Ciao amici!

The journey continues! And this will certainly be one of the most scenic flights of my trip around the globe. We’ll be flying from beautiful Venice across Tuscany towards Rome, then continuing on to Naples and the Amalfi Coast before landing in Benevento, near Naples. I almost forgot how big Italy actually is — today’s flight time was nearly four hours!

I’ve really been looking forward to this leg — and thankfully, the weather was on my side. When it mattered, we had a tailwind of almost 20 knots, and there wasn’t a single cloud to spoil the view. And what can I say? The Italian landscape is so diverse that it never gets boring.

Alright, before we jump into the cockpit, we need to do the flight planning. To get into the right mood, I baked a Tuscan nut cake (Panforte di Siena) and made myself a cappuccino.

Here’s the route for today.

Goodbye, Venice! I will definitely come back one day...

A few minutes later, we’re passing Chioggia — basically like Venice, but without the tourists.

Another twenty minutes later, we pass the city of Bologna (which also has a beautiful freeware airport, by the way)...

...and cross the Apennine Mountains towards...

...Florence. One of Italy’s most beautiful cities. Can you spot the hot air balloons below?

Florence is the capital of Tuscany. A few moments later, we’re flying over San Gimignano — a town with a long history and great wines.

Shortly after that, Siena comes into view. I love this city and have been there several times. It’s great to see that Asobo recreated the cathedral.

Typical Tuscan landscape below — vineyards and olive groves everywhere.

As we head further south, the landscape changes dramatically. On the way to Rome, there are quite a few volcanic craters that have turned into lakes over time.

Thirty minutes later: Rome! The Eternal City — absolutely! You can see Vatican City ahead of us.

The Colosseum and Circus Maximus below us.

On the way to Naples… wait! The air starts to smell like rotten eggs. Was that me? Maybe! Or maybe it’s the Phlegraean Fields right in front of us — a volcanic area considered a supervolcano. But since I’m sitting at my desk at home, it was probably me after all. Still, if you ever visit Naples, you’ll definitely notice the sulphur smell from the Campi Flegrei or Mount Vesuvius.

Napoli, here I come!

Napoli, bella Napoli — home of pizza!

After a wide circle around the city centre, we continue towards the island of Ischia, just off the coast. What a beautiful place!

And one more highlight on the route: Capri! That’s where I had the most expensive scoop of ice cream in my life.

Finally, the Costa d'Amalfi (with Mount Vesuvius in the background)! I spent ten days there last year — one of the most beautiful places on earth.

However, every flight must come to an end. This time, it’s Benevento Airport near Naples. Although it’s primarily used by ultralight aircraft, it’s also perfectly suitable for my Comanche.

I hope you enjoyed this part of my journey. I can only encourage you to visit these places — whether in MSFS or, even better, in real life. Italy might just be the most beautiful country in the world!

Your enthusiasm for this trip is almost contagious.🙂Blame it on the wonderful screenshots and commentary! Looking forward to the next leg.

Thanks, John!  Depending how much time I will have for flying, the next leg will take me to Greece.  🙂   And yet I cannot decide whether to cook an Italian dish or prepare a Greek salad to get into the right mood. 😉

That was delightful. Well written narrative and beautiful screenshots.

Very nice shot set !

cheers 😉