FSX:SE Athens to Karachi - Getting there Part 1

[HighBypass 2,339]

So, at over 2000 nmi away from Athens, the Islander won't make it in one hop. I've said before I've no idea of the ferry range of the winning Islander in the London to Sydney Air Race 1969, and even if I knew the range, it would be a problem having the Flight1 BN-2 behaving as per a ferry configuration.

The maximum range more or less gives us the destination of Diyarbakir Airport (LTCC) which is also a military base in south eastern Turkey. The weather is set to be good so off we go.

Taxiing out at LGAV.

 

Lined up and clear for takeoff.

 

Hope we packed the sandwiches & refreshments!

 

Settled into the cruise. 9-10000 feet altitude allows me to forget about the throttles and leave them wide open giving the required 20 inches of pressure.

 

Flying past Mount Erciyes, I believe..😖 I would have thought there should have been snow at the summit..  (FSX NOTAM, perhaps the landclass would have displayed it had I been closer??)

 

Approaching LTCC to join left downwind for RWY34

 

No mistaking this is an airbase..

 

Not a bad touchdown IMHO of course..😜

 

Ok then, ready for a Turkish bath.. 

The next leg will take us into Iran..

[vc10man 732]

Once more, the journey goes on, Mark. A superb descriptive set. Yes, go have that Turkish bath🤣, well deserved.

[P_7878 6,590]

Mark:

I was looking at your progress on Google Map...[Gatwick->Vienna->Athens->Diyarbakir->...]

You're, here, covering big chunks of distance, indeed, on the globe...! With your (advance) permission, I took the liberty of posting a SimBrief FPLN map, below, with your interim Stops, so far...

Yes, ferry tanks were a necessity on the real thing....I'd studied it a bit during my post, and I'd concluded, as follows:

"It just occurred to me (probably) why they made 10 stops. The standard BN2 Islander has a range of (600nm-800nm). So, assuming a total distance of ~10,000nm for the race (no "getting-lost" on the way permitted, as some, indeed, did...!), they wished to average 1000nm between stops. So, they must have carried one extra Ferry Tank, for safety..."

And, btw, at ~830nm from LGAV to LTCC, I agree, you're at the maximum of BN2's typical range,...so, one thing you can do, to simulate ~10 stops, as was the case for the RW race, you may refill just enough fuel (via FSX magic!) to cover ~1000 nm per leg...just a thought, or you may, just, make a few more stops...no harm learning about where in the world is e.g. Diyarbakir...!!

Edited May 20, 2020 by P_7878

[MaDDogz 242]

Warning! Check NOTAMS in this area! Extreme caution should be taken, avoid the area if possible. 

[HighBypass 2,339]

Luke that is indeed true, but to get to Karachi without flying into Afghanistan would result in a hefty detour. I'm not sure how good the flying Land Rover 😜 would be at dodging SAMs or small arms fire, and I've never had a job as a Forward Air Controller...

Actually, where might one suggest routing in this day and age - I'm not going for much in the way of historical accuracy apart from the mandatory stop off points. I've not begun flying out of Turkey as yet, so no big deal to swap and change a flight plan. I've found a couple of freeware Iranian airports ready to go, but again no problem. Cheers!

[MaDDogz 242]

1 hour ago, HighBypass said:

Luke that is indeed true, but to get to Karachi without flying into Afghanistan would result in a hefty detour. I'm not sure how good the flying Land Rover 😜 would be at dodging SAMs or small arms fire, and I've never had a job as a Forward Air Controller...

Actually, where might one suggest routing in this day and age - I'm not going for much in the way of historical accuracy apart from the mandatory stop off points. I've not begun flying out of Turkey as yet, so no big deal to swap and change a flight plan. I've found a couple of freeware Iranian airports ready to go, but again no problem. Cheers!

Indeed Mark,  it would be a massive detour in a 90 knot'er! 🙃. i'd go SSE down the boarder of Iran and Iraq into the Persian gulf, out through the Gulf of Oman, then pick up the coast and follow it to Karachi. 

[HighBypass 2,339]

Luke,

erm... I'm not a real pilot...😜  forgive me but what is SSE? Static Source Error? Meaning I can pretend I'm having trouble with the instruments?

I've had groundspeeds better than 150 knots I'll have you know!! according to the satnav..

Also I'd need somewhere to land as the Islander hasn't got that kind of range. 😎

[MaDDogz 242]

🤣 south south east..

150 knots! well well she can move when she wants to then..just like a land rover...going downhill, with the wind behind you, and someone pushing! 😄

You could route LTCC > OKBK kuwait Int onto Dubai OMDB and finaly Karachi, all legs 500 - 650 NM ish

Either way, looks like your stuck in regards to not overflying a war zone, so make sure your sat on thick piece of steel 😎

 

[HighBypass 2,339]

2 hours ago, MaDDogz said:

You could route LTCC > OKBK kuwait Int onto Dubai OMDB and finaly Karachi, all legs 500 - 650 NM ish

Either way, looks like your stuck in regards to not overflying a war zone, so make sure your sat on thick piece of steel 😎

 

D'oh! South south east... :facepalm:  Yeah, the KIAS was about 123 - throttles firewalled to give the necessary recommended 20 inches manifold pressure - and I didn't have any headwinds, but a bit of a tailwind, or component thereof giving me that extra push - the 150 wasn't constant!

So, flying more or less down the Iran/Iraq border as you say then into Kuwait. Beyond that it's going to be very lonely flying down the Persian Gulf, but then again, without being too disparaging, it's either water or desert when keeping a coastline in sight. The Iranian coastline does have some places marked on the map so there's some towns to see now and again..   Might drop down to 50 feet above the water dodging supertankers as there should be enough extra fuel for that leg 😱

I'm sure that thick piece of steel you mentioned is part of the sound deadening kit for the Islander!! 😜

Cheers.

[P_7878 6,590]

Mark:

As the (self-entitled) spokesperson for the Race...🙂...I wish to note, the following:

1. Yes, the BN2, I believe, is tough enough to provide protection from "un-friendly" fireworks, while attempting to land in the middle of "no-where" with dwindling fuel-gauges....but, please pay heed to Luke's warnings....in fact, you know what, in the RW Race, one plane, was actually disqualified because it landed in a country, without prior Government permission (to land and refuel) had been (officially) granted...!
2. Also, please be mindful, of the seven compulsory stops at Athens, Karachi, Calcutta (now Kolkata), Singapore, Darwin, Alice Springs and Adelaide. I note that you've already met the first and about to meet the second...And, including these seven, the RW BN2 duo, seem to have made a total of 10 stops...of course, it was/is a "handicap" race, and, so, while you're sitting on your easy-chair (and having a sip of your favorite drink - I consider these handicaps, btw,...🙂..), you're allowed more en-route stops, for sure, but please, at least, (try to) make the mandatory seven airport stops...!
3. Finally, your Race Contestant Fee of $100 (for a Twin-Prop), has not yet been received by Gatwick's Race Office...so, kindly, forward this sum, at your earliest convenience...🙂...Of course, I'm neither able to guarantee, the ~50,000 $AUD, on successful arrival, at Sydney....(but, at least, you're flying against only yourself, here..!)

Most of all, have fun, along the way!!

[HighBypass 2,339]

The RW BN-2s had bags of fuel as you know. I guess this exercise is another "journey of discovery" in what my sim has to offer in it's presentation of the Earth:- Weather injection, some photoreal scenery, some landclass, some payware, some freeware etc. 😎 Always a flight of fantasy..with a foothold in reality now and again.

I've "flown" round the world in an XB-70 Valkyrie and sortied to the Far East and back in an RAF Handley Page Victor in addition to the usual cargo flights and assorted general a to b VFR and IFR flights.

The cheque's in the post 😜

[P_7878 6,590]

1 hour ago, HighBypass said:

 

The cheque's in the post 😜

 

Fair enough....🙂....and, as we say around here, "check is in the mail"....