Escape to the Aegean
For Saturday January 16, 2021

We depart from Athens to tour the Cyclades Islands in the middle of the Aegean. These include the hot tourist hotspots of Mykonos and Santorini as well as the quieter more "local" islands. We conclude by visiting Ikaria on the way to our final destination Samos. While the Greek Islands are in "off season" mode, the relatively temperate climate might be a welcome change for snowbound pilots. With a strong dose of imagination, we can "get away from it all."


We begin at Dekelia-Tatoi [LGTT], a near-Athens air base and civilian general aviation airport (and home to long-time AVSIM contributor Vassilios Dimoulas). After takeoff we get a look at Athens' Olympic Stadium, site of the Olympic games as well as several European football championships. Next we see the high Athenian Acropolis with the Parthenon, Propylaea gateway, Temple of Athena and so forth. Worth a loitering circle to admire this icon of democratic government and the birth of Western civilization. On the ground below we can also see the 17,000 seat Theater of Dionysus at which were performed the works of Sophocles, Aristophanes and Euripides. Nearby are the Acropolis Museum, which houses many of the classic artifacts, and the remaining columns of the once grand Temple of Olympian Zeus. A short stroll away stands the restored classic marble Panathenaic Stadium, a clear reminder of the nation's Olympic games heritage. Somehow we have permission to fly over central Athens.

Moving on, we execute a low-pass over the now disused Ellinikon Airport (LGAT), until 2002 the main airport for Athens and now a very-long-lasting development project. Then a 60 mile flight out to the Cyclades, the island chain whose name stems from their forming a circle around the sacred island Delos. We land at Syros [LGSO], where Ermoupoli is an historically significant port and the modern commercial center and capital of the Cyclades. Not a really a beach resort, the city nevertheless appeals with its elegant architecture gracing the steep hillsides.

We leave for Milos [LGML], the southwestern corner of the Cyclades. Volcanic in origin, the island's principal harbor is part of the volcanic crater. The island is still a hot spot. The underlying tectonic structure allows gases forced up from the Earth's interior to both produce hot springs and also heat the soil to yield exploitable minerals. Almost 10 percent of the land is being mined for various minerals whose names you have never heard. In recent decades, Milos has started to attract more visitors as a quiet relaxed getaway.

The island is famous for the Venus de Milo and the Asclepius of Milos, two of the classics of early sculpture. An active independent city state during the Classic period, Milos sided with Sparta during the Peloponnesian War in the late fifth century BC. An invading Athenian army demanded tribute and the Melians refused. After their subsequent military victory, the Athenians executed all the adult men and sold the women and children into slavery. Tough love.

On departure, we head 50nm over the water to the modern tourist buzz of Santorini [LGSR]. The island is part of an archipelago formed by a caldera rim that marks the one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. This, the Minoan eruption, occurred about 3600 years ago and left deposits of volcanic ash hundreds of feet deep. The ensuing gigantic tsunami may have led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. Today, the island's larger towns are perched on the high cliff's edge of the caldera, with their houses pushing and shoving each other to grab the most spectacular sunset view. From the west, this is a dramatic visual approach.

Santorini (officially "Thera") is now primarily a tourist center. This is picture-postcard stuff. During the season, the harbor hosts cruise ships and the streets, shops, and restaurants serve thousands of tourists every day. The international airport, with jet connections to Europe's major cities, does its share to energize the tourist economy.

Next Naxos [LGNX], the largest of the Cyclades. According to local legend (and contrary to the common tale), Zeus grew up on Naxos and received his thunderbolt from an eagle on the peak of Mount Zas. Historically, Naxos was the most prosperous of the Aegean islands and was a target for both Persia and Athens in their imperial designs. Today it remains a wealthy agricultural island as well as a wind-surfing sun-worshiping beach resort.

The last of our Cycladic visits is Mykonos [LGMK]. Historically unimportant, the island now is the hottest tourist spot in the Aegean. This is the party capital of the region. During the season, the town and the nearby beaches are loud, decadent, and unforgettable. Once a spot for the wealthy jet set, the island now attracts the mass tourist trade as well – with exclusive shops and chic restaurants mixed in with establishments of a more general clientele. The airport (opened in 1971) is a busy commercial operation with traffic tripling in the last 10 years. During the summer nowadays, general aviation is severely limited in order to reserve space for the jet transports and mass tourism. Happily, we have secured slots for our flight. Of special interest to pilots, Mykonos's nickname is "the Island of the Winds" – due to the intensity of the winds that usually blow on the island.

Turning east, our next destination is Ikaria [LGIK]. In legend, Icarus is believed to have fallen into the sea nearby. (Recent research indicates that his wings iced up unrealistically.) Far from the center of modern Greece, Ikaria has maintained a very traditional lifestyle. After the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), the government used the remote island to exile 13,000 communists. The island remains sympathetic to left-wing parties and is known to some as the "Red Rock." Notably, Icaria is also gaining fame as the foremost of the "Blue Zones" where the population regularly lives to an advanced age. A subject of some scientific interest.

Our final destination is Samos [LGSM]. This is a large and relatively wealthy island with a long cultural heritage. (Pythagoras was born here.) Today Samos is a multifaceted agricultural island that has grown a steady tourist economy on the northern and southern coasts. It has also acquired 6,800 migrants, many more than it can handle. And, in October 2020, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck offshore causing considerable damage all over the island.

Samos Aristarchos Airport is famous for one of the more dangerous approaches in Europe. Due to political constraints (nearby Turkish airspace) and the local topology affecting the Meltemi winds, the preferred landings and departures are 09 and 27. Adding to the mix, the terrain rises just to the airport's west. Thus, the standard approach for 09 involves a challenging low-and-steep turn – commercial pilots require special training and certification. (Our slower aircraft will not be challenged, but we might execute the famous approach just for the practice.)

Documentation
The flightplan (and perhaps a partial Pilots Guide later) can be found here.

Aircraft
This is a tourist flight over the small Greek islands in the Aegean. At 319nm, the route asks for a fairly quick general aviation aircraft whose "fast cruise" might reach 160kts. Say a Beech Bonanza, Cessna 208, Mooney Ovation/Acclaim, or a Piper Comanche. Perhaps a light twin such as a Diamond DA62, Cessna 310, Piper Seneca, Beech Baron or Duke. This week I shall fly the MFS Beech Bonanza G36 in the ZK-UTE livery by Jan Kees Blom. As ever, fly what you like.

Scenery

FSX-P3D. You want Orbx European Landclass or at least Orbx Global and maybe Vector to get proper coastlines. Some useful freeware sceneries include:
Dekelia-Tatoi Airbase LGTT. Vassilios Dimoulas. (Longtime simmer's home airport.)
Athens Ellinikon (Fictional) LGAT. Moraitis Vangelis. (Full model of airport as fictionally reopened. Good but more than we need.)
Milos LGML and Naxos LGNX. Manuel Seiwald.
Santorini LGSR and Mykonos LGMK. Giannis Dedes. (AFCAD only)
Samos LGSM. George Keogh. (Excellent. Requires other downloads.)
LGIK (Ikaria), and LGSO (Syros): https://simmershome.de/. Please note, that simmershome requires a membership, the application can be found here: https://forum.simmershome.de/wcf/index.php?attachment/210-form-get- clubmember-pdf/

MFS. You might want:
Greek Airports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) as needed. jackzyg
Mykonos LGMK. JasonGR
Samos LGSM. AlexAb
and perhaps Naxos Island (photogrammetry) by JasonGR.
Highly recommended are these Athens additions (all small pieces by JasonGR):
Temple of Olympian Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium, Acropolis Museum, Olympic Stadium, 

(Look for a forthcoming email with some details about the scenery.)

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 1:00pm local for January 16, 2021. We shall prefer to fly real weather. (This is essentially a VFR event. The forecast is for wind and rain which will make things more interesting as long as visibility is ok. If the weather is truly awful, you might pick one of the pre-sets to provide appropriate conditions.)

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, January 16, 2021. 1900 UTC
Where: AVSIM RTWR Teamspeak - Casual Flights Channel
Teamspeak Server Address: ts.teamavsim.com
Cross-Platform Multiplayer: JoinFS. Latest version is here. (FSX, FSX-SE, and P3D and MSFS2020)
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: North America East server.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

Not been busy this week I see. 😏

Was a great flight!  🙂