May 13May 13 The Trans-Canada Highway – Part 8 (TCH-08) For Wed. May 20th, 2026 Our Trip To date this year, have travelled a large portion of the Trans-Canada highway: from Victoria British Columbia eastward all the way to Thunder Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. In this eighth trip following the “Trans-Canada”, the main route referred to as Highway 17 in Ontario, we will continue eastward out of Sault Ste. Marie more or less following the highway 17 route. By the day’s end we will have visited several towns as well as a few larger cities on this route those being Sudbury, North Bay and Ottawa, Ontario. The Trans-Canada Highway between Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa is primarily served by Highway 17, covering a scenic route of roughly 800–900 km (approx. 9–10 hours driving time) along the North Channel of Lake Huron and through the Ottawa Valley. The route is mostly a two-lane highway, passing through Sudbury and North Bay, with heavy truck traffic and continuing eastward to our Nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario. Key Route Details (West to East): Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury (approx. 3.5 - 4 hours): Highway 17 runs east along the North Channel of Lake Huron, passing through towns like Blind River and Thessalon. Sudbury to North Bay (approx. 1.5 hours): The route connects the two major Northern Ontario hubs. North Bay to Ottawa (approx. 4 - 4.5 hours): Highway 17 continues southeast, following the Ottawa River valley through Mattawa, Petawawa, and Pembroke, eventually becoming a divided highway/freeway (Highway 417) near Arnprior before entering Ottawa. Sudbury offers a blend of industrial history and natural beauty, featuring top attractions like the interactive Science North, the iconic Big Nickel at Dynamic Earth, and expansive outdoor spaces such as Bell Park, Ramsey Lake and Kivi Park in the heart of the city. Visitors can enjoy hiking, paddleboarding, and scenic lookouts like Onaping Falls. The city is surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Canadian Shield and is home to over 300 beautiful lakes including Lake Wanapitei, the largest city-contained lake in the world. (We will take a slight 8 nm detour to travel directly over the city). North Bay is a year-round "Gateway to the North" destination offering a perfect mix of urban amenities and nature, centered on the shores of Lake Nipissing. Key activities include exploring the downtown waterfront, hiking the stunning Duchesnay Falls trails, cruising on the Chief Commanda II, and enjoying beaches. Ottawa, Canada's capital city is most famous for Parliament Hill, the historic ByWard Market, and the scenic Rideau Canal, which becomes the world's largest skating rink in winter. It features seven national museums, such as the Canadian War Museum, alongside iconic landmarks like the Fairmont Chateau Laurier and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. (Next trip we’ll take a tour around this city). Route Airports: The main route of the Trans-Canada is Highway 17. Our route in this trip is 426 nm in Northern Ontario travelling eastward. Route: Departing Sault Ste. Marie (CYAM), six mid-stops: CPL5 CYSB CYYB CMA2 CYTA CNP3, final destination Ottawa International (CYOW). Aircraft: We will need a fast-cruise of about 220-250 kts. Some GA favorites include the Beech King Air, Beech Duke, Beech Starship, Daher TBM, Piaggio Avanti, Pilatus PC-12 or other similar. I perhaps will use a King Air in this trip but as always please fly your aircraft of choice. FP, itinerary, etc can be found HERE. Big Nickel - Sudbury, Ontario Add-on Scenery: Not many for this flight: All airports are in the sim but for some “eye candy” if you wish: CYSB: https://flightsim.to/addon/67325/sudbury-cysb (by MazerMart) (See *libs list) CYOW: (Payware is available from Roman Design or Simaddons) Time and Weather Prefer to fly real weather if possible but if not, the few clouds, high clouds OR Jeff-Partly Cloudy-Jeff-1.wpr preset (included) might make a nice choice. For takeoff: set the simulator time to @1630 (ish) local. (This time simulates early dusk and sun will be behind us yet we should have enough daylight to make it to our destination under VFR conditions). Multiplayer Particulars Date and time: Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 – 1800 UTC AVSIM Discord Server: https://discord.gg/K5Vy6UxWNm - AVSIM GROUP EVENTS-WED. COM1 Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: SOUTH-EAST-ASIA Server 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! Norm Richards May 12, 2026 Edited May 13May 13 by nbrich1
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