Sorry, folks, about the catchy Title...🙂...these days, we (remaining) non-MSFS simmers, here, need all the help we can get...🙂....Now, seriously speaking, this post's locale transports you to New Zealand, a fascinating island country that consists of two primary landmasses, the North Island (NZ-NI) and the South Island (NZ-SI) [Side Note: BTW, New Zealand, actually, consists of an estimated 600 islands...!] I was "perusing" the internet today a bit about this beautiful country, and, it seems, at least, per one Survey, in 2017, it was voted the 3rd-most beautiful country in the world. For a relatively small geographical area, it, indeed, packs an incredible punch, with its "rolling green hills, majestic mountains, breathtaking fjords and amazing diversity of landscape from one island to the next..."...and, the same is true in our (virtual) SIM world (personally speaking here from my own pre-MSFS/Orbx(NZ) experience, and, I'm sure, it's even more incredible in the new SIM).

When you think of New Zealand, often, the Tour Guides start with "Milford Sound", as one of the top attractions. A few curious facts, about the stunningly beautiful Milford Sound, that, I noted, for myself:

1. First to note, a "sound" is formed when a river valley gets flooded by the sea. But Milford Sound was carved out of glacial erosion – thus (actually) making it a "fiord", not a sound, but, to the tourists, all over the world, it will be always "Milford Sound"...!
2. It is the only fiord in New Zealand to be accessible by road.
3. It is said that Milford Sound’s entrance was so well-hidden that Captain James Cook (renowned explorer, navigator, and cartographer, rolled into one...!), who had visited NZ three times (1769-1777), passed through it twice, and missed it both times (he did, however, discover "Doubtful Sound", the 2nd popular fiord, after "Milford Sound", situated 65 miles southwest of it)). Milford Sound was discovered, later, in 1823, when a sealer called John Grono traversed the narrow fiord waterways, and named Milford Sound after a long and narrow inlet on the Welsh coast known as the Milford Haven.
4. It is one of the wettest places in the world (and the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand) - averages 182 days of rainfall a year and about 10 inches of water every 24 hours. [Note: In this post, I've started off my trip, with (FSX) Precipitation set to 100 %.]
5. Milford Sound has a permanent population of around 120 residents. Most people who live there work in tourism and conservation. Because of its small size, there are no shops in Milford Sound, and no mobile coverage. [Note: In front of the Quintin Lodge, the start of my trip, I did, however, notice one member of a family, waiting to board my aircraft, speak on a Mobile Phone (please see image).]

One of the most thrilling rides, in this region of NZ, is the short ~10 nms (extremely mountainous) route from the Quintin Lodge (T004) to Milford Sound (NZMF). This area has been, not surprisingly, one of the most visited sites in our SIM world (i.e. numerous posts on it), but, for me, it never ceases to deliver the excitement, especially, as it did today, having not visited it in my recent memory. I added a bit of extra "adrenaline" and "challenge" by limiting the visibility to just 2 miles (it was like making your way through a labyrinth, with invisible and partially visible (mysterious looking) mountains all around you, GPS guidance was my saving grace...), and more importantly, falling back to one of my oldest Aerosoft acquisitions (the PBY Catalina, triggered, for me, today, by another member's post on the equally illustrious Aerosoft Twotter...). It was/is a most enjoyable SIM, and is a great deal of fun...! BTW, I was also wondering today, about the freedom available in our virtual world: One day I'm (fictitiously, of course) taking off Brisbane International Airport in a B787-9, and the next day, here, lifting off (barely made it off, btw, please see screenshots) Quintin Lodge In a PBY Consolidated Catalina. Please do examine the (rudimentary) avionics and miscellaneous instrumentation shots of this plane, that I've included below. And, one thing, I like most about all Aerosoft products, is that, you can spend hours with a (proper) Cold & Dark start-up on their planes, or, if in a hurry (as I was today - vital necessities running short, such as Creamer for the morning Coffee...🙂...), you can also get flying (usually) in just a few minutes...(please see screenshot of the (nice) interactive User Interface/Checklist, where, I've merely clicked a couple of "bullet" points on the Checklist, and was ready to roll, with my (long waiting) guests of honor from the Lodge, as pax...🙂...)...But, in fairness, I've, in the (long) past, done full Cold & Dark steps on this aircraft/SIM, quite a cantankerous affair, I recall, if you ask this novice pilot, but, certainly doable....!

And, regarding the aircraft, of this post, the stories of heroics and endurance of the Catalinas during WW II are legendary...in strategic airlift and search & rescue missions...! So, hope, you enjoy this collection of images of the PBY Catalina (not often seen, around here) traveling from Quintin Lodge (T004) to a water-landing near the Milford Sound, touching down on the the narrow water inlet/channel between the outer Tasman Sea and Milford Sound Airport (NZMF). It was a touch-down (for a change, for this pilot, without a big splash), that the tourists would have been proud of...🙂...(Please see screenshots).

Regarding airline livery, I've elected, here, to fly (and show-case) the Buffalo Air (# 703). Buffalo Airways had acquired several of these Catalinas, after these aircraft were retired from the military service, fitted them with the latest technology, as applicable (e.g. for Aerial firefighting), and maintained them as an important resource, in their fleet, for protecting the Northern Territories of Canada. Nearly 90 years later, many of these 1930s built flying boats, are still flying today, in specialized roles...a testament to their sturdiness and longevity...!

Thanks for reading/viewing this post...!!

Good rest of Sunday (for some of us, the weekend relaxation, continues a bit longer....)...

[AS(PBY(Catalina)/Orbx(NZ-SI)/REX]

Very nice job! It seems that Aerosoft has created a fine virtual reproduction of a Catalina - I cannot comment on how she flies in the sim, or indeed how she flies in real life, not having  experienced either!

Cantankerous is a great word! Especially when applied to old radial engines  I always imagine the cylinders having a committee meeting to decide who should fire up first and after how long, then who should join in afterwards at random intervals, or if they should all pack it in and stage a further meeting for review .

ORB NZ you say? I don't often visit NZ, I shall have to investigate the scenery options. Sometimes that's part of the fun in flight simming. 🍻

 

You have to know your way around that area with tha visibility!  I always liked that plane!  Nice pics!

Mark:

Appreciated the comments. Yes, this is a Classic from Aerosoft....I used to fly it often, in the bygone past, dusted it off, this week, after being reminded of it, after you posted the AS Twin Otter...(Lukla Freebie..)....One thing I recall about a "proper" start-up of these engines...for this SIM...it does not forgive you if you don't do things "properly"...🙂...and it would let you know that with an appreciable "thud"...!!

And, NZ-NI/NZ-SI, are two of the best from Orbx....I roam around a lot in these two islands....🙂...

 

Ryan:

Thank you. Agree, it's a nostalgic plane....kind of tugs at one's heartstrings a bit...🙂...

And, yes,...it's somewhat un-nerving (but exciting), to make your way through this maze, here, if you (manually) make the weather this bad....the plane has an (elaborately explained) KLN-90B GPS (I used to be proficient in its use, but, have forgotten now...🙂...maybe, will pick it back up again, for some practice...), but, for this flight, I've simply added a custom GPS to navigate from T004 to NZMF, the magic magenta line keeping me safe from those (misty) mountain peaks...🙂...

Absolutely nothing wrong with that flight experience and the screenies are great!

 

This is superb, P_7878. At first I thought, you had successfully attempted to land your Catalina at Quintin Lodge. But also taking off from there can be, depending on your weight of course, quite a challenge. I once managed to bring an Antonov An 2 into Quintin Lodge 😉

17 hours ago, HighBypass said:

Cantankerous is a great word! Especially when applied to old radial engines  I always imagine the cylinders having a committee meeting to decide who should fire up first and after how long, then who should join in afterwards at random intervals, or if they should all pack it in and stage a further meeting for review .

Mark, you made my day!! 

Bryan and Bernd:

Thanks for the comments...!!

 

5 hours ago, bernd1151 said:

.....At first I thought, you had successfully attempted to land your Catalina at Quintin Lodge. But also taking off from there can be, depending on your weight of course, quite a challenge. I once managed to bring an Antonov An 2 into Quintin Lodge 😉

Bernd:

I know you're a "veteran" in landing your plane into narrow airfields...🙂....that (recent) Twin Otter trip into Fishem Lake comes into mind...

Agree, as a (self-declared...🙂...) veteran, here, of "Courchevel" and "Lukla" (have (virtually) taken off and landed at both a couple of times...btw, someone else, here, has been doing the same, lately,...🙂...), I must say, taking off is easy but the landing is another matter...i.e. much more tricky...in the SIM...

You're giving me ideas, here, but, I thought of getting some practice, first, in landing this "heavy" on water surface first...the safe way...can't go wrong there...no centerline considerations...🙂...to worry about...especially, because I've not touched this plane in a year or so...

And, after, all, I might endanger the lives of those visitors standing (peacefully) outside the Lodge...especially that girl skipping along merrily back and forth...in front of the plane...btw, Bernd, have you ever noticed, this is the place, where Orbx has placed an AI Butterfly....which periodically comes to the windows of your parked plane..every few minutes, I recall...this time, I waited for it, but couldn't get a sight of it...may be my 100% (FSX) precipitation scared it off...🙂...

Taking off from Quintin was close...using the full-length...but, as you said, with reduced fuel, it was not too bad, really,...just need to know where to head right after the lift-off...(i.e. must not turn the wrong way)....!!