Since a short while ago, that I'd flown (and posted about) the mjc8-Q400, I've been thinking of a flight with my all-time favorite turboprop SIM, the PMDG classic JS4100...! It has been probably a year or so, since, I'd last flown that SIM. As I recall, this (legacy) SIM has (sometimes) created some issues on my (moderate) FSX/SE system, regarding performance (such as frame stuttering). So, today, for this SIM, I started out by moving my slider-set, one extra notch lower, than my normal. This was the right thing to do, here! Today, I faced no (detectable) issues at all, during this entire ~500 nm flight, and neither was there any noticeable loss of texture resolution, e.g. in the cockpit, from what I'm typically used to, within the limitations of my FSX/SE system (please see images).

And, those of you who own the (fabulous) mjc8-Q400, that SIM/aircraft has one of the most modern (glass) avionics package (large LCD screens etc.) in a turboprop. In contrast, this JS41, also a turboprop, (SIM's) flight-deck, is equipped less fancifully, and would appear a bit old-fashioned, but frankly, sometimes, less glass...🙂...can be quite enjoyable, too, in our SIM...! Of course, this (SIM) does have everything, one needs, for advanced navigation, including a wonderfully simulated Honeywell (GNS-XLS) Flight Management System. Besides LNAV guidance, the SIM's FMS can also provide advisory Vertical Navigation (VNAV) - good fun, it is! I've shown one close-up shot of its VNAV page (1/2), that, as far as I could tell, to the extent of my knowledge, could nicely (and continuously) compute the required vertical speed (FPM) to reach one of my FIX waypoints, once, the altitude constraint, for that waypoint, had been pre-entered on VNAV page (2/2). I've, indeed, made use of this capability, for portions of the descent, here, towards my destination airport.

The objective, for this post of mine, was three-fold:

1. Fly, one more time, the (classic) favorite PMDG JS4100.
2. Showcase a less-known (regional) airline (and "humanitarian" was an added bonus, as you'll see below).
3. Test a flight over the south-western/western coast of the New Zealand's South Island, renowned for its mountains, lakes, and glaciers (aka: the Southern Alps). Coincidentally, I did run into, at least, one glacier (see a screenshot) over this remarkably beautiful region. BTW, the spectacular Milford Sound is, also, located in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, that I must have overflown, in the first segment of my flight here.

Towards the above objective, for this post, I've selected to fly the Bearskin Airlines livery (repaint available from the local Library, here) that caught my fancy today. Bearskin Airlines, is a regional airline based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Its roots are deep in the soil of Northern Ontario. And, here is an interesting fact about about its origin, "The airline was established in 1963 by bush pilot Otto John Hegland and started operations in July 1963 from its base at Big Trout Lake, Ontario (but was named after Bearskin Lake where Hegland had a general store).". Also, you may have heard of Hope Air, which is a national charity that helps Canadians with free (non-emergency) flights (and accommodation) to medical treatment facilities, (specialized) flight costs, for which, would be otherwise unaffordable. Since 1986, Hope Air is proud to have arranged more than 140,000 flights, and Bearskin Airlines is a major contributor of such (humanitarian) flights for Hope Air.

For this Bearskin livery, the painter's note says, "This repaint is based on a real world livery, but the actual aircraft is a Fairchild SA-227DC Metro 23. Nevertheless, the BAe Jetstream 4100 is in the same category". This is indeed true per Bearskin's fleet, plus I don't mind, at all, within the realm of our SIM,...for a bit of extra fun, flying, here, a fictitious livery, in a fictitious flight, from the Invercargill Airport (NZNV), at the southern edge of the NZ-South, to the Wellington International Airport (NZWN), at the southern edge of the NZ-North, just across the famous Cook Strait (named after James Cook, the British explorer and the first European commander, to sail through it - see the approach images over water).  

Hope you enjoy these images of PMDG's classic Turboprop, an evergreen SIM, that most of would, surely, love (and hope) to get back the use of in our (respective) SIMs, one day! I'm fortunate this old-gold, flew, for me, today, faultlessly, without a blink, from takeoff to touchdown....(Please also note, I've done the due-diligence honor to the SIM, by following, here, a (full) cold & dark start-up procedure, as best as I could. From my perspective, as a non-pilot Simmer, there are few things, more satisfying, in the SIM, than, watching the first set of EICAS gauges (suddenly) come to life and start spooling up (after the set of elaborate steps), an indication that everything has been done, as it was supposed to be, especially in an (unforgiving) SIM, like this one)....!

Thanks for your interest...! Comments and thoughts are welcome...!!

[PMDG(JS4100)/Orbx(NZ-SI/NI)/REX]

That JS41 still has plenty of glass on its instrument panel, and plenty of steam gauges for backup too. 😎

NICE!

Very nice, P_7878. I read somehwere here on one of the forums (fora) that PMDG announced that they will port their 737, 747, 777 and even the DC 6 over to the new sim. It would be nice if they would consider the Jetstream too.

Nice had a metroliner in their livery come into Duluth a long time ago when I worked there.  I miss that PMDG plane, one of my favorite.

Yep, the PMDG JS4100 was one of the best models ever created. Pity they never released it for P3D, I really miss it.

Peter

Hi Folks: Thanks for the nice comments...!!

Mark: Like you said plenty of "glass" plus plenty of "steam" backup...🙂...

Bernd: Yes, on the new MSFS, it would be wonderful to have a nice (regional) Turboprop like this...! This PMDG classic and the latest MJC8 remain two of the best, in the SIM for us,...oh well, hopefully, one day...

Ryan: So, you (probably) guided the Bearskin Metroliner, safely, onto the Runway....🙂....(btw, I recall I've a nice (Razbam) SA-227 Metroliner, I will see if I can do a post on it...very nice plane too...)...

Peter: Agree. It never got the press, it deserved, (being only for FSX), and, of course, overshadowed by other PMDG jets, but, was a true masterpiece of simulation, at a time, we had limited turboprop SIMs of this kind...

Edited June 20, 20205 yr by P_7878

I'm also hoping against all odds that they will release the JS41 at some point for modern sims... I've got about 2000hrs on its predecessors, the JS31 and JS32 and this is the closest I can get in sim (the X-Plane JRollon JS32 is quite poorly simulated and I won't even mention the VirtualCol offering... word not allowed, just did anyway).

Beautiful, crisp pictures! Bearskin Airlines! The livery is spot on! We have 2 Bearskin metroliner flights that land at my home airport each week in Brantford Ontario (CYFD). A couple of our graduating students got their first job with Bearskin. My flight instructor told me that the Metroliners are very complicated planes to fly. Cheers!

PS One other note about Hope Air. My good friend Dave McElroy (based out of Kelowna, BC) has done a lot of fundraising for Hope Air and he helped me ferry my Vans RV9A from Kelowna, BC to Brantford, ON. We had a tailwind over the mountains and a top ground speed of 204 kts at 11,500’.

Edited June 22, 20205 yr by Doering
Extra info!

Prpn:

Yes, agree, there is no substitute for the authenticity of systems, in the simulation,..(of course, you, with thousands of RW experience hours, on the JS41's predecessors, it's even more critical, here,...🙂,..).

And, personally, as a non-pilot, it's always a challenge, but immensely rewarding, to read and practice what's in the manuals of SIMs like this. As I'm reading through the Pilot's manual, again today, there is always more to learn...(the manual is dated 2009, so, this SIM was created by PMDG within just a 2-3 years of FSX). The group had, clearly, put their hearts into the creation of the SIM, along with arranging access to multiple (RW) JS41s and Pilots....

The manual is wonderfully written....and, I liked the ending (after taxi and shutdown):

"Real Pilots Don’t Drink De-caf!"...."Grab Coffee and Start Over!"...🙂....that's the only way....!
But, seriously, from start-up to shut-down, with its quirks, some imposed by (inherent) FSX limitations...this SIM/plane is great fun, for sure...(a must for turboprop-lovers)...

Thanks for your comments...!!

Doering:

Thanks for the kind words, and, also, for these bits of first-hand information...(you being in the Bearskin Airline's backyard...🙂...)! The painter, of this livery, here, must have loved Bearskin, well enough, to create it via this JS41...

Regarding Hope Air, it seems to be a wonderful organization. I checked today on their website:

Travel arrangements, provided by HOPE AIR: 152,552 Since 1986, 10,560 In the last 12 months, and 21 This Week.
Quite impressive indeed, and their list of Sponsor Airlines, is equally so...!

I really like that plane!