Because the default scenery in the game is so fantastic, what I'm doing at the moment is flying VFR using landmarks in the Cessna 152, and reading about the places I encounter along the way. Currently about halfway through a flight following historic Route 66 across the US, stopped off in Amarillo. Been good fun so far. 

 

Does anyone else do this in game? Can we get a thread going of different interesting paths to follow? I was thinking of going up the Yangtse or along the Trans-Siberian railway next, or maybe a shorter tour of the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. 

Pacific Northwest.  Start down in KEUG (Eugene OR) go east to Mt Bachelor, travel north and see all the big mountains, spin around St Helen's crater and see the ash cone itself.  Then on to Mt Ranier, tallest in lower 48, oxy needed (folks train there for Everest).  Stop in Seattle for lunch, then up to Paine Field, see the Boeing assembly building with all the delivery aircraft on the ramps.  Off to the Northwest again for a beautiful sunset tour across the islands to Victoria BC, great dinner, spend the night.  Next day back down the entire coast for whale spotting then back home to KPDX.

I do this trip once every couple of years IRL, never gets old.

I'm flying the route from the book "Cannibal Queen" for the third time.  First in FSX, second in P3Dv2, part of third in P3Dv4 before I started suffering flight sim burnout.

In P3D Niagara Falls is pretty bland.  I wanted to see it on MSFS and that was my next leg of the route.  The Beta had expired and this is what made me purchase MSFS. 😄  I flew the Cessna 172 with analog gauges.

The route took me from Niagara Falls through Denver to the Pacific Northwest, where I finally converted the Golden Age Simulations Super Stearman with my Cannibal Queen paint job from P3D to MSFS and I've been flying that ever since.  I flew down to San Francisco and around the city, then up to Las Vegas.  My last flight was the first leg northeast from Las Vegas.  The author described how "the sand-colored rock ridges are visible after they enter the green water" of Lake Mead and I was surprised to see this in the sim.

I never would have guessed desert scenery could be so gorgeous.  It is beyond description.

The entire route is flown pilotage and dead reckoning, no GPS but I occasionally cheat with the VFR map, and no autopilot.  I navigate by skyvector.com and what I can see out the open cockpit.  No radio navaids in the Stearman. 🙂 I just went over 50 hours since beginning these flights.

This kind of thing is exactly what MSFS is made for.  A kind of "study level" VFR flying, nothing but pilotage and dead reckoning.  Gotta love it!

Hook

CYVR Vancouver to CYPS Pemberton, via Squamish and Whistler.. beautiful flight. 🙂

I never leave an aircraft at an airport, I always go from there to my next point. Actually depends upon how much of my "retirement" time I have spent that day (or evening) on MSFS. So routes are determined on the "fly" and depends upon what airports I have not been at within a 180 degree view (I don't like to double back). Because I have a low-end system I am primarily using the C172S and fly either VFR/IFR with or without AP. I would like to use the King Air more but the AP frustration makes it difficult. If I use the King Air I keep next arrival point within 300-400 miles and primarily VFR. BUT when the patches arrive for AP I will then upgrade my system and do more with the larger aircraft (particularly the King Air).

In the Cessna 172 I flew Boston to Oshkosh then eastern Nebraska, on to Salt lake city, then south to Grand Canyon, on to Sedona, Prescott valley and on to Phoenix. Went west to Palm Springs and landed this evening at Chino, Calif,  All for sight seeing so it wasn't well planned. Some fuel stops along the way of course. Not sure how many days. I think I flew every day for the flight. Also just went over 50 hours flight time. Fun stuff!

As a train buff I like flying the Northeast Corridor from D.C. to Boston. It's a fun journey from the air. 

"CYVR Vancouver to CYPS Pemberton, via Squamish and Whistler.. beautiful flight."

Bert, it sounds great, will try a flight later......

you can do fantastic historic flights, i am planning to do the uiver flight form london to melbourne 1934.

there are loads of other historic flights.

 

I am all for moutain range flying. Right now I fly down the West coast of  norway. There is also the alps crossing, Salzburg to Monaco. Then there is the Andes crossing, or better the entire west coast of South America. Canada/Alaska is another playground. Also in far east Russia and other countries.

I just did a flight out of St George, Utah.  KSGU.  Climb to about 7000 or 8000 feet in one of the Cubs so you can see out both sides of the aircraft.  Fly northwest from the airport to see the old airport on a small mesa, which is pretty dramatic.  You could probably land at the closed airport at the end of your flight if you wanted.

The entire area is covered with incredibly scenic buttes and is the most attractive scenery I've found in MSFS.  The Zion National Park with the red cliffs to the east is less spectacular due to lower resolution textures but may be worth a visit.

This area had Stephen Coonts waxing metaphysical in his "Cannibal Queen" book, sounding like Richard Bach. 😄 

You don't need a flight plan, just take off and explore.  The charts in skyvector.com aren't useful for this flight as they aren't high resolution.  Little Navmap may be useful.

I can't recommend this one highly enough.  Next stop, Grand Canyon.

Hook

Edited September 7, 20205 yr by LHookins

hmm the canyon has not so good coloring. when i flew there, rather washed out..

but maybe it was the sun very high? i need to go back hehe.

KTIW to KORS (Tacoma Narrows to Orcas Island is a great hop.  Then hop over to CYYJ (Victoria International) on Vancouver Island.  Take off from CYYJ and circle around and look at Victoria Harbor, then fly back down to KBFI, (Boeing Field) KSEA (SeaTac)., or KRNT (Renton Regional) at the south end of Lake Washington.

Be sure to do a Microsoft Fly By of the space needle on your way there.

I've also been flying Kathmandu International (VNKT), into Lukla (VNLK) quite a bit with the Grand Caravan.  That landing is quite the rush.  Taking off from Lukla for the return leg is like a ski jump.  Quite fun.  And the scenery....Breathtaking.

2 hours ago, wthomas33065 said:

KTIW to KORS (Tacoma Narrows to Orcas Island is a great hop.  Then hop over to CYYJ (Victoria International) on Vancouver Island.  Take off from CYYJ and circle around and look at Victoria Harbor, then fly back down to KBFI, (Boeing Field) KSEA (SeaTac)., or KRNT (Renton Regional) at the south end of Lake Washington.

Be sure to do a Microsoft Fly By of the space needle on your way there.

I've also been flying Kathmandu International (VNKT), into Lukla (VNLK) quite a bit with the Grand Caravan.  That landing is quite the rush.  Taking off from Lukla for the return leg is like a ski jump.  Quite fun.  And the scenery....Breathtaking.

wait... what?  you gotta see my post above... 🙂

I loved to fly in the area of Kabale (Uganda) yesterday. The nearby lake Bunyonyi with it's 28 islands is absolutely stunning and very well rendered in MSFS. I recommend the mountainous route to Goma (Kongo).