To stay, at least, virtually current I benefit from IVAO ATC at Nantes tower and Nantes Approach. Objective: make a short VFR hops between Nantes (LFRS) and La Baule (LFRE)* I took the WB-Sim C172 and enjoy the real weather and time, here in France. *Free scenery : https://flightsim.to/file/960/lfre-la-baule-escoublac

Skydemon (iPad) + or - planned route and GPS track:

Leaving Nantes LFRS, Loire river on my right:

There's a slight rain in front of us. Easy to get thru and my plan B is to avoid by the south or north. Two option worked:

Light effects are still unbelievable in MSFS:

Passing the bridge of St-Nazaire:

And finally getting thru the light rain;

Nantes Approach/SIV gave me wind and runway "in use", then I joined the left downwind for runway 11, doing my best to avoid villages (pic from iPad Skydemon):

La Baule Bay and the swamp of Guérande on my upper right:

As expected, south crosswind on runway 11:

... confirmed by the windsock once runway vaccated:

Parked ready to refuel and find a place for the night:

Awesome free scenery:https://flightsim.to/file/960/lfre-la-baule-escoublac

Edited December 25, 20223 yr by vbazillio

Just wondering, in France it's 1000ft AGL min when flying over cities and 500ft AGL min when outside cities, or is it higher limits? 

Edited December 25, 20223 yr by bendead

3 hours ago, bendead said:

Just wondering, in France it's 1000ft AGL min when flying over cities and 500ft AGL min when outside cities, or is it higher limits? 

Yep, more or less the same. 500 ft above obstacles (radius 150 meters) plus specific altitude restriction based the size of the urban area : default 1'000 ft, 1'700 ft when with is 1200 meters, 3'300 ft for average and 5'000 ft when the area is bigger than 3600 meters large)

Thanks for the info Vincent

I used to fly orbit around the Auckland Sky Tower during my PPL night training at 1000ft.

It was the limit no matter the size of the city, was quite a sight and your post really makes me want to do some MSFS VFR flights, just waiting for the A2A Comanche and NZ world update.

By the way, did you do some RL flight in the US, around Nevada, like a decade ago? I remember seeing some video, not sure if it was you or not

Edited December 25, 20223 yr by bendead

18 minutes ago, bendead said:

By the way, did you do some RL flight in the US, around Nevada, like a decade ago? I remember seeing some video, not sure if it was you or not

Yep, it could be me 🙂 I’m still a member of a San Diego flying club. My big last fly trip was in 2019 : https://youtu.be/KZDgJgKgT0o

25 minutes ago, bendead said:

I used to fly orbit around the Auckland Sky Tower during my PPL night training at 1000ft

Lucky you are! Here in Paris, the whole center of the city is prohibited area. That’s why I love flying in US.

Interesting flight.  Great pics!

6 minutes ago, vbazillio said:

Yep, it could be me 🙂 I’m still a member of a San Diego flying club. My big last fly trip was in 2019 : https://youtu.be/KZDgJgKgT0o

Awesome 👍😉