The Azores

[Viking01 183]

Today we will visit the Azore Islands.

The islands are one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km (870 mi) west of Lisbon, about 1,500 km (930 mi) northwest of Morocco, and about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. Its main industries are agriculture, dairy farming, livestock, fishing, and tourism, which has become a major service activity in the region. In the 20th century and to some extent into the 21st, they have served as a waypoint for refueling aircraft flying between Europe and North America. The government of the Azores employs a large percentage of the population directly or indirectly in the service and tertiary sectors. The largest city of the Azores is Ponta Delgada. The culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions of the Azorean islands vary considerably because these remote islands were settled sporadically for two centuries. There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the center; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas islets to the east. They extend for more than 600 km (370 mi) and lie in a northwest-southeast direction. All of the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity in the time since the islands were settled several centuries ago. Mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft). If measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, the Azores are among the tallest mountains on the planet. The Azores are located at the seismically active Azores Triple Junction plate boundary where the North American Plate, Eurasian Plate, and Nubian Plate meet. The climate of the Azores is very mild for such a northerly location, being influenced by its distance from the continents and by the passing Gulf Stream. Because of the marine influence, temperatures remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 16 and 25 °C (61 and 77 °F) depending on season. Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) or below 3 °C (37 °F) are unknown in the major population centers. It is also generally wet and cloudy.

We depart from Santa Maria (LPAZ) on the island with the same name. The island is known for its white sand beaches, distinctive chimneys, and dry warm weather. We overfly the island and the village Vila do Porto, an Asobo POI. We head north for about 50 miles and reach the island of São Miguel, nicknamed "The Green Island" (Ilha Verde). It is the largest and most populous island of the Azores. The island covers 760 km2 (290 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago's largest city.

We fly over the island and visit 2 further POIs before landing at Ponta Delgada (LPPD). After departure, we overfly the northern part of the island and head northeast to reach the island of Terceira. Terceira is the location of the Azores' oldest city, Angra do Heroísmo, the historical capital of the archipelago and UNESCO World Heritage Site; the seat of the judicial system (Supreme Court); and the main Air Force base, Base Aérea nº 4 at Lajes, with a United States Air Force detachment. The island has two main seaports, one at Angra do Heroísmo and the other at Praia da Vitória, and a commercial airport integrated with the flight operations at Base Aérea nº 4. We land at Lajes (LPLA).

We cross over the island and continue towards the island of Graciosa, also referred to as the White Island. It is a volcanic island and the northernmost of the Central Group of islands in the Azores archipelago. The ovular Portuguese island has an area of 60.65 square kilometers (23.42 square miles), a length of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), and a width of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles). Its landscape is dominated by a 1.6-kilometer-wide (1.0-mile) central caldera (the Caldeira) located in the southeast. We land at the Aeroporto De Graciosa (LPGR).

We turn southeast and reach São Jorge. Separated from its nearest neighbors (Pico and Faial islands) by the 15-kilometer (9.3 mi) Pico-São Jorge Channel, the central group is often referred to colloquially as part of the Triângulo ("Triangle") group or just "The Triangle". São Jorge is a relatively long thin island with tall cliffs, whose 8,381 inhabitants are concentrated on various geological debris fields (fajãs) along the north and south coasts; from east to west, the island is 53 kilometers (33 mi) long and, north to south, 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) wide: its area is 237.59 square kilometers (91.73 sq mi). We land at the Aeroporto De São Jorge (LPSJ).

The next island on this flight is Pico Island. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the tradition of the Portuguese poet, Raul Brandão, Pico is referred to as the Ilha Preta ("Black Island"), for its black volcanic soils, which nourish its UNESCO-designated vineyards that once allowed the development of the island's economy. Pico is the second largest and, geologically speaking, the most recently formed island of the Azores, being around 300,000 years old. We land at Pico Airport (LPPI) and head over to the island of Faial.

The island can be considered (from a geophysical perspective) the westernmost point of Europe (the two islands west of Faial, Flores, and Corvo, are already on the American plate). The island is shaped as an irregular pentagon, that occupies an area of approximately 173 square kilometers (67 sq mi) and is formed along a leaky transform fault extending from the mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Hirondelle faults. This is the same fault that bisects the remainder of the Central Group of islands along a west-northwest to east-southeast orientation. Although formed by complex volcanological events, the current landmass is dominated by the crater of its central stratovolcano with relatively gently sloping flanks, showing little sign of major erosion. We end the flight at Horta (LPHR).

 

The flight has 310 miles and 5 landings. I will probably be in the BlackSquare King Air. As always, please fly what you like.

The flight plans are here.

 

There are six add-ons available:

https://flightsim.to/file/41864/lpgr-graciosa-airport-azores-archipelago

https://flightsim.to/file/40790/lpsj-so-jorge-airport-azores-archipelago

https://flightsim.to/file/19213/low-budget-lphr-faial-azores-upgraded-default

https://flightsim.to/file/42151/lpaz-santa-maria-airport-azores-archipelago

https://flightsim.to/file/28648/etm9-enhanced-terrain-mesh-9m-for-azores-archipelago-san-miguel-island

https://flightsim.to/file/14230/azores-pico-faial-improvements

For a limited time, the complete package is here.

 Additionally, as payware, LPHR is available from MM Simulations and LPPD from MK Studios, both via ORBX. From SeaFront Simulations you can get a “Vessels Azore” Add-on, also via ORBX.

 

We try real weather. Please set your simulator for a 6:15 am departure. (Yes, we do start early!)

 

These flights are also posted at DigitalThemePark and use DTP's Teamspeak Channel for communication.

 

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Please be kind enough to enter the title exactly as it stands in the title=”xxx” line of the aircraft.cfg file. Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

 

[G550flyer 1,014]

Reminds me of all those times I dropped into LPLA. Crosswinds were always a blast there. The one time I ever saw calm winds at Lajes, I lost the #3 engine at 1000FT. Was stuck there for New Years, but partied at the Top of the Rock club🤣.