Pakistan, India, and the Himalayas

Today we visit the northeast of Pakistan and India and the Himalayas.

We depart from Lahore’s International Airport (OPLA). Lahore is the capital and largest city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the second-largest city in Pakistan with a population of about 13 million people. Lahore reached the height of its splendor under the Mughal Empire between the late 16th and early 18th centuries and also served as its capital city between 1586 and 1598. During this period, it was one of the largest cities in the world. The city was captured and looted by the forces of the Persian Afsharid ruler Nader Shah in 1739. Although Mughal authority was briefly re-established, it fell into a period of decline and nominal control with frequent raids and invasions by Afghans and Marathas. After the official end of Mughal rule and the Afghan–Maratha War in Punjab, the city became heavily contested among the Afghans and the local Punjabi states between 1748 and 1798. The Afghans were eventually driven out of Punjab, thus Lahore became the capital of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century, regaining some of its lost grandeur. In the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, Punjab was annexed by the East India Company in 1849 and Lahore became the capital of British Punjab. Lahore was central to the independence movements of India and Pakistan, with the city being the site of both the Declaration of Indian Independence and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan. It experienced some of the worst rioting during the partition period, preceding Pakistan's independence. Following the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, Lahore served as the capital of West Punjab from 1947 to 1955, and of West Pakistan from 1955 to 1970.

We head east and overfly Amritsar, the second-largest city of the Indian State of Punjab. Amritsar is the economic capital of Punjab. It is a major tourist center with nearly a hundred thousand daily visitors. The city is home to the Golden Temple, one of Sikhisms most spiritually significant and most-visited gurudwaras. The city is known for Amritsari food, wooden chessboards, and the manufacturing of chess pieces. Amritsar was a center of unrest in the late 20th century. In the 1980s, Sikh militants occupied the Golden Temple there. Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, ordered Operation Blue Star (1 – 6 June 1984), an Indian military operation to remove the militants from the temple. The operation was carried out by Indian army troops equipped with tanks and armored vehicles. While militarily successful, the operation aroused immense controversy. The government's justification for the timing and style of the attack are hotly debated. Official reports put the number of deaths among the Indian army at 83, with 493 civilians and Sikh militants killed. While independent estimates place the numbers upwards of 5,000 people, a majority of them pilgrims, including women and children. In addition, the CBI is considered responsible for seizing historical artifacts and manuscripts in the Sikh Reference Library before burning them down. Four months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in what is viewed as an act of vengeance. Following her assassination, more than 17,000 Sikhs were killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. We overfly the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism. The man-made pool on the site of the temple was completed in 1577. The Gurdwara was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it became a target of persecution and was destroyed several times by the Mughal and invading Afghan armies. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809 and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830. This has led to the name the Golden Temple.

We head back into Pakistan and land at Sialkot (OPST). The city has been noted for its entrepreneurial spirit and productive business climate, making Sialkot an example of a small Pakistani city that has emerged as a "world-class manufacturing hub." The relatively small city exported approximately $2.5 billion of goods in 2017, about 10% of Pakistan's total exports. The city has been labeled as the Football manufacturing capital of the World, producing over 70% of all footballs manufactured worldwide. Sialkot is also home to the Sialkot International Airport; Pakistan's first privately owned public airport.

We head east and cross the border with India again to land at Jammu (VIJU), in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir,  an Indian-administered union territory. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, it is surrounded by the Himalayas in the north and the northern plains in the south. Jammu is the second-most populous city of the union territory. Jammu is known as the "City of Temples" for its ancient temples and Hindu shrines.

Now we turn north and cross the mountains. On the way, we pass the point where the highest rail and the highest arch bridge span over the Chenab River at a height of 1178 feet AGL. Unfortunately, the bridge is missing in MSFS, probably because it was finished in August 2022. We continue and land at Srinagar (VISR), India. It is the largest city and summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The city is known for its natural environment, various gardens, waterfronts, and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like the Kashmir shawl(made of pashmina and cashmere wool), paper-mâché, wood carving, carpet weaving, and jewel making, as well as for dried fruits. It is the second-largest metropolitan area in the Himalayas (after Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal). The city became a popular tourist destination among Europeans and Indian elites around 1846, with several hotels and its iconic houseboats being built. It was the flashpoint of violence during the 1990s and early 2000s insurgency in the region. In 2019, it became the summer capital of a smaller region administered by India as a union territory, after the former state's reorganization.

We head east, cross the Himalayas again, and land at Leh (VILH). It is the largest city and the joint capital of Ladakh. It was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh. The seat of the kingdom, Leh Palace, the former residence of the royal family of Ladakh, was built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. After departure, we head northwest and finish the flight at Skardu (OPSD), Pakistan. Skardu serves as the capital of Skardu District and the Baltistan Division. It is an important gateway to the eight-thousanders of the nearby Karakoram mountain range. The Indus River running through the region separates the Karakoram from the Ladakh Range.

The flight has a length of about 450 miles and 3 landings. At some parts of the flight, we need to climb to about 20.000 feet. We want to cruise at about 280 to 300 knots, so we can choose between Warbirds, the King Air, or the PC-12 and others. Small jets are also suitable. I will probably be in the Azurpoly C-160 Transall. As always, please fly what you like.

The flight plans are here.

Recommended scenery:

VIJU: https://flightsim.to/file/47248/viju-jammu-airport-wip

OPST: https://flightsim.to/file/81366/sialkot-international-airpport

OPLA: https://flightsim.to/file/37725/opla-allama-iqbal-intl-airport-pakistan

VISR: https://flightsim.to/file/12163/sheikh-ul-alam-international-airport-srinagar-india

VIH: https://flightsim.to/file/4551/vilh-leh

OPSD: https://flightsim.to/file/36145/skardu-intl-airport-opsd

The complete package is available here.

With real weather selected, we will get severe fog in the lower part of the flight, and snow at the Himalayas. I suggest selecting “Few clouds” or any preset with high clouds. Please set your simulator for a 10 am local departure-

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Sunday, November 17, 2024. 1700 UTC
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.
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