This is a (virtual) trip I've been meaning to do for a while...nearly 1,800 miles straight up north in Central Australia and directly through the heart of the (vast) Australian outback. It is a most forbidding region for both real (or virtual) travelers, such as yours truly...🙂..., due to its harsh climate, seemingly endless arid landscapes, and remoteness from civilization. In our SIMs, since the olden days of Orbx Australia (btw, those ORBX folks were quite passionate about creating SIM renditions for us, of their homeland); we, as virtual (and non-native) visitors of Australia, are quite familiar with the well-populated (and touristy) Gold Coast region located in the southeastern corner of the continent, encompassing the state of Queensland, bordering on New South Wales to the south, but not so much with the land I'm flying over today in my flight. 

For today's flight, I've selected the only Boeing 707 that's (currently) available to me in MSFS2024 (actually it's an MSFS2020 Version, that I've chosen to stream in MSFS2024, despite the prominent (and uninviting) label "UNVERIFIED" on it; but at least, I didn't see it as "Permanently Disabled"...🙂...). Now, please do not get carried away by the (apparent) lack of system (or structural) fidelity of this B707 SIM rendition. Instead, here, think of the legendary Boeing 707 aircraft itself that it symbolizes. After all, the B707 was the first commercially successful jetliner to launch the "Jet Age", as we know it, for mass passenger travel. While earlier commercial jet aircraft existed, the 707 is credited with revolutionizing aviation that made global travel more accessible to the (normal) globe-trotter humans of the day. The B707 (the so-called blueprint for the modern jetliners) laid the groundwork and design principles that inspired a genre of later jetliners, leading to the likes of 727, 737, 747, and even the 757/767. 

I have been always passionate about the B707 since the first day of my engagement in this hobby, so, I certainly wish we had a better version of it, now in MSFS, at least, at the same level as (the glory-days of) Captain Sim era, but, this one here, will have to do for me today, until a more authentic version (hopefully) appears in future.

Join me today, in flying from Adelaide (YPAD) to Darwin (YPDN), from south to north, across lakes, deserts, rivers, mountains, and most notably, the (Red) Desert of Australia, the forbidding (and vast) "Simpson". I am myself a bit familiar with RW encounters with the deserts of Asia and Middle East/Kuwait, but, feature-wise, Simpson Desert is like no other desert of the world. First of all, what struck me most is its characteristic (and unique) "Red" colored topography and long parallel sand dunes (see e.g., my screenshot #13). We know that Australian soil is often red due to the presence of high-concentration of iron oxides, and the Simpson Desert typifies it remarkably, with its deep-red fields of red sand. So, it's different from the "typical" deserts, primarily due to its unique landscape of long, parallel sand dunes. In fact, this desert contains the world's longest parallel sand dunes. It also exhibits the (unlikely) transformation of its arid regions into temporary "wetlands" after floods, quite unlike normal deserts. I flew over large lakes (NOT oases...🙂...) and remnants of (pitiful) dried-up tracts of "ephemeral" rivers which swell up (and even flood the deserts) but only for short periods due to seasonal rains; otherwise, are dry most of the year.

To the northwest of the Simpson Desert (see my EFB MAPs), are the MacDonnell Ranges over which I also passed over today. These low mountains consisting of parallel ridgelines (see a couple of screenshots (#s 16, 17), below), not surprisingly, also appeared red and purple from my vantage point. 

Hope you enjoy this collection of images of my (bold and gutsy...🙂...) Australian adventure today, traversing coast to coast, across the entire width of Central Australia...in the Boeing 707 (VH-XBA), in the (historic) colors of Qantas (airline). I must admit, though, my landing in Darwin/YPDN was less than spectacular...🙂... (I came in too high and too fast), probably because I've been lately spoiled by the ultramodern (FBW) avionics of the A350 and B777...🙂... (for comparison, please take a look at one screenshot (#7), below, of the (stone-age...🙂...) autopilot panel of this B707, tucked under the pedestal). 

Thanks for viewing...!

Edited September 6, 2025Sep 6 by P_7878

Very interesting flight. Glad you were ambitious enough to tackle it. And yes, I'm happy to have a 707 (any 707) in the sim at this point.

Great shots! 

When I first saw that livery, I immediately thought about "Jett Clipper Ella". (On a side note, I don't know about the current status of that aircraft...I know they were trying to ferry it back "down under", but, found that wasn't feasible...last I heard they were going to disassemble it to ship it back to a museum in Australia.)

Of course, whenever I hear about a B707, I immediately think about the final scenes from "Bullitt"...where Steve McQueen is running around the airport grounds amongst the B707's/B727's...  🙂

Thanks for the post!

Nice set off shots !

cheers 😉

12 hours ago, John F said:

Very interesting flight. Glad you were ambitious enough to tackle it. And yes, I'm happy to have a 707 (any 707) in the sim at this point.

Thanks, John.

BTW, regarding tackling this daunting challenge, which certainly it was for me, of course, in the comfort of the quadjet 707...🙂...you may like to look up the Wiki for "Louis-Philippe Loncke", credited with world's first un-supported foot crossing of the entire length of Simpson Desert. He walked from north to south, opposite to my direction of travel...

 

10 hours ago, rmeier said:

Great shots! 

When I first saw that livery, I immediately thought about "Jett Clipper Ella". (On a side note, I don't know about the current status of that aircraft...I know they were trying to ferry it back "down under", but, found that wasn't feasible...last I heard they were going to disassemble it to ship it back to a museum in Australia.)

Of course, whenever I hear about a B707, I immediately think about the final scenes from "Bullitt"...where Steve McQueen is running around the airport grounds amongst the B707's/B727's...  🙂

Thanks for the post!

Bullitt...🙂...Let's not tell the younger generation that some of us here might have actually seen it in the theaters...🙂...I viewed the Airport scene just now again. Indeed, there was that Pan Am 707 and that PSA 727 sauntering around along with (running) Steve McQueen...🙂...Good memory...

Regarding, "Jett Clipper Ella", yes, any Qantas 707 would revive thoughts of that airplane ...🙂...It looks like you're correct, that 707 is being disassembled somewhere in Georgia to be shipped to HARS/Australia for static display.  Both the (VH-XBA) 707 (seen here, the first 707 that heralded Jet Age for Qantas), and Travolta's 707 were B707-138 variants...

Appreciated the notes...!

 

9 hours ago, pmplayer said:

Nice set off shots !

cheers 😉

Thank you much for the comment, pmplayer. Glad you liked the pictures...!

Cheers...!