P_7878

Marvelous series of pics, pmplayer...! Like the ice-blue colors of this BA Livery and the typeface on the fuselage of the a/c...

Beautifully captured shot, Will...Always like the Airport premises and AI aircraft in your pictures....

Yes, you folks in PC are beginning to get spoiled with all these new (and quality) a/c...GA and otherwise...🙂... Cannot forget Milton Shupe's D18S from the past SIMS... Nice shot of this classic from around NZ...!

Thank you, Will...! Appreciated the note, John. Sometimes these experiences need a bit of jogging of memory ... from this SIM or other sources of help...🙂... Thanks for the comment ...! Glad you liked the pictures, pmplayer...Cheers ...!

What a coincidence...🙂.... you surely do great pictorial record-keeping of your trips...Vincent... Again, like I said before, you are probably more familiar with west-coast than most of us here ...except the natives ... Walking and biking are great ways to get to know places...And, of course, creating scenery of airports...should help too...🙂...

If I were to ask you (no need to answer...🙂...), what would you prefer to visit, in the natural world, given a choice of Lakes, Rivers, Mountains, and Seas....what would you say...? And no combination is allowed...🙂...noting that Mountain, my top preference, goes smoothly with each of the others... (i.e. Mountain + (Lake, or, River, or Sea) indeed creates an irresistible attraction). I can vouch for it personally e.g., after my most recent virtual (and long-gone RW) visit to Sausalito...because I recall when I was driving along the heights of Sausalito, with the roads often meandering past (and very near) the private residences, I was looking down on the Bay below, and was saying to myself, this is indeed breathtaking...! My state Illinois has "3,000" lakes (including the "big" Lake Michigan seen in my previous post). Alaska, the un-disputed leader, has 3,000,000 lakes. The next two states, Wisconsin and Minnesota, across which I'm flying today, are (#2 and #3) behind Alaska, with 15,000 and 12,000 lakes respectively (unofficial numbers from yours truly...), because whether a body of water is a lake, or a pond is somewhat subjective. For folks outside U.S., these two (upper midwest) states exhibit some of the coldest winter temperatures in the country. I recall a fascinating experience once (and once was enough for me...🙂...) with "Ice Fishing" in Wisconsin, at the invitation of a seasoned (and veteran) Ice Fisherman friend. Most of the lakes you see (sparkling blue) in my pictures below, probably get all frozen over by mid to end December...with the fish merrily swimming along below the ice with help from some interesting physics...🙂...The Lake Winnebago (Wisconsin's largest lake, see its pictures below) may have a (winter) ice depth of about 6-7 inches. I trusted my friend (somewhat cautiously) when he told me, "I would need about 4 inches of ice to walk on it or 8 inches to drive a car on it..."...We never drove a car on the lake, thankfully... So, here, I fly, starting out from Chicago (KORD) to Minneapolis (KMSP), heading in a northwesterly direction (the highway I-90/94, that I'd driven a while ago, between these two cities, actually runs more north than west...). These two states are major residences to people of Scandinavian descent. So, I recall, when I'd started out on my trip to Minneapolis, a colleague had suggested (and reminded) me, just before I got under way, "Don't forget to visit "Norske Nook"", which is a "Norwegian" diner off the Highway, supposedly famous for standout pies, for hundreds of miles around, so, I did visit it...not sure what (pie) I ordered there... Please find 20 pictures, as I fly over the multitude of lakes (small and big) across the state of Wisconsin, including its largest inland Lake Winnebago (shot #s 9-11). Then I tracked, for a bit, the mighty and beautiful Mississippi River (shot #s 12-14), which runs along the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Past more Lakes, I finally reached Minneapolis, and not surprisingly noticed several lakes around the airport area. I have then landed in KMSP (Minneapolis-Saint Paul) Airport, an airport I've never flown into, in RW, but have visited it once to drop off a friend there...so, it felt nice to get re-acquainted to KMSP, here, again... Thanks for viewing...! Hope you enjoy these images from my trip in the U.S. Midwest...in Spring season...!

Marvelous set, bernd...loved the pristine blue Lakes...but all these images are outstanding, including of this aircraft of yours...

Nice and close...shot...looks great...!

Lovely shot, Andreas...from a freeware scenery... (Brings out the spirit of the place...)

Folks: Many thanks for these comments...This area seems like a favorite of many...from near and far...🙂... Cheers...!!

Will: Thanks for getting to comment on this post of mine....🙂...Cheers...!

Andy, Will, Darryl: Appreciated the comments...It's easy to love DC-3 Daisy...🙂...

No, if I fly 50 miles from my home base (KORD), I will be nowhere near the famous Lake Geneva of Switzerland...🙂...But there is indeed another Lake Geneva (may not be that well-known outside U.S. or even outside the Midwest), located 50 miles north of Chicago, in the state of Wisconsin. I do recall a few pleasant visits there, when I used to live nearer to the Wisconsin border. This Lake Geneva came up in some recent discussions, and I wished to (virtually) travel there to see what I can recall from my RW visits. Lake Geneva, btw, was not named after the sister Lake in Switzerland, but the adjacent city (and the lake) was named after the town of "Geneva, New York", which the original surveyor thought it resembles. There is another motivation for this flight of mine i.e., to detour a bit, and see up and close the Chicago downtown and skyline from the (default) MSFS scenery (closely, for my first time) ...w/o any scenery add-ons. I am quite familiar with this downtown and most of the prominent skyscrapers in it. For several years, I used to visit the downtown almost every (summer) weekend (early Sundays were my favorite times). There would be unbelievably light traffic (on the expressway and in downtown) compared to weekdays, so, plenty of parking available there, then I would get a cup of coffee and, in a corner bookstore I loved, peruse some aviation magazines...🙂...PC Pilot comes to mind, or take a walk along the shoreline and just enjoy some quiet (crowd-free) time looking far into the (seemingly oceanlike, and peaceful) Lake Michigan...with multitude of birds landing and taking off nearby...🙂... A few of the (high-rise) skyscrapers, in the Chicago downtown, that readily come to my mind, are the following (1) Willis Tower (I like to (fondly) remember this one always as the "Sears" Tower...prior to security measures, it was normal for me to visit the Skydeck whenever anyone used to visits me; they put a see-through glass-floor (observatory) extension at the time of my last 2 visits, a most un-nerving experience) (2) John Hancock Center (Besides its observatory which gives a uniquely different view from that in Willis Tower, there also used to be a restaurant on top of it, which I've visited) (3) NBC Tower (there used to be a Consular office in it, which I've had occasions to visit) (4) Boeing Building (Used to be the Boeing Headquarters (Boeing has now moved on), a tall and impressive looking glass building, close by which one would pass if one were to take a boat tour of the downtown along the Chicago River (See pictures of the river, below); unless it was cold and windy, this boat trip was a favorite of mine) (5) Tribune Tower (An architectural marvel by the side of which one will typically pass every time one gets into the downtown area) (6) InterContinental Hotel (stayed there once, on the ~30th floor, for a few memorable days between Christmas and New Year), and so on... So, as I flew overhead of downtown (See my shot #s (3-9) below), I could locate most of these (above) buildings without difficulty. However, what bothered me, from what I recall in RW, is the undeniable feeling here of a place that is devoid of any life...a dreary perception of "Gothic" proportions...🙂...Oh well...it's no fault of MSFS. Most importantly, I found the melted and mis-shaped buildings of downtown Chicago visible from afar (a few looking like the Transamerica Pyramid of San Francisco, that I recently visited...) ...metamorphose just in time to something that I could identify as I got near enough...🙂... Then, once past downtown, I headed straight out north to Lake Geneva of Wisconsin (there is a small (4,000 ft) airport (C02) there (See shot #14), 2 miles northeast of the Lake). From my past visits, I recall taking wonderful and scenic walks (evenings were special) around the lake along what's called the "Lake Geneva Shore Path", dotted with historic and stunning homes (remember them quite well) of the Rich and Famous... (homeowners politely request that visitors stay on the path and not venture into their intricately maintained lawns, gardens and piers...🙂...). In my pictures below, I have flown across this Lake from East to West, so you can spot these homes on the shorelines (shot #s 16-17). Finally, to call it a day, I've landed my DHC-2 on the waters of Lake Geneva (last 3 shots) ...At least I get to fly my (own) air transportation, though not owning any of those Lakeside (palatial) mansions...🙂... Thanks for viewing this collection of images. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you for the kind words…🙂…Glad you liked these pictures. Cheers…!

Folks: Appreciated the interesting responses and comments…🙂… Thank you, John. Trident (of Sausalito), I checked, opens for business tomorrow (Monday) at 11:30am…🙂…The interior ambience looks inviting. And I liked their dessert offering, the Crème Brûlée…🙂… Thanks much for the note…! Thank you for chiming in, Charlie…and the correction. You would know for sure…🙂…Thinking back, it was actually easier driving to Fisherman’s Wharf than piloting this Cessna to it in the virtual world…🙂…Beautiful city, I wish I could visit it again…. Appreciated the comment, rmeier. Yes, it’s surely a favorite for all who have visited this area…🙂…there is just not enough time when you are a tourist…somewhat similar to your Vancouver area…Cheers…!

Lovely collection of airlines and liveries for the A339neo...Glad you found it... Looks like it will certainly fill the void meanwhile, until another shows up...thanks for sharing ...!

Beautiful and imaginative shot...doing justice to the (legendary) Cub...I don't know why, but I recall seeing Cubs always standing on the grass...seems more in its elements...🙂... [Always great to see flashbacks from FSX...]

Thank you, friends, for the comments.... Appreciated. Thanks, bernd. Yes, that's true, however, it seems that the option is tied to the specific livery, instead of being an option for each livery (which would have been nice) ... The liveries I've liked and been flying from the add-on packs did not allow the Retrofit/GPS option ...Either way this DC-3 looks good and is a pleasure to fly... Thank you Sherm, for the invitation to the DC-3 fans and enthusiasts, here...hopefully, you'll have a few new recruits to the pilot roster...Cheers ...!

That originating weather looks awful...bernd...glad you decided to wait out...🙂... Beautiful route...and pictures...MSFS scenery (from start-to-finish) looks wonderful...Also like the color of your transportation... [Never been to Paro, but have visited Kathmandu/VNKT once...it's weather at (destination) Lukla that had prevented my onward trip there...in the last minute...]

In my previous post, I'd posted about a short flight...travelling (virtually) 40 miles in a foreign land..., never actually been there in RW. Here, it's slightly different. This set of images, below, geographically spanning about 10 miles, reflect my memories of a RW trip from a long while ago. The West Coast, in spite of my several visits, primarily to the major metropolitan (big) cities, almost seems like a foreign land to me...🙂...being not really familiar with it, as I may be with Midwest and East Coast. Anyway, Fisherman's Wharf, one of the main (tourist) attractions in San Francisco, lies 15 miles north of San Franciso airport (KSFO). With Fisherman's Wharf as the reference, the famed Golden Gate Bridge lies about 4 miles to the northwest on the Bay (in my shot # 8 VFR MAP, USR01 straight ahead is the Fisherman's Wharf and USR02 in the foreground is the Golden Gate Bridge). The picturesque community of Sausalito lies just north across the Bridge, and the Oakland Bay Bridge (shot #7) lies to the east. So, I am recalling and correlating, here, bits of my (fond) memories, as I'd driven from the Fisherman's Wharf across the Golden Gate Bridge to the heights of Sausalito on a beautiful day with the blue waters of the Bay, shining below. But first a memory bit about Oakland. Staying in a hotel near the Oakland Bridge, I was directed (recommended) for dinner to a Restaurant in Oakland. As I drove across the Bridge to Oakland and finally reached the Restaurant (should have called first), we were told that the Restaurant was not open that evening because of a Wedding Ceremony (it was still early). I told the receptionist that we've travelled all the way from Chicago, and if we could be allowed to stay for an early dinner, that would be greatly appreciated. The (graceful) owner was consulted and we were allowed to stay until the Wedding Ceremony got going afterwards. Before the "invited" guests started arriving, and anyone had a chance to ask us, "Are you from the bride's side or the Groom's?"....🙂..., we (profusely) thanked the owner and left the Restaurant. At least the dinner was worth it... Besides visiting Chinatown, Japantown and the SF downtown etc., what I recall most is the drive from the Fisherman's Wharf, a most fascinating (and busy) place in itself, across the Golden Gate Bridge to the (mountainous and scenic) settlement of Sausalito. Here is another trivial fact that had influenced my visit Sausalito. There is this Pepperidge Farm brand of cookies, I have been long familiar with, that has a line of Cookies called "Sausalito", one with a combination of "Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Nuts"...🙂...Unfortunately, it so happens, and I learned afterwards, however, that Cookie has nothing to do with Sausalito, merely named after this locale. I was thinking maybe the Cookie has its origin in this place...I was a bit disappointed...Oh well... More seriously, Sausalito is a wonderfully scenic place to visit (and just drive along its undulating roads), with mountains and oceans...together in close proximity...along with many other points of interest. Please find 15 images, below, as I fly out from KSFO, north towards Fisherman's Wharf, then divert west to overfly the Golden Gate Bridge, and finally I leave you with a shot from overhead of the (approaching) mountains of Sausalito...on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge which itself is seen down below...that had taken me to Sausalito...in my distant memory... Thanks for viewing. Hope you enjoy.

Really an eye-catching livery... Glad to see the FBW A320 over African landscape.... Thanks for sharing these beautiful pics...!

Wow...Tim Conrad...🙂...You're digging up some real old gold from the past, bernd....🙂...and porting to MSFS... His aircraft were always one of a kind...I believe I'd downloaded all of his freeware aircraft... Glad you've supplemented it with a nice cockpit panel...Beautiful set...!!

Thanks, John. I've heard of such idiosyncrasies of MSFS on the PC too...but this is still ahead by leaps and bounds from my FSX days of OOM and other handicaps ...🙂...

Watched it...amazing and enthralling video...🙂...both scenery and action... (...with some daredevilry that Bond will be proud of...🙂...)

Lovely series of pics and exciting at the same time...🙂... This mini helicopter looks sharp and ideally suited for the challenge of getting up and close with these rugged and jagged places...