain is dead).
This one WAS enjoyable - looooooow 'n sloooow w/ enjoyable banter all the way.



5 minutes later...... Out 'n snoring with dreams of radial engines in the head.

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The final leg, a mass exodus from OE54 to OMDB with Nick as lead and Jeff as wing.

Preparations for the exodus... (Batons at night, a fun flight for others, real time not required)
 

Here we come!!
 

 
Having fun "winging it" with Harvey. Luckily a GTN750 wasn't loaded - "Traffic, Traffic, Traffic"

 Made it, Nick & Jeff are on their way, on approach.

Post race libation time!

WHOO HOO! We made it!

 

Dang! Roman, you make the whole thang sound laak fun. Great work my man.

I really enjoyed seeing all those nice shots, and reading the commentary. Thank you Roman!

Thanks for the pictures, it was a great race!