Carpathians Tour

The Carpathian Mountains in Romania

Our journey takes us to the northeastern part of Romania, starting with a flight from Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (LRBS), one of Bucharest's two airports. This airport, named after the Romanian engineer, inventor, aircraft constructor, and early pilot, was Bucharest's sole commercial airport until 1969, when Otopeni Airport (now Henri Coandă International Airport) opened to civilian traffic. Aurel Vlaicu International served as Romania's second-busiest airport and Bucharest's hub for low-cost airlines until March 2012, when it was repurposed as a business airport. Heading north, we make a short stop at the local aeroclub (LRPW) before crossing the Southern Carpathians.  

We overfly Bran Castle. Built by the Saxons in 1377 with a privilege granted by Louis I of Hungary, this castle is a national monument and landmark in Transylvania. Despite its popular association with the myth of Dracula, most historians agree that Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, never lived there. The castle was not under his rule and was not a friendly place for him to visit. While it was once believed that he was imprisoned at Bran Castle after being captured by the Hungarians in 1462, historians now conclude he was held in a fortress in Budapest. Bran Castle is not mentioned in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, and there is no evidence that Stoker ever visited either Transylvania or the castle itself. Furthermore, the castle's description in the novel does not match the actual Bran Castle. The connection between the castle and the Dracula legend is primarily a tourism-driven myth. Stoker's inspiration for the Dracula character was not based solely on the historical figure of Vlad III. During his research on the Transylvania region, Stoker read accounts of Vlad III's atrocities and used the name "Dracula." Still, it is largely due to American cinema that Vlad III is considered the primary inspiration for the character.

Our flight continues to Brașov in the Transylvania region, where we land at Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (LRBV). Opened on June 15, 2023, this is Romania's first new airport in 50 years and the 17th commercial airport in the country. It also serves as a NATO-APOD (Aerial Port of Debarkation) base, with plans for expansion to become one of Europe's main airbases, coinciding with the construction of Europe's largest NATO base at the RoAF 57th Air Base. We cross the mountains again to reach Boboc (LR82), which is also the location of the Boboc airbase (LRBO).

Continuing north, we land at Bacău (LRBC). Bacău's air traffic control center is one of Europe's busiest, managing transiting flights between the Middle and Near East, South Asia, and Europe and across the Atlantic. Our next landing further north is at Salcea (LRSV), an airport that was extended with a new runway in 2015. After crossing the Carpathian Mountains once more, we arrive at Remetea (LRHR). Following the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, the village and its surrounding area became part of Romania, having previously been a part of Hungary. It was located within Ciuc County during the interwar period. In 1940, the Second Vienna Award granted Northern Transylvania to Hungary, and the villages were held by Hungary until 1944. After Soviet occupation, the Romanian administration returned, and the commune officially became part of Romania in 1947. Between 1952 and 1960, the commune was within the Magyar Autonomous Region, and from 1960 to 1968, it was part of the Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region. In 1968, the province was abolished, and the commune has been part of Harghita County ever since.

Our next stop is Baia Mare (LRBM). On January 30, 2000, Baia Mare was the site of what is considered Europe's worst ecological disaster since Chernobyl. At the gold mining company Aurul, a joint venture between the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration and the Romanian government, a tailing dam at the gold processing plant broke. This released 100,000 cubic meters (approximately 3,531,467 cubic feet) of toxic cyanide and heavy metal-laced wastewater into the River Tisza, which then flowed into Hungary and the Danube. The contamination affected Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, and Bulgaria. The disaster killed more than 1,400 tons of fish, numerous eagles, storks, and otters. Scientists fear the release may have led to the ultimate extinction of at least five fish species. Despite the accident occurring in Romania, many of the adverse effects were suffered in Hungary. In response, Hungary banned the use of cyanide in gold processing and urged the rest of Europe to do the same. Since 2013, a local Romanian businessman, Daniel Boldor, has been operating out of the CUPROM mine and refinery outside Baia Mare. He sells what he claims are "under-extracted ore concentrate" shipments to international metal traders in China, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States. However, based on claims that this material was, in fact, worthless mining sludge, the public prosecutor's office in Constanța filed an indictment against Boldor in June 2018 on charges of money laundering, customs fraud, document forgery, the collection and transport of hazardous waste, and tax evasion.

Finally, we head south, make a short visit to Apuseni National Park, and conclude our flight in Cluj-Napoca (LRCL). The second-most populous city in the country, Cluj-Napoca, is one of Romania's most important academic, cultural, industrial, and business centers in the early 21st century. It is home to the country's largest university, Babeș-Bolyai University, with its botanical garden, nationally renowned cultural institutions such as the National Theatre and Opera, and the largest Romanian-owned commercial bank.

Our flight covers 590 miles and includes nine landings. We want to be fast, cruising at about 350 knots. I will be in the PC-21, please fly what you like.

The flight plans are here.

Recommended scenery:

LRBO Boboc

LRBC Bacau

LRHR Remetea

LRSV Salcea

LRBM Baia Mare

LRSM Satu Mare

LROV Brasov

LRCL Cluj

LRPW Aeroclub

Bran Castle

The complete package is here.

We try real weather. Please set your simulator for a 2 PM departure.

Multiplayer Particulars:

Date and time: Sunday, March 30, 2025. 1600 UTC

Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.

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). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!