April 17Apr 17 مرحبًا friends! After spending a couple of days dealing with diarrhea at a Red Sea resort, it’s time to continue the journey. Today, we’re heading further east — flying from Marsa Alam in Egypt to Al Hawtah in Saudi Arabia. This means crossing the Red Sea and heading towards Medina, then continuing along the Tropic of Cancer through the Arabian desert to Hawtah, a small town shaped by the oil industry. Saudi Aramco operates a small airfield there — and that’s our destination for today. Before departure, it’s time for some flight planning — and, even more importantly, a regional dish. I prepared a flatbread with hummus, cucumber, tomato, and lamb, topped with roasted dates and seasoned with olive oil, parsley, and mint. It was absolutely delicious — highly recommended! Let’s fuel up and do the walkaround. Goodbye, Marsa Alam! Passing some holiday resorts… and coincidentally, I’m flying right over the one where I spent my honeymoon with my wife ten years ago! A few ships below us… …and after about an hour, we reach the Arabian Peninsula. Volcanic mountains line the coastline. No trees, no fields, no meadows. Today’s cruising altitude is approximately 9,000 ft. Every now and then, you can spot airfields in the middle of nowhere — most of them belong to oil companies and serve nearby drilling facilities. The dark hills below are made of basalt — clear evidence of volcanic origin. Another hour later, we pass the city of Medina. Can you spot the minarets? Such a large city in the middle of the desert! Passing Hirmah — it almost looks like a lake made of sand. I really like this shot — the reflection of the desert on the fuselage. Fifty shades of sand! Oooh, what’s that? Towering clouds over the desert! Still far away, but clearly right along our route. Following Highway 40 further east. We’re now flying almost exactly along the Tropic of Cancer. Another 30 minutes later — rain! I never expected that, and there was no indication in the weather briefing for this flight (only a few thunderstorms were reported further north). At first, I thought it was a glitch in MSFS 2024 live weather, but a quick check on Windy confirmed that everything was accurate. So yes — it was actually raining in the desert. Wow! Flying through rough weather with strong turbulence — winds shifting from 270° to 020°, gusting up to 35 knots. Unfortunately, Hawtah Airport doesn’t provide ATIS or METAR data, but Riyadh Airport, about 110 NM away and the nearest reporting station, had already dropped to MVFR conditions. After passing through the weather front, visibility improved and the winds settled somewhat. Here we are on short final into Hawtah, with a 12-knot crosswind. That's it for today! Thank you for joining me again on my round-the-world tour 2026! My journey so far: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/693237-rtw-01-munich-venezia/ https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/693300-rtw-02-venezia-benevento-italy-at-its-best/ https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/693450-rtw-03-benevento-corfu/ https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/693522-rtw-04-corfu-chania/ https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/693582-rtw-05-chania-marsa-alam/ Best regards, Holger
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