Hi all

I'm planning a world tour, which will be my first in any sim. I've not decided 100% on aircraft yet, although I'm leaning strongly towards the excellent Flysimware Cessna 414 pressurized twin which I bought this week. From flysimware.com: "The Chancellor has a maximum speed of 270 mph, a climb rate of 1,700 feet per minute, and a ceiling of 30,000 feet with a range 1,528 miles."

Now, I'm looking at maps and trying to find a route. The Pacific seems challenging. Anyone here completed a round the world trip yet, or have any suggestions? 

I'm just coming to the end of a flight from the UK to Australia in the Just Flight Arrow, and I'm planning to continue eastwards back to the UK. Obviously, the Pacific is the big barrier, and for me there's only one way across - north through the Philippines, Japan, the Kuriles, Kamchatka Peninsular, then follow the Aleutians to Alaska. Unless you have the range for Hawaii to the continental USA direct, going to the far north is the only way.

 

Edited August 2, 20223 yr by Paul K

Yeah that seems to be the only way in the Chancellor as well. I've been looking at French Polynesia to Santiago de Chile, but the longest stretch here is around 1600nm. Honolulu to LA is around 2200nm. 

For the Atlantic, it's possible to cross from Brazil to Sierra Leone, with the longest distance being around 1400nm. Otherwise I guess there's Faroe Islands - Iceland - Greenland.

 

3 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

 Otherwise I guess there's Faroe Islands - Iceland - Greenland.

There is a very handy airfield on the east coast of Greenland named Kulusuk (BGKK) which might be of assistance. I'll certainly need it, as I don't want to 'simulate' ferry tanks. There's also an NDB to the west (DA) which is doubly handy, as I'm doing the whole thing on radio nav aids and VFR (no GPS allowed).

5 minutes ago, Paul K said:

as I'm doing the whole thing on radio nav aids and VFR (no GPS allowed)

I really like the idea of this for the added challenge!

I'm doing it with a sextant....at night. Navigate by stars. 🙂

(JK.....I don't have the time sadly to circumnavigate the earth, too many planes to test and paint)

20 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Yeah that seems to be the only way in the Chancellor as well. I've been looking at French Polynesia to Santiago de Chile, but the longest stretch here is around 1600nm. Honolulu to LA is around 2200nm. 

For the Atlantic, it's possible to cross from Brazil to Sierra Leone, with the longest distance being around 1400nm. Otherwise I guess there's Faroe Islands - Iceland - Greenland.

 

Interesting viewing and read about a real-life journey.

The Long Way Home: The Flight of the Pacific Clipper on Vimeo

The Long Way Home: Ed Dover: 9780615214726: Amazon.com: Books

The ATW trip is one of those 'one-of-these-days' GA trips I've been planning to do since FS2004. It's still in the same list. lol

Here's an itinerary I still have. The Hilo to Santa Barbara (KSBA Aug 7) will be a problem. I don't know how you are going to do it in GA plane. I might have copied this itinerary from a real-life crossing in a GA plane years ago. I think the plane use had extra gas in balloon(?) tanks.

Around the World Itinerary    
May 31 -- Melbourne, Fl To Caldwell, Nj (Kcdw)
June 02 -- Caldwell To Augusta, Me (Kaug)
June 03 -- Augusta To Goose Bay, Labrador (Cyyr)
June 04 -- Goose Bay To Narsarsuaq, Greenland (Bgbw)
June 07 -- Narsarsuaq To Reykjavik, Iceland (Birk)
June 09 -- Reyjavic To Shannon, Ireland (Einn)
June 18 -- Genoa To Athens, Greece (Lgav)
June 13 -- Shannon To Genoa, Italy (Limj)
June 23 -- Athens To Luxor, Egypt (Helx) 
June 27 -- Luxor To Bahrain (Obbi) 
June 30 -- Bahrain To Muscat, Oman (Ooms)
July 03 -- Muscat To Colombo, Sri Lanka (Vcbi)
July 06 -- Colombo To Bangkok, Thailand (Vtbd)
July 20 -- Palau To Agana, Guam (Pgum)
July 10 -- Bangkok To Singapore (Wssl)
July 13 -- Singapore To Manila, Phillipines (Rpll)
July 17 -- Manila To Babelthuap, Palau (Ptro)
July 23 -- Guam To Palikir, Pohnpei (Ptpn)
July 29 -- Pohnpei To Bonriki, Kiribati (Ngta)
July 31/30 -- Bonriki To Honolulu, Hi (Phnl)
Aug 02 -- Honolulu To Hilo, Hi (Pito)
Aug 07 -- Hilo To Santa Barbara, Ca (Ksba)
Aug 09 -- Santa Barbara To Monterey, Ca (Kmry)
Aug 20 -- Monterey To Aspen, Co (Kase)
Aug 26 -- Aspen To Dallas, Tx  (Kads)
Aug 27 -- Dallas To New Orleans, La (Knew)
Aug 28 -- New Orleans To Melbourne, Fl (Kmlb)

Just now, Cpt_Piett said:

I really like the idea of this for the added challenge!

If so, a word of warning - ensure you are using the simulator's own scenery database when flight planning. I use Little Nav Map, which provides the option of using its own Navigraph database.  The problem is that I don't have a Navigraph subscription, and the default MSFS database isn't the same. Consequently, if I use the LNM's Navigraph database for flight planning, I find some nav aids are not detected in the simulator, simply because they don't exist in the simulator. (Obviously, if I had Navigraph in both the sim and LNM, it wouldn't be a problem.) 

See below - I ensure that 'Do not use Navigraph database' is selected when planning a route. For maximum realism, I have LNM on a second monitor but not connected to the simulator, so it acts merely like a paper chart.

 

8 minutes ago, bofhlusr said:

The Hilo to Santa Barbara (KSBA Aug 7) will be a problem. I don't know how you are going to do it in GA plane.

Perhaps in the TBM, can't remember the range off the top of my head. Thanks for the route suggestions though!

@Paul K I have a navigraph subscription and usually do my flight planning with Simbrief. 

1 minute ago, Cpt_Piett said:

 

@Paul K I have a navigraph subscription and usually do my flight planning with Simbrief. 

Ah, in that case you'll be fine. 🙂

Right now I'm in Bangkok, Thailand. About half way home.  Using LittleNavMaps for flight planning.  Diamond DA62 because it's twin engine and has the Garmin G1000NXi which I'm familiar with. All VFR with just enough altitude to clear any mountains.  I'm a low and slow guy.  I try to keep my flights to a couple of hours. One leg a day.  Have made 29 landings in 24 countries.  It has been a real learning experience, both from a piloting standpoint and discovering parts of the world that I have never seen.  Since I do it for viewing the scenery, I avoid long stretches over water.  So I wouldn't recommend crossing the Pacific.

Go for it.

Roy

19 minutes ago, Roy Warren said:

Right now I'm in Bangkok, Thailand. About half way home. 

Where do you finish Roy?

21 minutes ago, Roy Warren said:

Go for it.

I most likely will 🙂 

I wouldn't mind using a G1000NXi-capable aircraft, as that's my preferred avionics suite. If I go with the NXi, I'd probably choose the Kodiak. In the Chancellor, there's the option of using the Garmin GTN 750, either the freeware PMS50 (which I use), or the TDS GTNXi. There's of course also the TBM930 and the Working Title G3000. 

34 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

TDS GTNXi

Which has AIRAC data from 2004 I just realised.

Whatever aircraft you choose, make sure it's fast and with good range. Fast is good when you only have limited free time to do a portion of the flight. Fast and long range is good for when you have plenty of free time and you can get plenty of distance behind you. I should have taken the turbo version of the Just Flight Arrow, for the extra speed. But then, I have plenty of free time.