2022-12-31 US Airmail CAM 32

(Portland KPDX to Pasco KPSC)
For December 31, 2022
Michael MacKuen

Today we have a brief encounter with the early days of flying the US Mail. We “re-enact” part of Contract Air Mail 32 between Portland and Spokane. Here we limit our attention to the part along the Columbia River between Portland and Pasco. (Our time is limited and this portion of the routing will fit our constraints.) With any luck, this leg will provide a sense of flying open cockpit airmail planes though winter weather along the “prepared” routes.

We shall use the newly updated “Arrows Across America” scenery and route maps developed by a group of enthusiasts coordinated by Rob Capers.


The Mail must get through

We start at Portland [KPDX] – because period-correct Swan Island Airport was shut down and replaced in the later 1930s. We continue by landing at “intermediate landing fields” Troutdale [KTTD, P-S 01], Cascade Locks [P-S 04], The Dalles [KDLS, P-S 07B], Rufus [P-S 09B], Arlington [1S8, P-S 12], and Umatilla [P-S 17]. Our destination is Pasco [KPSC]. Pilots would normally fly this in one leg, stopping only when required by weather or mechanical failure. The regular mail route continues up to Spokane. Or mail might be transferred at Pasco for Boise and Salt Lake City and thence onto the national east-west route operated by the Postal Service.

We shall fly during daylight and in reasonable weather – so following the Columbia River should pose no navigational challenge. However, the mail pilots flew in whatever weather presented itself and, importantly, through the night. Thus, the routes were prepared with beacon lights (about every 10 miles), at each of which was a large painted arrow pointing to the next waypoint. Thus, in poor weather and after nightfall, pilots could get their directions and head to the next beacon to work their way over the terrain ten miles at a time. And along the lower Columbia Gorge, which was often covered in low clouds or fog, the route also had colored lights to the north and south on the river canyon walls. The Arrows Across America team have modeled these beacon towers in some detail. Our designated route follows the beacon towers and not the river itself. Thus, we can try to follow the “poor weather/nighttime” navigation practices – for educational and entertainment purposes. Of course, we have available more modern navigation backups to get us out of trouble if necessary.

Documentation
The flightplan can be found here. In addition, Little Navmap users can import [Userpoints|Import CSV] a waypoints file “AOA_Little_Navmap_Userpoints.csv” that is supplied in the scenery package. These user points show details on our route (including the colored beacons) as well as the other CAM routes in the package.

Aircraft
Our goal is to fly low-and-slow over the Airmail route to capture some of the flavor of early aviation. Probably ideal would be the Boeing Stearman PT-17 and the DH.82 Tiger Moth. We want to fly at something like 85-90 kts. (The Curtiss JN-4 flew airmail a few years earlier – but is not especially good for our event. It is too slow.) If you prefer something other than the Stearman or Tiger Moth, there are very many options that will do the job very nicely. Please fly what you like.

If you choose the Stearman, you might like the package of six Varney Air Mail liveries by Megadyptes. Of course Varney did not fly the Stearman trainer. But it did fly open-cockpit biplanes, including the Stearman C2B and C4. (I’ll choose a Stearman in the yellow-tipped livery normally allocated to aircraft flying CAM 5.)

Additional Scenery
Required for this flight is the newly updated “Arrows Across America” scenery and route maps. Rob Capers and the team have done all the work for our excursion. Loads of thanks (and kudos) to the team for their wonderful creation.

The authors suggest that we temporarily disable Puffin’s We Love VFR in order to reduce conflicts. (Note also, the current package disables airport services not only for these airports but for others as well. You might deactivate the Arrows Across America scenery when not flying the airmail.)

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 11:00 am local for December 31, 2022.
We typically prefer real weather. Part of the fun will be flying in winter weather. It is unlikely, but surely possible, that the weather will prevent our completing the mission. If necessary, we shall adjust accordingly.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, December 31, 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!

Surprisingly, we are having some friends for dinner... I'll be late or won't make it at all.

Have fun!

31 minutes ago, Viking01 said:

Surprisingly, we are having some friends for dinner... I'll be late or won't make it at all.

Have fun!

Tell them they're not welcome any more and they wont be your friends. Job done. See ya later.