This is part II of our flight around Germany, visiting the new WU 18 POI.

For the second flight, we depart from Cottbus (EDAP). 12 miles further southeast we reach the Rakotz Bridge. This bridge has been featured on one of the loading screens since WU18. With its reflection, the bridge forms a complete circle. From the video, you can imagine that it is really hard to see in the simulator. We reach the river Elbe and the well-known Elb Sandstone Mountains. One of the main attractions is the Bastei Bridge, which connects many prominent formations of the mountains. We overfly Dresden with its two prominent churches, the Frauenkirche and the Catholic Church. We land at the International Airport (EDDC).

Now We head northwest and land at Gohlis (EDAU). About 35 miles west we overfly the Monument to the Battle of Nations. This monument commemorates the defeat of Napoleon‘s French Army at Leipzig in 1819, which was a crucial step towards the end of the hostilities. It was erected in 1919 and was funded by donations from Leipzig. We land at Leipzig/Halle Airport (EDDP). Leipzig Airport is a major hub for Cargo flights in Germany. And one of only 4 airports that allow 24-hour take-off and landings. Leipzig has been a trade city since at least the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The city sits at the intersection of the Via Regia and the Via Imperii, two important medieval trade routes. Leipzig's trade fair dates to 1190. Between 1764 and 1945, the city was a center of publishing. After the Second World War and during the period of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) Leipzig remained a major urban center in East Germany, but its cultural and economic importance declined. Events in Leipzig in 1989 played a significant role in precipitating the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, mainly through demonstrations starting from St. Nicholas Church. The immediate effects of the reunification of Germany included the collapse of the local economy (which had come to depend on highly polluting heavy industry), severe unemployment, and urban blight. By the early 2000s, the trend had reversed, and since then Leipzig has undergone some significant changes, including urban and economic rejuvenation, and modernization of the transport infrastructure. Leipzig is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe (Leipzig University). It is the main seat of the German National Library (the second is Frankfurt), the seat of the German Music Archive, as well as of the German Federal Administrative Court.

From here we head south and land at Schongleina (EDBJ). 26 miles west we arrive at Erfurt International Airport (EDDE). Before landing we fly over to the Cathedral and the city of Erfurt. Erfurt is the capital city of the state of Thuringia. Erfurt's old town is one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in Germany. Tourist attractions include the Merchants' Bridge (Krämerbrücke), the Old Synagogue (Alte Synagoge), the oldest in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cathedral Hill (Domberg) with the ensemble of Erfurt Cathedral (Erfurter Dom) and St Severus' Church (Severikirche) and Petersberg Citadel (Zitadelle Petersberg), one of the largest and best-preserved town fortresses in Central Europe. The city's economy is based on agriculture, horticulture, and microelectronics. Its central location has made it a logistics hub for Germany and central Europe. Erfurt hosts the second-largest trade fair in eastern Germany (after Leipzig). The city is on the Via Regia, a medieval trade and pilgrims' road network. Modern Erfurt is also a hub for ICE high-speed trains and other German and European transport networks. Erfurt was first mentioned in 742 when Saint Boniface founded the diocese. Although the town did not belong to any of the Thuringian states politically, it quickly became the economic center of the region and was a member of the Hanseatic League. It was part of the Electorate of Mainz during the Holy Roman Empire and became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1802. From 1949 until 1990 Erfurt was part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The University of Erfurt was founded in 1379, making it the first university to be established within the geographic area that constitutes modern Germany. It closed in 1816 and was re-established in 1994. Martin Luther (1483–1546) was its most famous student, studying there from 1501 before entering St Augustine's Monastery in 1505.

Before we reach Bamberg AAF (EDQA) we land at Rudolfstadt (EDOK) and Coburg (EDQC). The family of the ruling House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married several of the royal families of Europe, most notably in the person of Prince Albert, who married Queen Victoria in 1840. The family played many varied roles in the dynastic and political history of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the early part of the 20th century, before the First World War, it was the family of the sovereigns of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, and Bulgaria. In 1910, the Portuguese king was deposed, and the same thing occurred in Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1918 and in Bulgaria in 1946. As of 2024, a branch of the family still reigns in Belgium. The former Tsar of Bulgaria, Simeon II (reigned 1943–46), kept his surname while serving as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005. As a result of these close links with the royal houses of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Coburg was frequently visited by the crowned heads of Europe and their families. Coburg is the location of the Veste Coburg, one of Germany's largest castles. Today, Coburg's population is close to 41,500. Since it was only a little damaged in World War II, Coburg retains many historic buildings, making it a popular tourist destination.

The town of Bamberg dates back to the 9th century when its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. Cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and buildings, the old town of Bamberg with around 2,400 timber houses has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. From the 10th century onwards, Bamberg became a key link with the Slav peoples, notably those of Poland and Pomerania. It experienced a period of great prosperity from the 12th century onwards, during which time it was briefly the center of the Holy Roman Empire. From the middle of the 13th century onwards, the bishops were princes of the Empire and ruled Bamberg, overseeing the construction of monumental buildings. This growth was complemented by the obtaining of large portions of the estates of the Counts of Meran in 1248 and 1260 by the sea, partly through purchase and partly through the appropriation of extinguished fiefs. Bamberg lost its independence in 1802, following the secularization of church lands, becoming part of Bavaria in 1803. The town was first connected to the German rail system in 1844, which has been an important part of its infrastructure ever since. After a communist uprising took control over Bavaria in the years following World War I, the state government fled to Bamberg and stayed there for almost two years before the Bavarian capital of Munich was retaken by Freikorps units (see Bavarian Soviet Republic). The first republican constitution of Bavaria was passed in Bamberg, becoming known as the Bamberger Verfassung (Bamberg Constitution). Following the Second World War, Bamberg was an important base for the Bavarian, German, and then American military stationed at Warner Barracks, until closing in 2014. After departure, we overfly the Altenburg Castle. The first mention of the Altenburg was in 1109, although it is likely that it was built on the spot of an earlier palisade castle. It first served as what is known in German as a "Fliehburg". This is a castle that was not regularly inhabited but served mainly for city defense as a place where residents could flee to in times of danger. In 1251, the Bamberg "Fürstbischöfe," the sovereign bishops of Bamberg, acquired the castle. From 1305 to 1553, it was the residence of the bishops. In 1553, during the Second Margrave War, the army of Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, burned the castle down. Afterward, the castle was used as a prison for a while. In 1801, the Bamberg physician Adalbert Friedrich Marcus acquired the decaying castle and restored it from the ground up. The author E. T. A. Hoffmann, who was friends with Marcus, felt so drawn to the castle that he frequently stayed for a long time in one of the wall towers during the years 1808 to 1813. Now we head for today‘s destination, Würzburg. We overfly the city and the Würzburg Residence and land Schenkenturm (EDFW).

Würzburg is famous for its partly rebuilt and reconstructed old town and its Würzburger Residenz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interiors considered masterworks of Baroque/Rococo or Neoclassical architecture and art include the grand staircase, the chapel, and the Imperial Hall. Napoleon reportedly called the building the "largest parsonage in Europe". It was heavily damaged by the Allied bombing during World War II, and restoration has been in progress since 1945. Since 1981, the Residence has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its outstanding Baroque art, design, and architecture.

The flight is 310 miles long and has 8 landings. Any GA plane is suitable. I will be in the A2A Comanche again. Please fly what you like.

The flight plans are here.

Recommended scenery:

EDDC: https://flightsim.to/file/3062/dresden-international-airport-eddc-enhancement

EDDP: https://flightsim.to/file/7378/eddp-leipzig-halle-airport-enhancement

EDBJ: https://flightsim.to/file/22895/edbj-jena-schngleina-0-5

EDDE: https://flightsim.to/file/3051/edde-erfurt-airport-enhancement

EDOK: https://flightsim.to/file/77879/rudolstadt-groschwitz-airfield-edok

EDQC: https://flightsim.to/file/35495/edqc-coburg-brandensteinsebene

EDQA: https://flightsim.to/file/14489/edqa-bamberg-breitenau

EDFW: https://flightsim.to/file/10004/edfw-wurzburg-schenkenturm

EDDP is also available as payware from ORBX

For a limited time, the complete package is available here.

Time and Weather
Please set the simulator at 11:00 am local for October 19, 2024. We try real weather.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, October 19, 2024. 1800 UTC
RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel
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). 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!
 

A quick note about Leipzig (EDDP): The default scenery is pretty good and the freeware enhancement in the package above might interfere with the scenery. I recommend not to use it.