Southern India - Part I

[Viking01 183]

This is the first of some flights in India!

We depart from Tiruchirappalli (VOTR) in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The city is credited with being the best livable city, the cleanest city in Tamil Nadu, as well as the fifth safest city for women in India. It is the fourth largest city as well as the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state.  The city occupies an area of 167.23 square kilometers (64.57 sq mi) and had a population of 916,857 in 2011. It is an important educational center in the state of Tamil Nadu, and houses nationally recognized institutions such as the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Tamil Nadu National Law University (NLU), Government Medical College. The presence of a large number of energy equipment manufacturing units in and around the city has earned it the title of "Energy Equipment and Fabrication Capital of India". Tiruchirappalli is internationally known for a brand of cheroot known as the Trichinopoly cigar, which was exported in large quantities to the United Kingdom during the 19th century. A major road and railway hub in the state, the city is served by the Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) which operates direct flights to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

We head southwest and reach our first landing, Madurai (VOMD). It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. Located on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and has a documented history of more than 2500 years. It is often referred to as "Thoonga Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps". Madurai is closely associated with the Tamil language. The third Tamil Sangam, a major congregation of Tamil scholars, is said to have been held in the city. The city has several historical monuments, with the Koodal Azhagar Temple, Meenakshi Temple, and the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal being the most prominent. Madurai is an important industrial and educational hub in South Tamil Nadu. The city is home to various automobile, rubber, chemical, and granite manufacturing industries.

We continue south and reach Thoothukudi (VOTK), an important port in the Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is known as "Pearl City" due to the pearl fishing carried out in the town. It is a commercial seaport that serves the inland cities of southern India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the major seaports in India, with a history dating back to the 6th century CE.

Turning west we arrive at Thiruvananthapuram (VOTV) in the Indian State of Kerala. The city was formerly known as Trivandrum and is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills. Being India's largest city in the deep south, it is strategically prominent and hosts the Southern Air Command headquarters of the Indian Air Force, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, and the upcoming Vizhinjam International Seaport.

Now we head north and arrive in Cochin (VOCI). The city is now called Kochi and Nicknamed the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Kochi was an important spice trading center on the west coast of India from antiquity. The port of Muziris traded with the Romans, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese. From 1503 to 1663, the Portuguese established a colony in Fort Kochi (Fort Emmanuel), before being taken by the Dutch in 1663. The Dutch then ceded the area to the United Kingdom. Kochi remained under the control of the Kingdom of Cochin, which became a princely state of the British. Today, Kochi has been described as the financial, commercial, and industrial capital of Kerala. Kochi is the only city in the country to have a water metro system, which has been described as the world's largest electric boat metro transportation infrastructure. The Cochin International Airport is the first in the world to operate solely on solar energy. Kochi's rich cultural heritage has made it a popular tourist destination among both domestic and international travelers.

We leave the coast and reach Coimbatore (VOCB). We are back in the state of Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore was ranked the best-emerging city in India by India Today in the 2014 annual survey, fourth among Indian cities in investment climate by Confederation of Indian Industry, and 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons. Coimbatore has been selected as one of the Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under the Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT by the Government of India. Coimbatore regularly features among the top ten best cities to live in India and is amongst the safest cities in India for women according to a National Crime Records Bureau report in 2015.

Documentation: The flight plans are available here.

Aircraft: The flight has 414 miles and 4 landings. We want to be fast, cruising at about 250 knots. I will be in the CJ4, please fly what you like.

Additional scenery:

There are 6 freeware add-ons available:

https://flightsim.to/file/36258/voci-cochin-international-airport

https://flightsim.to/file/43660/coimbatore-international-airport-vocb

https://flightsim.to/file/47469/votr-trichy-tiruchirapalli

https://flightsim.to/file/47657/votk-tuticorin

https://flightsim.to/file/46350/votv

https://flightsim.to/file/45747/vomd-madurai

The complete package is available here. These add-ons enhance the default sceneries a bit and are not required for this flight.

On every flight in India I experienced very hazy conditions. I suggest to use a weather preset. Please set your simulator for a 4:00 pm departure.

 

These flights are events 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!

[Viking01 183]

As of today, there is an update available at flightsim.to for the Cochin Airport (VOCI).