Flying the Line
(KSYR-KDCA)
For February 4, 2023
Michael MacKuen

Today we shall toast commercial aviation from late 1930s through the early 1950s, the days in which the US airline industry matured into an economically viable enterprise. A key technical invention here was the Douglas DC-3 whose size, speed, range, and all-weather capability made it possible for the first time that commercial carriers could make money on passengers alone. Prior to this time, the airlines depended on the US Government subsidies for Air Mail and flying was limited to the wealthy and brave. Afterwards, flying became part of everyday life.



We salute this transformation with a DC-3 flight from upstate New York to Washington, D.C. From Syracuse [KSYR] we head south along a segment of the AM-21 popularized in Ernest Gann’s great book Fate is the Hunter (here). (Along with St.-Exupéry, Gann is aviation’s best writer.) We land at Wilkes-Barre [KAYP] and then continue over the Poconos to New York LaGuardia [KLGA]. After coffee and bagels, we proceed south, passing the Manhattan skyline, to Philadelphia [KPHL]. Finally, we follow the route of I-95 through the Baltimore-Washington conurbation and then reach our destination at Washington National Airport [KDCA]. For the final stop, we fly the RWY 19 River Visual Approach from near the American Legion Bridge [2000] and follow the Potomac River passing the Key Bridge [KEY] (Georgetown on the left, Roselyn on the right), Memorial Bridge [MEMO] (Lincoln Memorial, the Mall, and the US Capitol on the left and then the Pentagon on the right), and the 14^th Street Bridge [400] (Jefferson Memorial on the left) where we make a sharp turn to the south to land on Rwy 19 at National. Let us meet at the original 1941 Art Deco building of Terminal A (Default Airport parking 68-72) (Drzewiecki Airport parking 1-4).

If we have some free time after the flight, we can jump into light planes or helicopters for a quick tour led by our own resident guide.

Documentation
The flightplan can be found here. A version of the DCA RWY 19 River Visual chart is also included as a pdf file.

Aircraft
This event is set up for the Aeroplane Heaven DC-3 freely available in the default MFS. You probably want one of two “modifications” for the default model. The Microsoft DC-3 Realism Mod (by MGouge425) is excellent. It concentrates on the flight model and seems to produce a real improvement. Highly recommended. And the Duckworks DC-3 (by Imenes) is a much more ambitious effort. It does a fine job on the basic flight model. But it also adds many more realism modifications that make it attractive for those who want to spend a little time with the more in-depth systems modeling.

The DC-3 comes in two “flavors”: Classic and Retrofit. The Classic has a period-appropriate Sperry autopilot and no GPS. The Retrofit has both a standard autopilot and a GPS. The Classic takes a little more time to learn and can be rewarding for the aviation-history-minded pilot. The Retrofit (GPS) provides the modern pilot with a more comfortable operational environment.

For fun, you might choose an historic livery. Choices include American, Braniff, Capital, Delta, Eastern, Northeast, Piedmont, Pan American, TWA, and even CPAir. (For a full set, see the Flightsim.to collection.) Note that most liveries have separate versions for the Classic and the Retrofit (GPS) model. A few have only a Classic livery option. Please be sure to let everyone know which airline and which “flavor” livery you will be flying. (You don’t want to ask others to download and install two liveries for your plane.) For personal family reasons, I’ll choose the TWA livery.

The DC-3 can “fast cruise” at about 180 kts. If the DC-3 is not to your taste, then please pick another aircraft and come along for the fun. Please fly what you like.

Additional Scenery
The airports are in the simulator. You might like a few addon airport sceneries to improve the sense of “being there.”

Wilkes-Barre [KAVP]. Automater. 194mb
LaGuardia Full Airport [KLGA]. Danielsjam. 45mb
Philadelphia International [KPHL]. Starseed. 689kb

You can find a compilation temporarily available here.

Finally, there is one payware scenery that I highly recommend. This is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) by Drzewiecki Design. It is one of the better high quality airports with lots of nice touches inside and out. You can get it at Simmarket, Justflight, and Orbx. (In addition, there are payware sceneries for LaGuardia and Syracuse.)

If you have SamScene New York City and Drzewiecki Washington DC Landmarks, then use them. Same for the freeware George Washington Bridge and the Verrazzano Bridge.

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 12:00 pm local for February 4, 2023.
We typically prefer real weather. For this flight in particular, let’s try to fly the weather to honor the skilled line pilots who established aviation as a part of our lives. We can handle clouds, snow, rain and wind, but not a full-scale winter storm. We won’t have the time to do multiple “on the beam” approaches. Nor do we have the equipment to safely handle whiteout conditions. [Note that forecasts are uncertain. And this is a mid-winter flight in the US snow belt. If the weather is truly awful, start with “Scattered Clouds” and ground winds at 10kts from 270 degrees. Once we arrive at KLGA, switch to “High Clouds” with default winds.]

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, February 4, 2023. 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!

NOTAM (2023-01-31): The original announcement document above had an incorrect link to the flightplan. It is now correct. (Flightplan here). Thanks, Norm.

Time permitting, Mike has suggested a helo tour of Washington DC landmarks.

DC Helo Tour Flight Plan Link

DC-3 Tutorial Notes for Beginners

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

This event is set up for the Aeroplane Heaven DC-3 freely available in the default MFS.

Again, you probably want one of two “modifications” for the default model. The Microsoft DC-3 Realism Mod (by MGouge425) is excellent. It concentrates on the flight model and seems to produce a real improvement. Highly recommended. And the Duckworks DC-3 (by Imenes) is a much more ambitious effort. It does a fine job on the basic flight model. But it also adds many more realism modifications that make it attractive for those who want to spend a little time with the more in-depth systems modeling. (The new pilot might prefer the MGouge425 modification for its simplicity. Or the new pilot might use the Duckworks mod but start on the runway, thereby skipping the complicated realistic startup procedures. There are advantages to each modification.)

If you are using the Duckworks mod, then the keystroke 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 the default and for the MGouge425 mod, the “high blowers” (second-stage superchargers) come on automatically near 10,000 ft.  The Duckworks pilot will need set the high blowers manually. 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. (That said, the Duckworks pilot has more control over the implementation.)

My main practical advice (beyond Beckett’s) would be to be sure to balance the aircraft before takeoff. Check the balance in the weight and balance part of the MFS fuel panel. For our flights, you might fill the main tanks and partially empty the reserve tanks. Then adjust the payload to keep the center of gravity centered or a bit forward. (The initial payload will vary by which “modification” you are using. Add or subtract passengers’ weight to balance the aircraft properly. Many combinations of fuel and passengers will do well enough. But beware of having the aircraft decisively nose- or tail-heavy.)