Golden Nugget Service- Ta Pete!

[cavaricooper 2,615]

North by Northwest (with apologies to Ernie).

Early on in the DC-6 Beta, I begged Pete for an Alaska Airlines repaint.  I had discovered their 1959 DC-6C Golden Nugget Service "The First, the Finest to ALL Alaska" (http://www.timetableimages.com/index.htm) and had decided that with my burgeoning love affair with the Orbx World, I would fly the entire route structure as it existed in 1959.  Later, Alaska Airlines would become an industry leader in RNP approach adoption, and their route structure would range as far afield as San Jose in Costa Rica, Maui in Hawaii and even Tampa in the Sunshine State.  Pete delivered a stellar repaint in N91306, and I finally was able to deliver on the promise I made to him many months ago.  The journey has been a nostalgic affair, fostering a deepening appreciation for all that the Transport Drivers of the 50's and 60's did, without Milk of Magenta.  Flying a large transport to minimums, on raw data, in dicey conditions is something best done by aviators with decades of experience doing such things.  I have always appreciated the professionalism that is the norm in aviation, but never more than now.

Pete- she's lovely- ta mate!

C

Edited March 26, 2018 by lasnubes

[cavaricooper 2,615]

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Edited March 26, 2018 by lasnubes
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[cavaricooper 2,615]

Here are a few more from the journey...

...as you get more into "proper" Alaska, you get a chance to study interesting cloud formations... can someone spell Lenticular? ;)

Now, where else on earth can you spend time reveling in and appreciating what it feels like to run betwixt the layers in an aeroplane some 60+ years old, and smelling of Aeroshell W100?  These moments, are when  I am especially glad that my FS hobby allows me to re-experience my time aloft, and lose myself in and amongst the hallowed footless halls of air.  

Edited March 26, 2018 by lasnubes

[cavaricooper 2,615]

Hauling the mail on an Alaskan Spring day :)

Glacier Bay National Park on the let down for Yakutat.  Have I mentioned how much I love the Orbx World?

Edited March 26, 2018 by lasnubes

[serviceceiling 135]

Great shots! She surely is a joy and sometimes a handful to fly. I'll probably be able to check out the Red Bull DC-6 (OE-LDM - the one in my profile picture) at the ILA Berlin again this April. Had a flightdeck visit in it last year and she surely is a bit more modern and upgraded than the PMDG equivalent (when it comes to avionics).

The 6 is also a great candidate to test one's skills during the upcoming Cross The Pond event on VATSIM. 

[cavaricooper 2,615]

Two Alaska Airlines aircraft, separated by decades, reunited by PMDG.  Some of my effusive enthusiasm about this aeroplane is that low and slow aficionados, who only flew the likes of RealAir and A2A, now have a genuine step in the PMDG direction... a quality transport aircraft that will fit in with, and showcase beautifully, the investment they have made in GA scenery (for the most part ;) ).

Obviously the likes of Seiku and Israel's Farm still remain out of PMDG reach :)

C

PS- ta Bogdan!

Edited March 26, 2018 by lasnubes

[cavaricooper 2,615]

Here's another from the journey.... The last vestiges of commercial civilization dropped away behind us, the pristine wilderness of Wild Alaska and Rainy Pass were ahead. Sorta made you look at the oil temps and pressures very closely, whilst doing furious fuel burn calculations, whilst sipping on hot chocolate and turning up the cabin heater just a bit ;) All this, just headed to McGrath. Kotzebue and Wales were quite something else...