2022-12-10 Flying the Hump
(Chabua VG to Kunming RO)
For December 10, 2022
Michael MacKuen

This is the legendary Hump air route. During World War II the Allies had to supply China indirectly because the Japanese Empire had conquered much of China, including the entire coastline. While the Chinese government was able to relocate to Chongqing in the west, it needed to find a supply line for its military to prevent a complete Japanese victory. After the fall of Burma in mid-1942, the only option left was via air transport from eastern India to western China -- over the Himalayas. The idea of a massive airlift over high mountains was fanciful: the necessary aircraft, pilots, and support personal had to be mobilized over time and complex organizational structures and operational procedures had to be developed.


C-47 over the Hump

Beginning in mid-1942 with only 10 “borrowed” Pan American DC-3s and adding some pilots and aircraft during the ensuing months, the supplied tonnage during the first year of operations was a relative trickle. The threat of Japanese fighters forced more difficult 500 mile routes north over the Eastern Himalayan Uplift -- which became known as “The Hump”.
 

The Brahmaputra valley floor lies 90 feet above sea level at Chabua. From this level the mountain wall surrounding the valley rises quickly to 10,000 feet and higher. Flying eastward out of the valley, the pilot first topped the Patkai Range, then passed over the upper Chindwin River valley, bounded on the east by a 14,000-foot ridge, the Kumon Mountains. He then crossed a series of 14,000–16,000-foot ridges separated by the valleys of the West Irrawaddy, East Irrawaddy, Salween, and Mekong Rivers. The main "Hump", which gave its name to the whole awesome mountainous mass and to the air route which crossed it, was the Santsung Range, often 15,000 feet high, between the Salween and Mekong Rivers. East of the Mekong the terrain became decidedly less rugged, and the elevations more moderate as one approached the Kunming airfield, itself 6,200 feet above sea level.- The official history of Army Air Forces

The mountain ridges forced high altitude operations at the equipment’s limits and the rugged terrain provided for no safe emergency landings and no likelihood of rescue operations. And for much of the year, the weather could be highly dangerous as warm moist air from the Indian Ocean met cold dry air from Siberia to yield  extreme lows and highs and violent winds -- which hit the mountain ranges and produced terrifying updrafts and downdrafts that hurled airplanes up and down at thousands of feet per minute. The cloud mass was thick and turbulence severe. Thunderstorms rose up unexpectedly, demolished visibility, induced icing, and invited pilots to fly into the mountain peaks. Termed “cumulo-granite.”

By the end of 1943, the Curtiss C-46 Commando had joined the Air Transport Command India-China fleet. Its performance and load capacity were considerably better than the C-47 and, although its reliability was poor, it became the mainstay of the operation. Added to the C-47s and the (“Liberator”) C-87s, the wing had 142 aircraft. The hard-driving leadership finally managed to hit tonnage targets, perhaps at the cost of plummeting morale and increased safety concerns. Flying in all weather, through the night, in poorly maintained aircraft made flying the Hump more dangerous than flying combat missions in Europe. Author and ATC pilot Ernest K. Gann flew into Chabua and witnessed four air crashes in one day with 32 killed. He commented with grim sarcasm, “Not to be confused with a combat operation.”

General William Tunner (famous for this and the Berlin Airlift) took command and immediately set about improving morale and enhancing safety while also dramatically increasing tonnage. While re-introducing military discipline and working on the living conditions of aircrew and maintenance personnel, he introduced “business” efficiency and became a legend. He was the beneficiary of the defeat of the Japanese in northern Burma (and the elimination of fighter attacks) which allowed for more direct and lower-altitude supply routes. This change made the introduction of the C-54 a great success – the low-ceiling high-capacity Douglas came into its own during 1944-1945. By the end of the war, the airlift employed 332 transports, conducted around-the-clock flights at a frequency of one every two minutes, and delivered 70,000 tons per month. The loss rate fell to one-fifth of the January 1944 level. This was a radical transformation not only in the mission of the India-China air supply but also in our understanding of air transport in general. A significant moment in aviation history.

To tip our caps to the men of the India-China Division airlift, we shall fly a “typical” mission over the Hump, an “Able” route over the more northern high terrain. On the first day when Tunner took command of the India-China Division in 1944, he commandeered the “next available plane” and flew a three hour mission from Chabua to Kunming. We shall replicate that route.

We begin in India at Chabua [VG], one of the main Air Transport Command air bases in the Brahmaputra Valley. Flying along the river, we turn at the Sadya [OR] NDB and proceed over the Patkai Range to land at Fort Hertz [DH]. (The transport pilots did not make intermediate stops. We do so to allow our pilots a brief moment of relief.) Fort Hertz was a small remote outpost established in 1920s British Burma. A British commando party airdropped into the jungle, seized the empty facility, and eventually built an airstrip for emergency landings. The Japanese never penetrated this far north, 120 miles beyond Myitkyina, their northernmost base in Burma.

Heading east, we cross over the Kumon mountains and the canyon of the northern reaches of the Irrawaddy River [IRWDY]. Then we cross over into China at the Santsung Range and the associated steep valleys of the parallel Salween River [SALW] and Mekong River [MKONG]. Soon we descend into Lijiang (the ancient city) and Likiang [DM]. This airfield was built as a refueling station and emergency field. In the war’s last year, it became an operational airbase for military transport within China. To the north, we can see the high Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the enormous Yulong massif. (Its highest peak is Shandzidou at 18,360.) Flying into and out of Lijiang, we shall three times cross over the Yangtze River, the third longest in the world.

Flying to the southeast, the terrain starts to fall off and allows for a slightly lower-level flight. We land at the busy American transport base in Kunming [RO]. You can see plenty of activity not only on the flightline but also at loading stations off the main runway. In addition to its role in the supply chain, Kunming was also the center for Chennault’s Flying Tigers (1942) and the 14^th Air Force for the rest of the war. At General Tunner’s order, the reward for a completed mission was a visit to the dispensary for two ounces of medicinal whiskey.

Documentation
The flightplan can be found here.

Aircraft
We fly to commemorate the pilots who flew the Hump. The route is 467nm with two intermediate stops. The length and terrain indicate an aircraft capable of at least 180ktas and flying at an altitude of at least 15,000. You might enjoy flying this historic route in a more modern aircraft. Or you might fly a DC-3 / C-47. If you choose the Douglas, you might try the period-appropriate Sperry Autopilot setup. Or you might prefer the ease and accuracy of the “retrofit” configuration. [C-47 pilots will find a dearth of truly appropriate liveries. You might try a livery from the existing WWII collection (mostly invasion stripes), or from another military (RAF, RCAF, Luftwaffe, or other], or from a commercial airline, or from a private aircraft.] Any aircraft will be fine. Please fly what you like.

Additional Scenery
Required for this flight is the Flying the Hump scenery package by apollon01. (This adapts for MFS the FSX package by Alex D. Nicolson.) We shall use the period-specific airfields rather than modern-era airports. Thanks to the authors for their expertise and their hard work. Not required at all, but a modest improvement would the Orbx Himalaya Mesh. If you already have it, I’d recommend that you use it.

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 11:00 am local for December 10, 2022.
We typically prefer real weather. It is unlikely, but possible, that the weather will prevent our completing the mission. If necessary, we shall adjust accordingly.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, December 10, 2022. 1900 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!

That looks intriguing but I have to sort out my sock draw that evening. Bummer!

DC-3 Tutorial Notes for Beginners by Jonathan Beckett

Pilots who are new to the Aeroplane Heaven DC-3 in MFS might appreciate a “Beginners Guide.” Others have recommended Jonathan Beckett for this purpose, and I agree.

Jonathan Beckett is not especially knowledgeable about the DC-3. He is just learning how to operate the Aeroplane Heaven DC-3 in MFS. (For example, the startup sequence of Video 2 is modified from Video 1 on the advice of a veteran DC-3 pilot.) That said, Beckett is pretty informative about how to make the aircraft work well enough. If you are a beginner with the AH DC-3, these videos will help a lot. (Those wanting to try the “Classic” Sperry Autopilot might especially like Beckett’s straightforward demonstration in the third video below.)

Beginners guide to starting the Douglas DC-3 from cold and dark
Flying from Queenstown to Alexandra in New Zealand
Beginners guide to Autopilot and Radio Navigation in the Douglas
How to reliably and safely land the Douglas DC-3

If you are using the Duckworks modification, then the key combination to get down to manipulate the Tailwheel Lock and the Parking Brake is changed. For the Default it is CNTL+4 and for the Duckworks it is CNTL+5. It is helpful to get to the Tailwheel Lock and Parking Brake, even if you have these assigned to keystroke or controller inputs.

For flying at altitude, don’t forget to use the “second stage superchargers” or the “high blowers”. The levers are located on the left of the center console, forward of the trim wheel. They are yellow and marked with a “L” or “R” and a “B” visible when pushed forward.

[The Duckworks Mod v0.2.11 allows manual operation of the high blower. The version for today (Dec 7), v0.2.2, may be an improvement but requires special attention for those who have mapped the throttle to their controllers. For this week’s flight, it might be safer to stick with the Dec 4 v0.2.11 -- which is remains available for download along with the newer version. The author Imenes will probably get this sorted eventually, but things do appear to be in transition at this very moment.]

My main practical advice (beyond Beckett’s) would be to be sure to balance the aircraft before takeoff. For our flights, you might fill the main tanks and empty the reserve tanks. Then lighten the payload, probably starting from the back row to keep the center of gravity centered or a bit forward.

You might have some further suggestions for us newcomers. Please add on to this thread. Thanks.

PS. Just a reminder that many pilots may prefer another aircraft. This note is aimed at those using the MFS (AH) DC-3.

Brief caution. If you are using the Duckworks mod for the DC-3, be aware that this is an ambitious project with some complex features that are not yet documented properly. For example, you cannot start the engines by merely following the Default Checklist. So depending on your prior knowledge and your ability to figure things out... I’m prepared to start our flight on the runway with the engines running. (And then to check the instruments and settings to be sure that everything is as it should be.) 🙄