Kiel Canal Bridge Inspection Tour

[Viking01 183]

Kiel Canal Bridge Inspection and Schleswig-Holstein Tour

This flight will lead us around the German State of Schleswig-Holstein. One of the world's most frequented waterways is the Kiel Canal (German: Nord-Ostsee Kanal, until 1948 Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal) with about 32.000 ships (90 per day). When using the canal ships save about 250 nautical miles instead of going around Denmark and the Skagerak and Kattegat.

We will overfly the canal from Brunsbüttel to Kiel and inspect every bridge!

The departure airport is Hamburg-Finkenwerder (EDHI), home of one of the Airbus plants.

We follow the river Elbe for a couple of miles and land at Uetersen (EDHE), a small GA airfield. The airport dates back to 1928 and was the departing airport for Mathias Rust, who later landed his C-172 at the Red Square in Moscow. Uetersen was home to the German Airforce Museum which is now located at Gatow, Berlin.

We continue along the river Elbe and reach the western entrance of the Kiel Canal and our first Bridge [WP1] before landing at St. Michaelisdonn (EDXM), another small GA airfield with glider traffic.

Now we start our bridge inspections. The next bridge is the Hochdonn Bridge [WP2], a double-track railroad bridge. Cars will have to take the ferry that runs right next to the bridge.

Next up is the Hohenhörn Bridge [WP3], which was built for Autobahn 23 from 1984 to 1989.

Only a few miles further we reach the Grünentaler Bridge [WP4]. The older bridge (constructed around 1892) was demolished and a new bridge was built around 1986. A single-track railroad and a two-lane road share the bridge.

Our next landing is at Rendsburg-Schachtholm (EDXR). The airport saw its first landing in 1960. Today it houses the  Pilot Training Center for Schleswig-Holstein. The only 24/7 Rescue Helicopter for Schleswig-Holstein is based here in Rendsburg-Schachtholm.

The transport pilots from the nearby German Airforce Transport Wing in Hohn used to train short field operations at Rendsburg: Transall Touch and Go EDXR Rendsburg-Schachtholm - YouTube

It’s time for some more bridges. About 5 miles from Rendsburg airport we reach the Rendsburg High Bridge [WP6]. All bridges across the Kiel Canal have to have a height of at least 130 feet, and this bridge is no exception. But it is not only a railway viaduct, it also has a suspension ferry below the bridge for cars and pedestrians. Its Gondola travels 20 feet above the canal. The suspension ferry was out of order from 2016 to this year following a collision of the gondola with a ship in 2016.

Bridge and suspension ferry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nBCc_dgSI

Three miles further west we reach the Rader Bridge [WP7], which was built for Autobahn 7 and has a height of about 155 feet. Especially during winter, the bridge has to be closed at times as the high winds are too dangerous for smaller cars.

We continue towards Kiel and reach the Levensauer Bridges [WP8]. The old Bridge was constructed around 1894. It was originally designed for the use of the railroad and road traffic. The bridge was closed for cars when a railroad crossed the bridge Later it was reworked and enlarged for simultaneous use of rail and road traffic. In 1984 the new bridge was opened for road traffic.

Impressions from the Levensauer Bridges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1cV0PD04sU

The last bridges before we reach the eastern entrance of the Canal in Kiel are the Holtenau Bridges [WP9]. The oldest bridge here was erected around 1911 and demolished in 1992. During the preparation for the Olympic Games (Sailing competitions) a second bridge was built and opened in 1972.

A very short video of the two bridges: holtenauer hochbrücken - YouTube

We land at Kiel Airport (EDHK). From here we depart to overfly the harbor and the city and head north over the eastern shore to overfly the Laboe Naval Memorial. The monument originally memorialized the WWI dead of the Kaiserliche Marine, with the Kriegsmarine dead of WWII being added after 1945. In 1954 it was rededicated as a memorial for the sailors of all nationalities who were lost at sea and at the same time a memorial for peaceful sailing on open seas.

The monument consists of a 72-meter-high (236 ft) tower topped by an observation deck. The deck stands a total of 85 m (279 ft) above sea level. A hall of remembrance and World War II-era German submarine U-995, which houses a technical museum, both sit near the foot of the monument, and the site is a popular tourist venue. U-995 is the world's only remaining Type VII U-boat.

We head west, overfly Eckernförde, and land at the small GA airfield in Kropp (EDXC), just south of Schleswig Air Base.

After our departure, we follow the Schlei, a small waterway connecting with the Baltic Sea. Then we head north and follow the Flensburg Foerde towards the harbor and city of Flensburg.

After the fall of the Hanseatic League in the 16th century, Flensburg was said to be one of the most important trading towns in the Scandinavian area. Flensburg merchants were active as far away as the Mediterranean, Greenland, and the Caribbean. The most important commodities, after herring, were sugar and whale oil, the latter from whaling off Greenland. However, the Thirty Years' War put an end to this boom time. The town was becoming Protestant and thereby ever more German culturally and linguistically, while the neighboring countryside remained decidedly Danish.

In the 18th century, thanks to the rum trade, Flensburg had yet another boom. Cane sugar was imported from the Danish West Indies (now the US Virgin Islands) and refined in Flensburg. Only in the 19th century, as a result of industrialization, was the town at last outstripped by the competition from cities such as Copenhagen and Hamburg.

The rum produced in Flensburg then became re-integrated into West Indian trade routes, which as of 1864 moved away from the Danish West Indies to the British colony of Jamaica instead. It was imported from there, blended, and sold all over Europe. There is nowadays only one active rum distillery in Flensburg.

In 1945, Admiral Karl Dönitz, who was briefly President (Reichspräsident) of word not allowed Germany once Adolf word not allowed had appointed him his successor and then killed himself, fled to Flensburg with what was left of his government. The so-called Flensburg government led by Karl Dönitz, which was in power from 1 May, the announcement of word not allowed's death, for one week, until German troops surrendered and the town was occupied by Allied troops. The regime was effectively dissolved on 23 May when the British Army arrested Dönitz and his ministers in Mürwik and detained them in the Navy School in Mürwik (German: Marineschule Mürwik). The dissolution was formalized by the Berlin Declaration which was promulgated on 5 June. Flensburg was, therefore, for a few weeks, the seat of the last Third Reich government.

After the Second World War, the town's population broke the 100,000 mark for a short time, thereby making Flensburg a city (Großstadt) under one traditional definition. The population later sank below that mark, however.

In the years after the Second World War, there was in South Schleswig, particularly in Flensburg, a strong pro-Danish movement connected with the idea of the "Eider Politics". Its goal was for the town and all or most of Schleswig, the whole area north of the Eider River, to be united with Denmark. After 1945, Flensburg's town council was for years dominated by Danish parties, and the town had a Danish mayor.

The town profited from the planned location of military installations. Since the German Reunification, the number of soldiers has dropped to about 8,000. Since Denmark entered into the European Economic Community (now the European Union), border trade has played an important role in Flensburg's economic life. Some Danish businesses, such as Danfoss, have set up shops just south of the border for tax reasons.

A walk through Flensburg: Flensburg | The Northernmost City of | Germany PART 2 - YouTube

We land at Flensburg-Schäferhaus (EDXF). From here we head west and land at Leck (EDXK), until 1994 home of a German Airforce Reconnaissance Wing 52, flying RF-4E.

Our next stop is the airport Wyk (EDXY) on the island of Föhr. Föhr had been part of mainland North Frisia until 1362. Then the coastline was destroyed by a heavy storm flood known as Saint Marcellus's flood and several islands were formed, Föhr among them. It is called "The Green Island" due to being sheltered from the storms of the North Sea by its neighboring islands Sylt and Amrum so Föhr's vegetation is thriving compared to other islands. It is 6.8 kilometers wide and 12 km long; the surface measures 82.82 km2. While the northern parts are marshland, the south consists of higher geestland. The highest elevation measures 13 m above mean sea level and is located on the geestland ridge between the villages of Nieblum and Midlum. The geest makes up about two-fifths of Föhr's total area and most villages are located there. In the marshlands, several solitary farmsteads can be found, which were moved out of the villages during the 1960s.

Föhr, like its neighbor islands, is a popular tourist resort. From the ferry terminal, a sandy beach of about 15 km in length extends all along Föhr's southern shore and halfway up the western coast. North and northwest of Föhr the Reserved Area I of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park is located.

A tour around Föhr: Insel Föhr - Wyk auf Föhr - A Beautiful Island to Visit Part 1 // Germany-FÖHR - YouTube

We overfly the Wadden Sea and make two landings at very popular tourist destinations, St.Peter Ording (EDXO) and Büsum (EDXB).

Now we cross Schleswig-Holstein from west to east, visit the Grünental Bridge again and land at Neumünster (EDHN). We continue southeast, overfly the city of Lübeck and land at Lübeck-Blankensee (EDHL).

Lübeck is famous for having been the cradle and the de facto capital of the Hanseatic League. Its city center is Germany's most extensive UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While the city's symbol is the Holsten Gate, Lübeck's skyline is dominated by the seven towers of its five main churches St Mary's, Lübeck Cathedral, St Jacob's, St Peter’s, and St Giles'. The cathedral, finished around 1230, was the first large brickwork church in the Baltic region. St Mary's, finished in 1351, served as a model for the other Brick Gothic churches around the Baltic. It has the second-tallest two-steeples façade after Cologne Cathedral, which only surpassed it in 1880, the tallest brick vault, and is the second-tallest brickwork structure after St Martin's in Landshut. Lübeck is also known for Lübeck Marzipan.

We turn west, make a short stop at Hartenholm (EDHM), and then head towards today’s destination, Hamburg’s International Airport (EDDH).

Documentation:

The flightplan can be found here.

Aircraft:

The route has 340 miles and 13 landings. We want to inspect the bridges and fly to small GA fields (except for the departure and destination airports), so we need a fast GA plane. I will be in an RV14, please fly what you like.

Additional scenery:

All airports are in the default simulator. There are many downloads available for this flight. A special thank you goes to all the developers who improve the basic simulator with their work. For this flight especially to michelvp, MrMo, and kielfjord for their sceneries!

To enjoy the bridges, you want these addons, all from michelvp:

Brunsbüttel Bridge

Hochdonn Bridge

Hohenhorn Bridge

Grunentaler Bridge

Rendsburg High Bridge

Rader Bridge

The Levensau and Holtenau Bridges are part of the EDHK Kiel package by MrMo (1.5 GB). To enjoy this scenery, some libraries/sceneries from kielfjord and some other developers are recommended:

Kiel

EDHK Lights Pack

Kieler Förde Ships

Baltic Coast Fix

Western Baltic Buoyage

AI Ships MP (kevair)

Seaplane assets (30west)

Moving boats library (superspud)

Some small enhancements for some of our landings are provided with these addons:

EDHE (wayne_EDHE)

EDXR (Fux911)

EDXC (Fux911)

EDXF (MrMo)

EDXY (Larkin)

EDHN (MrMo)

EDHI (LsA77)

Two city sceneries could be downloaded:

Flensburg (kielfjord)  Note: This scenery is not compatible with the We Love VFR addons

Lübeck (papierfranz)

A special scenery addon shows the Wadden Sea at low tide, i.e. all sandbanks are visible. That is a remarkable change to the default scenery!

North Frisian Sandbanks (mgk07)

For a limited time, the whole package is available here (3.6 GB)

Hamburg (DDH) is available from Aerosoft as payware.

 Time and Weather

Please set your simulator for a 10 AM departure.

We try real weather. A low ceiling shouldn’t be a problem as there are no mountains in Schleswig-Holstein.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Wednesday, August 24, 2022. 1800 UTC
Where: AVSIM RTWR Teamspeak - Casual Flights Channel
Teamspeak Server Address: ts.teamavsim.com
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States 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!

 

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

And the gfp file here:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/jirbb5aeecqh8m9/EDHI_EDDH.gfp?dl=0

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

On 8/19/2022 at 6:51 AM, Viking01 said:

For a limited time, the whole package is available

I may have to buy a bigger harddrive 😉

[Viking01 183]

15 hours ago, Bert Pieke said:

And the gfp file here:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/jirbb5aeecqh8m9/EDHI_EDDH.gfp?dl=0

Thanks Bert!