I can heartily recommend the Vertx DA-62. That is one nice GA plane. I would not recommend the Alabeo/Carenado version because.. well.. Carenado.

Another really good twin is the Aerosoft Twin Otter Extended. And that package includes wheels, tundra tires, floats, amphib, and skis, so you can fly it anywhere you want. 

 

 

C421 for me... as long as you couple it with a GTN 750

Another really good twin, is Aerosoft's North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco. Being a military aeroplane designed for counter-insurgency and FAC operations, it is very different to most GA twins and looks way cooler as well. It is also a 'Nam veteran, so it gets extra 'cool points' for that, but still serves with many air forces currently. 

It's fast (twin Garrett T76-G-420/421 turboprops taking it up to 290 mph), very maneuverable in being stressed for combat operations, fully IFR capable given it has very sophisticated avionics, and it is also aircraft carrier ops capable. It has a ceiling of 30,000 feet and a range of up to 1,200 miles with auxiliary tanks fitted. On top of all that, it has possibly the best cockpit visibility of any twin aeroplane, thus if you are sightseeing, that's another plus.

So you'd be hard pressed to find something as flexible for flying around anywhere you like, especially since it can get off the deck in less than 750 feet and land in that distance as well. And as if that isn't enough, it can be armed with 500lb bombs, Sidewinder missiles, rockets and either a triple-barreled M197 rotary cannon or four M60 machine guns, so you'll never have to worry about having to go around, because you can clear any runway incursion you like with that lot on board lol. Oh, and it has a smoke system and it can drop a paratrooper as well.

Accept no substitute 🤣

Edited March 17, 20206 yr by Chock

I didn’t realize that the OV-10 worked in P3Dv4, I haven’t flown it in ages, I’ll have to fix that.

On 3/17/2020 at 7:43 AM, Chock said:

Another really good twin, is Aerosoft's North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco.

Now look what you've made me do! I've hummed and harred(?) over this for years and never got round to doing the right thing. Now at last I have it. I've only sat in it for a few minutes so far, but I'm convinced already.

Well, flyinpilot, since you also asked for scenery suggestions I'll be biased and throw my hat in the ring... check out simwestALBQ (free) and simwestSOCAL since you were looking for a relatively smaller geographic region. 

Another, smaller GA option might be to go for the one twin which requires a centrline thrust rating in some countries: The Cessna 337 SkyMaster. Carenado's version which I have is quite nice, though FSD's version has more comprehensive documentation, but I can't comment on if it flies more accurately or not.. http://www.fsd-international.com/Hangar/C337/

On 3/16/2020 at 6:59 PM, Nyxx said:

A perfect description flying a F-14/F-18/AV8, landing a GA is like slow motion, try landing a  F-18 at night on a carrier or a vertical landing on the deck in an AV8, then I would agree, landing a GA ...no sorry it's a bit like learning to pass your motor bike test on a 50cc or 125cc and moving on to do track days on a GSX 1000. You never go back to a 125.

But each to there own, I started off like most on GA's, never do long haul i would agree boring. Real flying hand on stick, DCS. Nothing like it. A2A refuelling...that's real flying. I like flying the FSL's bus'er you dont spend much time doing nothing in the short flights I do. GA's to me are like 50cc motor bike, great when i was 16...

But like I said each to there own as long as you enjoy nothing else matters. Like Ryan says thankfully we have options.

All depends on what you're looking for. To me flying a tube in P3D is uninteresting. Most who do it in P3D really have no idea what they're doing, but the automation allows them to fudge it. I'm a real-world pilot and use P3D to stay sharp on my instrument flying, and also to help me stay sharp on the tech I have on my actual airplane (GTN750). You can't fudge hand-flying a GA airplane with no autopilot to minimums on a non-precision approach. In heavy metal you just push the buttons and watch and then make sure it doesn't crash when you hand fly it for the last 8 seconds. I'm sure carrier ops are fun as a challenge, and it's a physical skill to master. 

Like you and Ryan said, all depends on what you're after. Low and slow GA flying can be some of the most challenging flying you can do. (There's a reason for the old joke, what's the most dangerous thing in the sky? An airline captain in a 172). 

Since I have a LOT of time on my hands at home I am actually gonna get some flight time in.  Gonna get my bush on!  For me, I grabbed the Carenado 690B Turbo Commander and Orbx's openLC Africa on sale.  Then I added Toposim's 10-19m mesh of Africa.  Topped it of with little d/l find of 115 airport enhancements for Botswana.

Found a site called 'selfflysafari.com' and I am going to try and follow along one of their sample itineraries which takes me to places like the Kalahari Desert, Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls. A 15 day safari... should be a fun way to explore all these new goodies.

Scenery: Alaska!

ORBX Alaska South, Pacific Fjords and Pacific Northwest.

Add Tongass Fjords and go for some ORBXairports there like

Juneau, Valdez, Gustavus, Homer, Kenai, Stewart or Squamish.

Maybe you add Anchorage and Vancouver.

Then go to RTMM https://return.mistymoorings.com/ 

they have tons of freeware airports and sceneries in Alaska.

 

cheers,

Karl

On 3/16/2020 at 6:59 PM, Nyxx said:

A perfect description flying a F-14/F-18/AV8, landing a GA is like slow motion, try landing a  F-18 at night on a carrier or a vertical landing on the deck in an AV8, then I would agree, landing a GA ...no sorry it's a bit like learning to pass your motor bike test on a 50cc or 125cc and moving on to do track days on a GSX 1000. You never go back to a 125.

But each to there own, I started off like most on GA's, never do long haul i would agree boring. Real flying hand on stick, DCS. Nothing like it. A2A refuelling...that's real flying. I like flying the FSL's bus'er you dont spend much time doing nothing in the short flights I do. GA's to me are like 50cc motor bike, great when i was 16...

But like I said each to there own as long as you enjoy nothing else matters. Like Ryan says thankfully we have options.

All depends on what you're looking for. To me flying a tube in P3D is uninteresting. Most who do it in P3D really have no idea what they're doing, but the automation allows them to fudge it. I'm a real-world pilot and use P3D to stay sharp on my instrument flying, and also to help me stay sharp on the tech I have on my actual airplane (GTN750). You can't fudge hand-flying a GA airplane with no autopilot to minimums on a non-precision approach. In heavy metal you just push the buttons and watch and then make sure it doesn't crash when you hand fly it for the last 8 seconds. I'm sure carrier ops are fun as a challenge, and it's a physical skill to master. 

Like you and Ryan said, all depends on what you're after. Low and slow GA flying can be some of the most challenging flying you can do. (There's a reason for the old joke, what's the most dangerous thing in the sky? An airline captain in a 172). 

On 3/16/2020 at 6:59 PM, Nyxx said:

A perfect description flying a F-14/F-18/AV8, landing a GA is like slow motion, try landing a  F-18 at night on a carrier or a vertical landing on the deck in an AV8, then I would agree, landing a GA ...no sorry it's a bit like learning to pass your motor bike test on a 50cc or 125cc and moving on to do track days on a GSX 1000. You never go back to a 125.

But each to there own, I started off like most on GA's, never do long haul i would agree boring. Real flying hand on stick, DCS. Nothing like it. A2A refuelling...that's real flying. I like flying the FSL's bus'er you dont spend much time doing nothing in the short flights I do. GA's to me are like 50cc motor bike, great when i was 16...

But like I said each to there own as long as you enjoy nothing else matters. Like Ryan says thankfully we have options.

All depends on what you're looking for. To me flying a tube in P3D is uninteresting. Most who do it in P3D really have no idea what they're doing, but the automation allows them to fudge it. I'm a real-world pilot and use P3D to stay sharp on my instrument flying, and also to help me stay sharp on the tech I have on my actual airplane (GTN750). You can't fudge hand-flying a GA airplane with no autopilot to minimums on a non-precision approach. In heavy metal you just push the buttons and watch and then make sure it doesn't crash when you hand fly it for the last 8 seconds. I'm sure carrier ops are fun as a challenge, and it's a physical skill to master. 

Like you and Ryan said, all depends on what you're after. Low and slow GA flying can be some of the most challenging flying you can do. (There's a reason for the old joke, what's the most dangerous thing in the sky? An airline captain in a 172). 

On 3/16/2020 at 6:59 PM, Nyxx said:

A perfect description flying a F-14/F-18/AV8, landing a GA is like slow motion, try landing a  F-18 at night on a carrier or a vertical landing on the deck in an AV8, then I would agree, landing a GA ...no sorry it's a bit like learning to pass your motor bike test on a 50cc or 125cc and moving on to do track days on a GSX 1000. You never go back to a 125.

But each to there own, I started off like most on GA's, never do long haul i would agree boring. Real flying hand on stick, DCS. Nothing like it. A2A refuelling...that's real flying. I like flying the FSL's bus'er you dont spend much time doing nothing in the short flights I do. GA's to me are like 50cc motor bike, great when i was 16...

But like I said each to there own as long as you enjoy nothing else matters. Like Ryan says thankfully we have options.

All depends on what you're looking for. To me flying a tube in P3D is uninteresting. Most who do it in P3D really have no idea what they're doing, but the automation allows them to fudge it. I'm a real-world pilot and use P3D to stay sharp on my instrument flying, and also to help me stay sharp on the tech I have on my actual airplane (GTN750). You can't fudge hand-flying a GA airplane with no autopilot to minimums on a non-precision approach. In heavy metal you just push the buttons and watch and then make sure it doesn't crash when you hand fly it for the last 8 seconds. I'm sure carrier ops are fun as a challenge, and it's a physical skill to master. 

Like you and Ryan said, all depends on what you're after. Low and slow GA flying can be some of the most challenging flying you can do. (There's a reason for the old joke, what's the most dangerous thing in the sky? An airline captain in a 172).