FSX-SE Along the Danube and across Germany - in a Zlin

[P_7878 6,600]

The Danube, known by various names in different languages (e.g. Donau in German), is Europe's second longest river, after the Volga. Once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire, today it flows through 10 countries, more than any other river in the world. Mighty Danube's humble origin is near the city of Donaueschingen (in the southeastern corner of Germany) formed by the confluence of the small Brigach stream and the Breg River. This union occurs on the castle grounds in front of the castle Donaueschingen. The Danube then flows southeast, passing through or bordering Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine before draining into the Black Sea. It passes through many Capital cities, notably: Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia) etc. Danube was the route of the past Emperors and kings, and therefore carries great cultural and historical significance.

The name Zlín comes from the city in southeastern Moravia in the Czech Republic. The first record of Zlín dates back to 1322. The town grew rapidly after Tomáš Baťa founded a shoe factory there in 1894. The development of this modern city is closely connected to the Bata Shoes company. The first aircraft manufacturer in the Zlin region was established in 1934 by Jan Antonín Baťa, a sibling of Tomáš Baťa. Zlin company is famous for the popular line of small aircraft for trainer, crop-dusting and aerobatics use. Starting from ZLIN I to ZLIN 726, the company has produced an amazing range of aircraft spanning the time period from 1933 to the Present. Zlin has produced more than 7200 planes for more than 50 countries within 85 years of its history. Here is a trivia for MiG lovers (here): In the past, Zlin was the primary producer of landing gear wheels and brakes for MiG 15, 19, and 21. The Z-526 sport/aerobatic plane (flown here) was originally designed in 1959. More than 1400 Z-526s were manufactured for military and private flying schools.

For the post, here, I've followed (to the extent possible) the Danube river (on Orbx's (Germany South)) from its source Donaueschingen (EDTD), passing over several towns, to the last prominent (German) town Vilshofen (Landing Airport=EDMV) located by the river before the river crosses the Austrian border. Hope you enjoy the pictures from this travelogue using the Zlin-526 in two of my favorite colors. [Orbx(Germany South)/Flight Replicas(Zlin 526)/REX]

Edited April 11, 2019 by P_7878

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Ohh the real life memories....  I have traveled the Danube between Vienna and Salzburg a few times between 1982-2017 in real life, by motorcoach following the path of the river, crossing the Danube in Vienna in 2017 on our way a wonderful dinner at Deutch-Wagram in the Marchfelderhof restaurant (https://www.marchfelderhof.at/)

I remember visiting Melk Abby once, a peaceful place to meander and ponder the river.  My first visit to Vienna was just a brief stopover to pick up some school students on our chartered Trans International DC8-63 airliner in 1977, and my memory of that visit while we were waiting in the airport--I took a wrong turn in the concourse and was met by two Austrian guards with machine guns, quite humbling for a fifteen year old, but they broke the ice by sternly yet smiling pointing me to where I wanted to go.  My 2017 visit to Vienna was in celebration of the 40th anniversary of that trip, and the 90th anniversary of Lindburgh's crossing. 

Altogether I have been in Vienna four times, and it marks the furthest east I have been from the US, with Japan being the furthest west, Manitoba the furthest North, and Guam the furthest south paralleled by Venezuela.  These screenshots of places I have been are great triggers for my memories since I have grown older, approaching sixty in two years.

John

[P_7878 6,600]

John: Thank you. Excellent remembrances! Visiting Vienna four times! I do not think many outsiders can claim that! Also, I can only imagine the beauty of the Vienna-Salzburg segment of the Danube River, the trip surely providing many scenic sights of hamlets and other historic attractions along the way.

I've been always fascinated by Rivers (especially large ones), and visited many whenever possible. "You cannot step into the same river twice..."...🙂...reminding us that nature (and life) are constantly changing...and to think that the tiny Brigach stream (I note now that it's practically regarded as holy), will set in motion a chain that will lead to this immense volume of water (successively gathered from more than 300 tributaries) discharge into the Sea in one stupendous final act of nature...truly fascinating...