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Today, as I opened my Xbox, I caught this Southwest Germany (City) Update glaring me on the face (first item on "FREE" list), with a "NEW" (yellow) sticker on it. Been always interested in Germany scenery (since the Orbx days of Germany South and North, that comes to mind readily), I quickly installed it and gave it a trial... Making use of 2 Cities specifically mentioned in this Update, I've set up a flight, here, from the eastern side of the "Black Forest" of Southwest Germany (someone here is less than 2 hours' drive away from it...🙂...), from Stuttgart (EDDS), over and across the fascinating "Black Forest" region (named so, because of the dark-green tress, but there are mountains too, see shot #s 5-8), into the wide valley of Rhine River (see shot #s 9-11), to the city of Strasbourg (LFST) in France just across the German-French border. Past this valley, on its western side, is the magnificent Vosges range of mountains that called me...🙂.... So, before finally landing in Strasbourg, I could not resist meandering a bit into the thick of the Vosges Mountains, which paid good dividends. These mountains seemed very pretty (see shot #s 12-17), especially because I am fond of such (low-level) mountains of <5,000 ft elevation. These mountains with the narrow (green) valleys and hamlets within, reminded me a bit of the Sion Valley of Switzerland (with the Rhone River there), only that, here, these mountains are not as tall...but certainly no less picturesque. See my Garmin MFD image (shot #3) to notice position of EDDS (Stuttgart) with respect to the 2 Yellow/Brown (color) patches indicative of Black Forest at the bottom of MAP, and the Vosges range at the top, separated by the green colored Rhine River valley, in which you may also spot the (thin) blue ribbon of the (famed) river flowing along the valley, serving as the border between the two countries (I've also included a close external image of Rhine river, below, see shot #10). Here is a river, that flows northward, not uncommon, but I always find peculiar. It would flow north out of Germany eventually into Netherlands, and then westward into the North Sea. Quick impression: Beautiful scenery all around and unique terrain features (so, it must be convincingly likewise in RW too). However, in my (Xbox) SIM, I constantly found the (delayed) rendering of the distant mountains a bit disconcerting. Of course, as I approached near, the mountains got rendered reasonably well...So, I'm not sure, if it's due to the nature of scenery, server issue, or just something inherent in my Xbox system... Anyway, it was good fun exploring this region (which I don't recall having done ever before in the SIM). Please find 20 images from my flight today. Thanks for viewing. Hope you enjoy.

Someone had said here that wherever you look in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), there are (endlessly) beautiful locales and vistas to explore and enjoy...even in our virtual world of MSFS. Today, I was looking up a bit around the Castlegar (CYCG) airport of British Columbia, a region I've virtually explored quite a bit previously via the (FSX-Orbx) version of the regional scenery. So, I repeated my excursion in MSFS, and I was not disappointed. BTW, there are a fee (handcrafted) airports here by Gaya, the same folks who had provided the freeware airports, I recall, for the Caribbean Update. I lift off CYCG airport northward (towards and past CZNL (Nelson) Airport) while exploring the (mountainous) nooks and corners (hence "hide & seek" in my title), along the (most scenic) Kootenay River Valley. These are the Kootenay Range of mountains of the Canadian Rockies that you see below in my images. Significantly, Castlegar is situated at the confluence of Kootenay River and Columbia River. The former is one of the major tributaries of the Columbia River, and the latter is the famous river that featured so prominently in the final phase of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and their westward voyage of discovery. It was the Columbia River that had eventually led them to the West Coast and their first sighting of the vast blue waters of the Pacific Ocean (this river that originates from the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, finds its way westward to eventually empty into also the Pacific Ocean in the state of Oregon). Please find a set of images from my trip as I explore the beautiful moods of this place via various lighting conditions of the day. Thanks for viewing...!

This is a topic that has been in mind for some time. While exploring the Apennine Mountain ranges of Italy in the SIM, I'd come across the Po River. Then, in a recent post when I flew the A318 from Lyon to Marseille, south, along the Rhone River valley, it occurred to me that the Po river is also flowing, just across (and over) the Alps...🙂...on my port side window, originating from the Italian side of the Alps, through the expansive Po Valley, named after it, on its way to its merger with Adriatic Sea, just south of Venice. Rivers always fascinate me...in the real world or in virtual world. When crossing river bridges during road trips, especially during summer months, when I see dry and arid riverbeds of scattered rocks, gravel, and broken tree limbs, I also think how in the rainy season the same bed would be overflowing with water. During one of my longest road trips from Chicago to New Orleans, the Interstate 55 bridge that crosses the mighty Mississippi River near Memphis comes to mind now. A while ago, I'd done a post about the "Brahmaputra River" of the Himalayan origin. I was reading today, due to global climate change, it's now flowing near dry in many places, unthinkable for a river that is known for its astounding flow causing massive floods in its valley during the monsoon months due to seasonal melting of the Himalayan glaciers compounded by torrential rainfall of the north-eastern parts of India. I read about Italy's longest river, the Po, "The Po River drought in 2022 was the worst of the last 2 centuries, most probably triggered by global warming...", with images of an almost dry Po passing through the city of Turin. One of the important Italian cities on the river's course, Turin, is where I've headed for my flight, today, as I then seek out the high altitudes of the Italian Alps, further west, where the river is born. I also read somewhere, "You need to understand the Po to understand Italy....The Po is part of the national psyche." It is the silent witness to Roman history and is even associated with Greek mythology. As I've traversed (virtually) almost its entire course from its origin at Pian del Re of Monte Viso, to the Adriatic Sea (see my images below), the most significant thing that struck me is that it's a playful river, changing its course arbitrarily...and whimsically...with scant respect for the laws of nature...🙂...also known for often flooding its banks. After it emerges out of the Italian Alps, 30 miles south of Turin, it makes a sharp 90 degrees turn up north, towards the plains, as if already sensing the obstacles of the Apennines of Genoa (still far) but straight ahead. Just north of Turin, it would make another 90 degrees turn heading now eastward, with its mind set all the way towards Venice, its path free from any more mountains, but in the cradle of the two distinct mountain ranges, the Alps on the north and the Apennines on the south. So, here we go, as I start off from Bologna (LIPE), head north to first meet up with Po, then follow it along westward to Turin (LIMF), and then venture up into the Italian Alps (which is not for the faint-of-heart...🙂...see my shot #s 16-18) ...to find the origin of Po (see shot # 18, for its originating (source) trickle). Of course, tracking this river's journey would be incomplete without a visit also to its delta and mingling point with the Sea. In my last 2 images, I leave you (and myself) suspended in twilight, above the river and its many gleefully branching-out channels, as the river's 400+ miles journey has finally come to an end, as it (seemingly with a sigh of relief...🙂...) dissolves itself into oblivion, in the endless waters of the Adriatic Sea (and Mediterranean Sea). Thanks for viewing...!

OK, you must be already wondering...A318...Denver to London City...Really...🙂...? Now, the A318 is indeed capable of transatlantic flights but under certain specific conditions. The classic (and probably sole) example of such flights was the British Airways' (premier) A318 service between London City Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport. BA was operating these flights for over a decade. This prestigious business-class flight was given the legendary number "BA1" which was once the flight number reserved solely for Concorde flights between London and New York...the difference was that the new "BA1" flight was operated with a tiny aircraft - the smallest member of the A320 family, the Baby bus A318, safe to say it was the smallest...commercial transatlantic flight of modern times. EGLC to KJFK has a flight distance of ~3,500 miles just within the range (3,600 miles) of the 318, while KDEN to EGLC is ~4,600 miles well out of its range (so, my 318 here would literally...as we say colloquially around here... run-out-of-gas...🙂...long before it sees London City). EGLC (London City) has a short runway (<5,000 ft), so, for the (London->New York) flight, the (BA) A318 could not be loaded with enough fuel to reach NYC non-stop (though for no fault of the Baby bus...🙂...). So, it had to first make a re-fueling stop in Shannon, ~60 mins away. However, on the return (New York->London) flight, the A318 was able to take off with a full tank of fuel, fly non-stop, and by the time it arrived in London, it was light enough to land on the short runway of EGLC. A bit more about this (BA) A318 service: Only 32 max business-class seats (actual pax # might be ~20) per flight (each seat convertible to a "lie-flat" bed...so, no kid (or adult as the case maybe) pushing against the back of your (economy) seat...🙂...). 3 Cabin Crew for ~20 pax. At EGLC, the check-in time was only 15-20 mins (this is surely no Heathrow that I recall...) In Shannon, while the jet was being re-fueled, the pax were pre-cleared for their U.S. immigration and customs, so, when they arrived in JFK, the jet could land as if it had flown (domestically) from e.g., Newark...🙂...i.e., the pax could simply walk straight out of the airport in <5 minutes. No need to grapple with NY Customs and Immigration lines...! So, what's the catch...? Each flight costed 6,000 GBP or 7,500 USD... (Oh well...time then to look for that sardine class ticket in the BA 777 instead...you know where one filters first the flight availabilities per lowest to highest price order...🙂... (through bustling and busy Heathrow airport) ...which I've done a couple of times, and the Terminal 5 is nice though which these guys would not get to see on their flight...) Here, I have picked Frontier and Denver, because Frontier was not only the launch customer for the A318 but was also the first to deploy the type into service, with an inaugural flight, 2 decades ago, in 2003, out of its hub Denver. I've picked London City because of the (above) A318 BA service out of EGLC. More significantly, A318 is the largest commercial aircraft certified by EASA for steep approach operations such as into EGLC (Note: The BAe 146/Avro RJ are also permitted into EGLC, but are actually smaller than the A318, and they cannot do non-stop transatlantic flights like the A318). If we equate the A318 to B736, and the A320 to B738, as competitive peers in the same niche, we may note that the 738 first flew in 1997, the 736 just a year later in 1998, while the A320 first flew in 1987 and the 318, 15 years later in 2002. So, A318, in that sense, is the one with most advanced technology of the time, in the entire A320 family. Anyway, please find below a what-if set of images of Frontier's Baby bus lifting off Denver in the morning light, in the livery of a lovable "Fawn" (a young deer in its first year, please see the tail art). Likewise, another of Frontier's Baby bus is touching down into EGLC in the evening light, flying past the London City cityscape (and the scintillant River Thames), in the livery of a bit more ferocious "Elk" (the second largest species within the same deer family, and one of the largest ground mammals in North America, see the tail art). Frontier brand is well-known for painting animals (and birds) on its fuselages and tails. Frontier no longer flies A318, and A318 is no longer in production, nor is BA operating those (unique) A318 (LCY-JFK) flights anymore (suspended since Covid days). So, this is your chance to see the Baby bus 318 landing into London City...thanks to yours truly...🙂... Hope you enjoy this collection of images (do look when the little deer transforms to a big deer...). Thanks for viewing...!

The A318 and B736, the "chubby baby" versions...🙂...respectively of Airbus and Boeing, have long been my (personal) favorites, since the earliest days of involvement in the hobby (of course, speaking, here, as an entirely "non-professional" virtual and non-pilot aviator...🙂...). OK, these 2 favorites of mine have never got the recognition in our hobby as much as the constantly recurring renditions of the (household-known) ever-present everywhere...in the airports and in the sky...the A320 and the B737...🙂...There are good reasons for it, but that does not detract from my fondness for these two forgotten (baby) heroes... Some of us may recall that, once upon a time, Aerosoft had a (basic) A318/A319 Package long before they came up with their "Professional" upgrades of the same aircraft. That was my first exposure to Airbus in a manner other than the stock A321. Most significantly, the AS version had an (Airbus look-alike) MCDU. So, that was also my first exposure to an Airbus MCDU. Likewise, my (and probably for many) the first Boeing (SIM) FMC introduction had occurred via the iFly rendition of the (freeware) 747 (wonderful for its time), long before iFly (and PMDG) would come up with their payware version of the 747. I recall flying those aircraft i.e., the AS (payware) A318 and the iFly (freeware) B747...almost every other day...well before we would get to see the FSL and PMDG versions of (various) Airbus and Boeing Aircraft. Anyway, I was triggered for the A318 by a member post here, who, I believe, had featured, in this Forum, the LVFR models or had made mention of it. So, I thought yesterday I might revive my love-affair with the baby Airbus...albeit this SIM a/c is not up to the level of sophistication we can expect from the SIM today (it will do still if you like this a/c, especially when it features an EFB, at least capable of importing a SimBrief FPLN, and to boot, a comforting cup of Coffee in the cockpit...🙂...). I got the (LVFR) A318 to fly along with my (PMDG) 736, which I'm also very fond of. In this post I've flown both...First 5 pictures show the 736 lifting off, and the rest of the pictures are for the 318 from a complete flight (takeoff to touchdown). Hope, from my images below, you can at least visually (i.e., technicalities aside) compare the looks of these two aircraft, originally aimed by their makers for a very small niche market-segment. It's well-known that these two types were not popular (aka: not commercially and operationally successful) ...still they both have their place in history. They are not only the smallest members of their respective lineage, but also the youngest ones with modern avionics that became the standard in the (enormously successful) evolved variants. [Just a side note: A319 came first (1995), and the afterthought "Baby Bus" (A318) actually came 7 years later (2002) ...full "15" years after the A320.] In any case, both are great fun to fly in the SIM, and, most of all, they present a unique look that we are not accustomed to from the common (and often-seen-here) variants of 320 and 737. So, here we go. Please find the 2 groups of images, below, demarcated by a graphical comparative chart showing a set of metrics for these two aircraft (these are un-official relative numbers, for guiding your eyes only; they are not meant to demonstrate relative merits, so, please don't take to heart...🙂...), but as you may clearly note, these two types are identical in most respects, except that the A318 has a bit greater Thrust and MTOW, and also look-wise, a "chubbier" fuselage width... (look at my images, and see if you agree) ... I've flown the A318 from Lyon Airport (LFLL) to the airport in the city of Marseille (LFML). I've tracked the valley between the two mountain ranges south of Lyon, with the Massif Central on my starboard side and the French Alps on my port side (a couple of pictures of the nearby mountains included). And, within this valley, I could spot my (now-familiar) friendly river, The Rhône...do recall having visited its birthplace recently...🙂...both of us headed south towards our destinations on The Mediterranean Sea... Thanks for viewing...!

I was reading a bit today about Jetstar of Australia and caught sight of the all-orange "#jetstargeneration" special livery. Jetstar, an LCC subsidiary of Qantas, with the slogan "Low fares forever", is all about offering some of the lowest (no-frills) airfares in Australia. On the side of its fuselage (see my images below), it says, in big and bold typeface, "#jetstargeneration". I love "Orange" color in an a/c livery (after "Red", of course, brighter the red, the better...🙂...) while fully aware that some folks nickname such orange-colored aircraft as "flying carrot"... (in the same spirit as the yellow-colored "flying banana"...Hughes Airwest and Braniff come to mind here) ...Oh well...Orange, Carrot and Banana are all decent (and health-giving) examples of fruits and vegetables... (think, I've been slicing too many of these lately...🙂...). Anyway, I've been meaning to fly the Jetstar livery for a while. The Jetstar livery reminds me a bit of the other (British) low-cost airline, the EasyJet, another patron of the dashing "Orange" color...so I am not alone in my preference...🙂... For my short flight today in Australia, I have picked a 50-miles segment straight north leading to the Australian capital city of Canberra. This is a nice route, that I recall having flown (virtually) a few times before in the previous SIMs (with Orbx Australia). Here, I've started out from the town of Cooma, then staying within the valley of this Monaro region, and roughly following the upper 50 miles of the so-named (200 miles-long north-south oriented) Monaro Highway (sound like worth driving in RW) that terminates in Canberra. Having now visited most of the major North American mountains, small and big, both IRL and in virtual World, I can vouch for the fact that there is no substitute for the real thing. The ambience, feel, aura, and dizziness...🙂...around these places can never be substituted by virtual visits. However, we can certainly get a (good) perception of the terrain and topological features. Same here...from my images below e.g., see shot #s (6-11), you will know how this region (consisting of extensions of the Snowy Mountains range) looks like. This is a valley with picturesque mountains, hills, streams, and undulating plains and meadows...quite pleasant and enjoyable to look around from air, especially when flown at low altitudes (if you wish, please also see my (earlier and separate) post on the Blue Mountains of Australia). I've departed from Rwy 36 (YCOM) and landed on Rwy 35 (YSCB)...for a straight-in landing...! Hope you enjoy this collection of images with a dash of Orange...! Thanks for viewing...!

(This is bit of a follow-up from my earlier post of my brush with the easternmost edge of the Rockies Foothills). Located in the heart of Rockies, the official name of this Coyote Valley is "Kawuneeche Valley" ("Kawuneeche" meaning "Valley of Coyotes" in the native Arapaho language). At the upper corner of this valley, the Colorado River (of Grand Canyon fame) originates as a small stream, from one of the small lakes called "La Poudre Pass Lake". Of course, the Colorado River came into existence first triggered by the melted glaciers from even higher-up altitudes of Rockies, and then formed this lake (pool of water), and next, with its onward flow, carved out this 20-mile-long valley. These are the 20 miles I've flown today for this post. Colorado River would travel further (southward) for nearly 1,500 miles more, through U.S. and Mexico, carving out deep canyons such as in Grand Canyon, to eventually drain into the Gulf of California. I remember its massive power and flow, while visiting the famous Hoover Dam (I recall it was a (tourist bus) visit to the Dam, during one of my trips to Las Vegas). In the "Kawuneeche Valley", Coyotes are known to live. Now, the Coyotes, a species found in Central and North Americas, are not nice animals and known to attack pets and humans. In a local (suburban) park and lake, that I often visit for walks, there are two trails (one more populated and the other not so much). Once, getting curious, I got near the entrance of the other trail, and stopped on my tracks when I noticed the (posted) warning sign, "COYOTES HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN THIS AREA. KEEP YOUR DOG ON A SHORT LEASH". OK, with or without a dog, I didn't (and will not) wish to venture further into that part of the trail. Anyway, here, for this post and my virtual flight through these ("dangerous") 20 miles in the valley of Coyotes, there is no worry, since first of all, I feel fairly secure ensconced within the comfort of my Pilatus Turbo Porter...🙂..., and knowing that the worse that can happen is the Xbox App may just unexpectedly (and unceremoniously) close me out of MSFS and terminate my flight...🙂... For endpoint of this flight, I've chosen the "Long Draw Reservoir", an extended body of water, just 2 miles further northeast of "La Poudre Pass Lake", the source of Colorado River. One thing happened, though, during my flight here...as I was proceeding towards my final destination, the "Long Draw Reservoir" situated at an elevation of 11,100 ft. I suddenly found myself boxed in by the high-rising Rockies mountains nearly on all sides (see my shot #s 7-9 below). Then I spotted the comforting sight of the Colorado River through my port side window (see my shot #s 10-11 and the cockpit view). I immediately knew this guy is coming from around where I'm going...🙂...and obviously already been following the path of lowest elevation and least resistance...and could help me better than my G1000 Garmin technology...(frankly, when you're already flying in a narrow valley of 11,000 ft elevation with surrounding mountains that are only a few thousand feet higher (such as ~14,000 ft here), using the Garmin MAP and its color codes of elevation, for situational awareness, becomes a bit tricky, at least, for this virtual aviator...🙂...). True enough, the Colorado River guided me safely first to its source, the Lake, and then I easily found my way forward for another 2 miles to the Reservoir for a successful (but un-authorized...🙂...) landing...See my concluding pictures...as I now ponder how to get out of this place... Nonetheless, it was a short but exciting discovery flight. I hope you enjoy this collection of images from the valley of Coyotes......! Thanks for viewing...!

First of all, bridges are nice...I really like them a lot (I like rivers too since the bridges span the rivers) ...And don't know why but whenever I think of bridges, as now, I am reminded of that "Simon and Garfunkel" song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"...🙂...wonderful lyrics and tune, and an equally wonderful meaning to it... The "big" bridges such as e.g., Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland Bay Bridge (please see my (past) post on San Francisco visit, if you wish), or the Brooklyn Bridge of NYC, or the Tower Bridge of London etc. are all impressive, beautiful and engineering marvels of their times, but here I am pondering about the "smaller" bridges, visited in RW or not. You know, the ones that do not have the sky-scraping Towers or the majestically suspended cables hung high above the deck level, yet these small ones have their own charm and appeal...e.g., a small (arched) bridge, possibly made of stone, over a stream or a small river, and usually covered with moss underneath...meaning it has been around for hundreds of years with stories to tell of its own... Last week, I was standing on one such small bridge in a local park...over a trickling stream of water, and a gentleman standing near, told me, "That trickle of water you see below, meets West branch of DuPage River just over there, and then the West branch meets up with the East branch of DuPage River, at the edge of this park. DuPage River then meets the Des Plaines River which next merges with Kankakee River to form Illinois River which finally meets up with the mighty Mississippi River which eventually empties into the Gulf of Mexico nearly 1,000 miles away..." So, that little park-bridge and that trickle of water down below, would now have a new meaning for me every time I see it...🙂...Next, say, we speak of the Seine River in Paris...this river flows through the city for only about 10 miles, but it has a total of 37 bridges (foot bridges and road bridges) that span the river within the city (i.e. nearly 4 bridges per mile...!). We know well of the big bridges of Paris...such as the famous "Pont Alexandre III"...hmm...I recall recently watching a Hallmark Movie...🙂...in which this bridge featured in re-joining of two (broken) heart lovers...Oh well... Anyway, most European countries have extremely large number of (historical) bridges. Ireland of my interest here is no exception. I searched for "10 Best Ireland Bridges"...to travel to in the virtual world, and I (randomly) picked three including (1) Thomond Bridge (2) Harry Blaney Bridge. Please note these are not eye-catching "high" structures, when viewed from the air, especially virtually, (as e.g. the Golden Gate Bridge is), so, (virtually) I could only spot the roadway on top of it. However, I'm quite sure these two (listed) bridges are admired and loved by the natives not only because they themselves are "pretty" ground-up, but also being located in beautiful surrounding countryside (See my pictures below, especially shot #s 12-20, past the mountains, leading up to the Harry Blaney Bridge in my last shot). The Thomond Bridge, on the other hand, see my pictures (shot #s 9-11), is in a metropolitan area. Hope you enjoy this collection of pictures...out of Ireland... (MSFS has done a good job here, if you ask me, of the geographical features) ...! Thanks for viewing...!

There have been some nice posts, here, in MSFS, about Africa. And I'd myself explored a bit of the northern Africa (specifically Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco). This 2nd largest continent surely has bit of a complex, curious, irregular and fascinating geographical shape...🙂...Basically, it has a thick tropical core in the middle sandwiched between an arid top section and a temperate bottom section. Of course, it has that unmistakable bulge on its north that tapers down southward. Today, I wished to travel part of the bottom cusp of that big bulge, west to east, along the Gulf of Guinea, from Ivory Coast (also known as Côte d'Ivoireto due to strong French influence) to Cameroon where the thick bulge of Africa starts tapering all the way down to South Africa (and Cape Town). I've picked (DIAP) Abidjan (the largest city but not the capital) of Ivory coast as ORIG, and (FKKD) Douala (also the largest city but not the capital) of Cameroon as my DEST. The distance (as the crow flies) is 950 miles. I wished to stay on the coastline for the first 500 miles (so, LNAV on the B737 is disabled, and its HDG SEL mode enabled), you may spot the South Atlantic Ocean on my starboard side, the vast blue of which extends south uninterrupted by any land all the way towards Antarctica. While examining the en-route terrain for this flight, I noticed the formidable (self-standing and singular) Volcanic summit of Mount Cameroon, blocking my way on approach to Doula. The skyscraping mountain, very near the sea, is just 30 miles northwest of Doula. So, it has to be most respectfully reckoned with, primarily because it's regarded as one of the most "active" and "effusive" volcanoes in Africa. The Oxford Dictionary defines two meanings of "Effusive" (1) expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure or approval in a heartfelt manner (no, clearly that cannot be it) (2) of igneous rock, poured out when molten and later solidified (yes, that's it). In our SIM, recently, I've visited many Volcanic Mountains (e.g., Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Fuji still fresh in my mind), but they all have been dormant for hundreds or thousands of years. For example, regarding Mt. Fuji, I'd read, "Children can also climb (and they do) to the summit of Mt. Fuji. Generally, a minimum age of 10 is a good place to start..."...Oh well...However, this one is decidedly different and no child's playground. For the first time in this SIM, I could see (bright-hot) red and orange colors of the spewed lava on the summit. And this is not a one-time occurrence, it's an on-going activity... (frankly it's rather fearsome to look at even virtually...please see specifically my sequence of pictures (shot #s 8-13) to visualize the appearance of the volcanic summit of this mountain). I have tracked myself to it, by simply entering a LAT/LONG user-waypoint of (N0413.0E00910.2, into the FMC, appearing as "WPT01" on the ND). It's amazing how, from 500 miles out, with LNAV (Direct To) enabled, the a/c took me exactly to the top of this mountain (see my VFR Map inset and ND screens as I've gone right over and past the summit). I've then let LNAV turn my a/c just atop the mountain towards Douala Airport. Since, I had planned to land on ILS Rwy 30 (the mountain has precluded any straight-in ILS 12 approach, there is an RNAV 12) and I'm heading south from atop the summit, the plane eventually (trustfully) made a U-turn, south of the airport, to align itself with Rwy 30 heading. You can see the shadowy and mysterious looking (broad) outline of Mount Cameroon straight ahead, as I have touched down into Douala's north-oriented Runway... Hope you enjoy this collection of images from one of my most exciting trips in this SIM, safely completed...🙂...featuring a livery, I liked for this 736...🙂....and memories of a mountain that would linger (uneasily) in my mind for quite some time... Thanks for viewing...!

During my trips to Denver, I had travelled twice to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City, because 1 mile = 5,280 ft, and believe it or not, the official elevation of Denver is (exactly) 5,280 ft, so, it cannot be any closer to a mile of elevation. The so-called Great Plains of U.S., the expanse of flatlands to the east of the Rockies, ends at the foothills of the Rockies, which begin just 15 miles west of Denver. So, one can clearly see the Rockies from this City. I recall, before heading out to the park...first having lunch at a restaurant, near the hotel we were staying, while looking out the window of the restaurant at the Rockies not far off. What made it special is that this Restaurant chain fortuitously happened to be the one with a location in Chicagoland area, so, I was familiar with it (my usual order was fire-grilled artichokes for appetizer, followed by seared tuna filets on top of the Asian Ahi Tuna Salad with wasabi and ginger, and topped off with a "single" order of crème brûlée (shared...!)....🙂...). So, it was the same there, except for the extra touch of the Rocky Mountains framed across the dining booth window, which made all the difference...🙂...to the meal...before I started out for the Rocky Mountain National Park. There are several ways to get there, about 60 miles away. One can take the Highway north, staying on the plains, as far as possible, before entering the foothills and mountains to the west, or one can first get closer to the foothills, and then take the CO state Route, skirting the eastern edge of Rockies all the way north, through the (uniquely beautiful) city of Boulder and its University of Colorado campus (had visited a friend there en-route, I recall...). For my flight here, I have followed the 2nd alternative (see the on-ground 1st shot of the MFD MAP Route displayed on what I believe is (stock) Garmin(?) avionics...🙂...). You can also see that from Denver International Airport (KDEN), I track directly west (actually towards the town of Golden, CO) nestled up against the mountains, and then turn 90 degrees north, flying along the edge of the foothills of the Rockies. However, feeling sufficiently empowered by the Pratt & Whitney Turboprops of the King Air...🙂..., with ample thrust at my fingertips, though I started out at 7,300 ft (just 2,000 ft radio altitude), I soon ventured into the mountains westward, nearabout where I would normally take the interior (country) road into the foothills onward to the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance...obviously, here, having to quickly climb to 15,000 ft for safe margin...(this hostile land is clearly no place for the stock Cub or Cessna...🙂...see my shot #s 8-13)... Then, I've descended (rapidly) from 15,000 ft back into the comfort of the plains and have finally captured the ILS Rwy 33 Approach into Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL), formerly called Fort Collins Airport (see my ending images). Hope you enjoy this collection of images from my (virtual) trip of a gingerly tryst with the majestic (but fearsome) Rockies... (I now miss that RW trip, and especially that nice lunch...🙂...while instead making now some Einkorn Fusilli for dinner...Oh well...) ...! Thanks for viewing...!

Today's post is a little different... A few days ago, I created a Blender 3D model of the Guimbal G2 to paint a livery and do some sightseeing in French Polynesia. As I was creating my livery for that adventure, I thought to myself..."this would make a great tutorial for anyone interested in learning to paint a simple aircraft in MSFS". So away I went this week on a mission...create an introductory, step-by-step video (and all the paint kit materials) for a paint tutorial. In the tutorial (if you're interested!), you're going learn to paint a fictional "NYC Air Taxi" based on the Cabri G2 Helo in MSFS. The paint kit (on Flightsim.to) includes a Blender 3D model as well as a simple GIMP 2D paint kit, with complete image stencils and included instructions to make the aircraft you see here. OK...and for those who don't really care about repainting...let's make this an interactive post anyway... The first photo today is of the Downtown Manhatten Heliport (KJRB)...who can name a Hollywood Movie featuring this location? (I'll start...the 1999 remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair"...I actually have both versions including the 1968 Steve McQueen original). Post your answer in the comments!!! Attached is a link to a Youtube Tutorial Video to paint this livery: Introduction to Livery RePainting in MSFS2020 (youtube.com) And the MSFS Paint Kit(s): Guimbal Cabri G2 Blender 3D and GIMP 2D Paint Kit and Tutorial for Microsoft Flight Simulator | MSFS

[Note: This post is partly triggered by a member suggestion to visit the Blue Mountains of Australia (please see my earlier post on "Red Devils and Red Flame" A320 flight). I'd planned next to explore the Gold Coast, but I've added here a visit to the Blue Mountains of New South Wales for this post.] Having just arrived in Sydney after overflying the Snowy Mountains, for this post, I lift off Sydney heading first northwest towards the Blue Mountains which are almost bordering on the outskirts of Greater Sydney area (just about 30 miles far as the crow flies). While (virtually) visiting this Blue Mountains range, I felt that though it's not as widespread as e.g., the Appalachian Mountains of U.S. East Coast (such as the Smokies and the Alleghenies, which I've had chance to visit several times), it presents a similarly scenic sense of charm and beauty (and that "bluish" and "dreamy" look...🙂...), which comes naturally with only low-elevation (cascading) range of mountains and ridges. The highest elevation of the Blue Mountains range is just under 4,000 ft, but it's undoubtedly pretty. Please see my pictures (shot #s 5-11), as I've tried to capture its mood under varying light conditions, as I have flown over and across it. Then I've headed toward Queensland and the famous Gold Coast, first arriving in the city of Gold Coast (YBCG), and then flying north along the pristine beaches of Gold Coast up towards Brisbane (YBBN), the capital of Queensland. Again, I've explored the moods of this beautiful coastline, infused with the golden glow of the sun rising to the east, off the South Pacific Ocean. Please see my (ending) pictures (shot #s 16-20), as I reluctantly bid farewell, for now, to the Gold Coast...🙂.... Hope you enjoy this collection of images from my trip. Thanks for viewing...!

First of all, the Pilatus Aircraft Webpage of the Company touts the PC-12 as the "The World’s Greatest Single" with surely justifiable credentials, and states the epithet we've often heard, assigned to this a/c, "PC-12 – Swiss army knife of the sky”. Pilatus also does not forget to remind us, in case any of us forget...🙂...that "PC-12 is Crafted in Switzerland". So, even in the virtual world, it's hard to put this a/c back after flying it in MSFS for the first time yesterday...🙂... I'd previously toured the (local) Lake Geneva (80 miles north of Chicago), (faintly) raising the hope of a few here that I was actually visiting the Lake Geneva that's known the world-over, the one in Switzerland, into which the famous Rhône River of Europe flows. Nonetheless, I'm glad that you got to know about the (other) Lake Geneva, around which, during my several visits there, I'd taken delightful (and memorable) strolls. But...the (Swiss) Lake Geneva, around which I've never had a chance to do the same, is what I'm overflying here (virtually). Regarding the (Swiss) Lake Geneva, some of you might recall that I'd (previously) traced (virtually) the Rhône River from its mouth on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, for about 100 miles upstream, all the way up to the heights of Rhône Glacier, over 10,000 ft, which is the source of the river. At Lake Geneva, so to speak, the Rhône River's hardest (first phase) part of the journey (through/past the high mountains of the Alps Range) is over. So, it gleefully enters Lake Geneva, as if it's taking a restful break on the peaceful waters of the Lake. Of course, this River's (important) job is not done yet. It would then flow out of the Lake and travel for another 400 miles or so, across EU and Southeastern France, leaving behind its historical, economic and ecological marks over these regions, and carving out many important cities of Europe. My focus here is the Lake not the river, but you can spot the entry point of Rhône River, near the foot of the Alps mountains, seen in my shot #s 16-17. One must realize that, at that point, the river having already made the (sharp) 90-degree turn, (just 20 miles, upstream) at Martigny, been forced against the immovable mountains, is now streaming down rapidly that valley and the plains towards Lake Geneva... So, please find a set of 20 pictures, below, as I've travelled, in this shiny silver PC-12 of mine...🙂..., a full circle, in a Clockwise loop, around the shorelines of the Lake. I've lifted off LSGG (RWY 04; it was always RWY 05, as far as I can remember during the decades of my FSX days...🙂...the heading has changed since, due to magnetic drift), and I have landed into RWY (LSGG) 22. My other Lake Geneva (close to home) was dotted with pretty homes on its shorelines, and here, the shorelines of this Lake Geneva, the largest in the Alps, in the far-off land, is dotted with (pretty) towns and cities, must be a most picturesque place to visit, for sure... Thanks for viewing.

Here's a guide on improving image quality for those using DLSS. Goal: to get the best image quality without a significant impact on performance. Useful for: those with Nvidia RTX GPUs. What is DLDSR? Deep learning dynamic super resolution utilizes the Tensor cores in RTX GPUs, in order to upscale the image to a higher than native monitor resolution. It then downsamples the image to fit the monitor. Whilst doing so it enhances the detail, edges, and shimmering of the image. With the advanced AI-tech included in DLDSR, Nvidia promises that the performance impact is only half compared to the much older DSR technology. There is an important caveat though: For G-Sync to work, MSFS resolution need to be set at the same as Windows resolution. What does DLSS have to do with this? Used in combination with DLDSR, DLSS can mitigate performance loss whilst still enabling a very high image quality. Especially when using DLSS super resolution in ultra quality mode (see below). Opinions of which is the better alternative - DLSS vs TAA - differ wildly, both on this forum as well as out there on the world wide web. I find that there's very little perceivable difference. According to an oct '23 article from PC Guide, DLSS could provide better results in some scenarios: Besides, DLSS is a relatively new technology which is continuously updated by Nvidia. How to enable DLDSR: Enable the first two options under DSR - Factors in global settings in Nvidia control panel: Restart the PC, start MSFS. It's now possible to use two higher resolutions than the native monitor's resolution. If you have a 4K 3840x2160 monitor, the two new available resolutions are 5461x2880 and 6144x3240. The difference in total pixels is huge: 3840x2160 = 8,3 megapixels 5461x2880 = 15,7 megapixels 6144x3240 = 19,9 megapixels I've found that the highest resolution (2.25x native) will increase the GPU load significantly, increasing temperature and fan noise. Thus, I use 5461x2880. How to enable DLSS ultra quality in MSFS? In MSFS graphics settings under DLSS, it's possible to choose from several alternatives, ranging from ultra performance to quality. The latter option downscales the image to 0.67x the rendered resolution. However, when using the latest DLSS version, another alternative can be chosen: ultra quality, which only downscales to 0.80x. This process of implementing this is a two-step process that involves 1) updating the DLSS version and 2) changing some settings in Nvidia profile inspector. Besides using DLSS ultra quality, there are other good reasons for updating to the latest DLSS version. Even though MSFS was featured by Nvidia when introducing DLSS3 in September 2022, the DLSS version in MSFS is outdated. Current version in MSFS is 2.4.12.0, if I'm not mistaken. The most recent Nvidia version is however 3.5.10.0. Why download the most recent version? Because newer versions of DLSS usually bring improvements in image quality, performance, or both. How to update DLSS version? There's actually two different DLSS "versions" - a "standard" (non-FG) one and one to be used with frame generation on RTX40-series cards. Those with RTX40-series cards need to update both versions. Non-FG version This version can easily be updated with the freeware app DLSS Swapper, which can be found here https://github.com/beeradmoore/dlss-swapper/releases/tag/v1.0.5.0 Here's a great instructional video on how to proceed: FG-version For this one, the original version has to be manually replaced by the updated version. Step by step process: Download the most recent version here: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-dlss-3-frame-generation-dll/ Make a backup copy of C:\XboxGames\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Content\nvngx_dlssg.dll. I just renamed the file to nvngx_dlssg.dll.old. Then extract the file from the downloaded .zip into C\XboxGames\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Content\ and choose replace. The abovementioned non-FG version can be found here, for those who wouldn't mind doing it manually: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-dlss-dll/ To double-check if you have the latest version, download GPU_Z, navigate in the top menu to advanced - NVIDIA DLSS, then start scanning. When finished, it will show the active DLSS version for MSFS (and other games/apps). Note: This procedure has to be repeated when updating MSFS (sim updates etc.). Using Nvidia Profile Inspector to enable DLSS ultra quality in MSFS This step involves changing some settings in profile inspector. For those who haven't used inspector before, it might seem a little overwhelming at first. I suggest watching a tutorial first to get familiar with the interface. Step by step process: download version 2.4.0.4 of inspector on GitHub go to issue #156 - DLSS related setting added - and download CustomSettingNames-DLSS.zip, or just use this link extract into inspector folder (the folder where nvidiaProfileInspector.exe resides) set the following settings as follows in inspector global profile under section 5 - Common: How to use force resizable BAR on in MSFS? While in inspector, I'd also recommend forcing rBAR on. This does not improve image quality, but can improve performance: Resizable BAR essentially makes the entirety of the graphics frame buffer accessible to the CPU at once; where it could once sip, it now guzzles. The idea is that once textures, shaders and geometry are loading in faster, games should run faster with higher frame rates. How to force rBAR on? Set these as following (also section 5 - Common): Some added tweaks In order to fine-tune visual quality further, I'd suggest editing some settings in UserCfg.opt settings. The file can be found here: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache. Open the file in notepad or Notepad++ then navigate to the PostProcess section. For those struggling with pixelated/grainy images (especially seen in clouds), I'd suggest changing FilmGrain from 1 to 0. To minimize the risk of seeing a halo effect around objects (trees, buildings), change Fringe from 1 to 0. Finally, for much better shadow quality, go to the section called Shadows and change from default 2048 to either 4096 or 6144. Conclusion: I find that I get a very high image quality using these techniques in combination. Cockpit instruments are crisp and easy to read and I don't have any ghosting on speedtapes etc. Hopefully someone finds this guide useful. It's lengthy and quite wordy as it's basically a summery of various youtube videos from IslandSimPilot and OverKillSimulations put into one place on this forum. EDIT: Updated March 17 due to incorrect DLSS update procedure

A long while ago, when I lived in Columbus (OH), I knew that the city was named after Christopher Columbus, even though the city does not really have any direct connection to the explorer. BTW, finding a city by the name of "Columbus" is all too common in the U.S. (after all, this was part of the so-called "New World" the explorer was heading out for...🙂...) ...In fact, out of the 50 U.S. states, there are now 23 states with a city called "Columbus", including my own state Illinois, which fact had escaped my attention till today. This village of Columbus (IL), I gather from on-line sources, has a population of "114" and an area of "one-fifth" of a sq mile...Oh well...still it's named after the famous explorer. The (better-known) city of Columbus (OH) is the largest city in the world named after the explorer. Columbus Day there was always a remarkably prominent celebration and event each year. I do recall visiting the (impressive) replica of the Santa Maria Ship, several times, in the Columbus downtown, proudly displayed on the bank of the Scioto River that flows through the city. However, as part of bits of looking up for this post, I learned that, due to multiple factors, since 2018, the Columbus Day event has been discontinued, and that Day has been also renamed. That (Santa Maria) Ship replica, in Columbus (OH), is supposed to be the world's most authentic (museum quality) representation of Columbus's flagship. When Columbus had set sail from the town of Palos (Palos de la Frontera), Spain, he had 3 ships with him, and the largest of the 3, a square-rigged ship, was Santa Maria. Today, the nearest airport to Palos is the Seville Airport of Spain, 50 miles inland eastward, which is the destination of my flight today. Seville was historically the pivotal city, from where nearly every Spanish voyage, across the Atlantic, for the "New World", had begun. It was also where Columbus had received permission for his voyage in 1492. Air Madrid, the airline of my choice for this flight and for this post, in preference to e.g., the big and mighty Iberia...🙂..., was an extremely short-lived Spanish airline, that lived and operated for only 3 years (2003-2006) ...again an unknown repainter is ahead of me...🙂.... the airline did have one A310-300 in its fleet, with Reg. ID (D-AIDH), that's seen below in my images. So, please find this collection of images as I fly here the Air Madrid A310, from its namesake capital city of Madrid (LEMD) westward to Seville (LEZL) (and getting that much closer to Palos). So, while flying to Seville today, in the virtual world, I could not help thinking simultaneously about both the city of Columbus (OH), my one-time domicile, and the famous explorer, Columbus himself. [Note: The iniBuilds A310 is flying quite well on my Xbox, and I like it a lot, except that, due to some reasons, I cannot take screenshots effectively without (mostly) losing control of the aircraft when I un-pause the SIM, so, my ability to capture screenshots is limited...] Anyway, thanks for viewing these images of this Airbus on a short flight to the city that was the (real) starting point of the famous explorer's voyage(s) and thereby so closely associated with his life and adventures...creating, on the side, the 23 Columbus named cities in U.S....🙂...The city of Seville is also Columbus's final resting place...! Thanks for viewing...!

OK, first of all, I have to admit I cannot resist the red color in an aircraft repaint...🙂...the redder the better...So, for this post, I'm piloting an eye-catching, red-colored plane for the Belgium National Football Team (to the U.S. folks, this is not Football but Soccer...🙂...), travelling in the Country Down Under for a match with the local team. In this leg of my journey, I am flying the A320 between Melbourne (YMML) and Sydney (YSSY). Some of the Team members were inquiring of yours truly, the (virtual) Pilot-In-Command, if Australia has any mountains. Being a lifelong mountain lover, I responded, "Sure, it has, and, in fact, it's pure coincidence that the Snowy Mountains range of the Australian Alps is directly on our flight path to Sydney, including the highest peak of the mainland, Mount Kosciuszko at over 7,000 ft". I also entered in Mount Kosciuszko's Lat/Long co-ordinates (-36.4558970, 148.3635987) into the official "World Map" FlightPlan and uploaded the route into the CDU of the A320, to ensure we will be exactly overflying this mountain....🙂... Please find 20 pictures, below, from this flight of ours today. BTW, this scenery includes installation of my final (only remaining one till today) World Update for Australia, though the Update has been available via the MSFS Marketplace since a very long time. All I can say is that this Update seems like a wonderful (and importantly free) scenery enhancement that gave me an excellent impression of the unique terrain and landscape features of this segment of the continent, speaking, of course, from a purely (virtual) tourist perspective, never been actually there... The rolling range of Snowy Mountains (shot #s 8-10) in southeastern New South Wales, that straddle today's terrain route between Melbourne and Sydney are seen in shot #s 8-10. I was pre-informed that Mount Kosciuszko is typically snow covered during the months of June through October, so, I didn't see snow on top of it today (shot #11), but, nonetheless, the entire cascading range of mountains, leading up to this highest point, provided scenic vistas from the plane flying at low altitude (< 10,000 ft). Hope you enjoy this collection of pictures from our flight...excusing the sighting of the (roaming) Red Devils A320 in a far-off foreign land...🙂...! Thanks for viewing...!

My Title sounds a bit like that of a (possibly romantic) novel...🙂...but it's not. A long while ago I was once talking over the phone with a colleague from Slovakia, who was in Slovakia... (now, where exactly is Slovakia located in EU again...🙂...?). Anyway, though not admitting my ignorance up front, I made a (polite and amicable) comment to her that it's a beautiful country that I would like to visit sometime. Of course, I was quite sure that such countries in EU though not as frequented by (mass tourists) as some of the well-known EU countries, are typically very beautiful with that old European charm distinctive to the country and culture. Then, I happened to speak with her again recently, and then thought to myself, it's time to make use of the MSFS tool, to overcome the void of my ignorance about Slovakia, even though at a virtual level. This is another country, btw, that I would not have thought of venturing into in my earlier SIMs, even in my wildest dreams...🙂...So, let me share with you a bit of my (own) experience, here, via this collection of 20 pictures, below. First of all, about that "Rain" thing in the Title...I added (artificially) rain and clouds to make my journey a bit more exotic and adventurous in this foreign land (MSFS Rain is always remarkably realistic feeling, though I can't say the same about those clouds...🙂...). Anyway, I travel here from western part of Slovakia from the capital city of Bratislava across the country to Košice which is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. My on-line sources that always tell me the "4" different ways to travel between any 2 cities of my interest, says that the cheapest way to travel (the 280 miles) between Bratislava and Košice (not considering flight, which I'm doing already here...🙂...) is by Bus for ($20-$50). Good to know...if I ever get a chance to go. Most significantly, for this mountain lover, the trip touches the southern edge of the series of (somewhat disjointed and less than 10,000 ft, but beautiful) "Tatra Mountains" (see shot #s 10-12) that form the natural border between Slovakia and Poland. Regarding aircraft, I've used the Carenado/Pilatus PC-12, which I had purchased several months ago when I'd also got the PA-34 but have not had a chance to deploy for my flights, so far. On retrospect, I don't know if it was a good choice today. Compounded by self-induced low-visibility conditions, this plane, at least on my Xbox system, posed one problem after another, most significantly the blank (or dark as you might say) avionics (Glass) Screens. Sometimes I wonder, how come, when I flew the PMDG 736, for the very first time, on Xbox, everything, to my limited knowledge, worked as perfectly as it had done decades ago on my FSX, but this simpler a/c did not...Oh well... Some of us here, surely, would recall that Flight1 PC-12 we had flown in older SIMs. So, I know this a/c since a long time in our virtual world. Just now, for a bit of nostalgia, I visited that F1 webpage, and read, "Notice: Please read our FS9 Limited Support before purchasing this Product.". OK, got it. Then, more significantly, a statement from the Vice President of Pilatus Business Aircraft, "We'd been looking for a high-quality Pilatus PC-12 plug-in for Microsoft Flight Simulator for several years, and as soon as we heard Flight One had one available, we browsed their website to look at what they'd created. We were simply blown away by what we saw...". If that's not a (credible) complement, then I don't know what is. Unfortunately, I wish I could say my experiences today with this PC-12 were similar. I'd been forewarned by on-line discussions though...but was hoping updates etc. would have fixed some of the commonly mentioned anomalies by now... Anyway, no one can fault the look of this aircraft in the MSSF world...simply beautiful. That more than made up for my gloom with the avionics deficiencies. So, please find these 20 images, from my trip today, across Slovakia, which educated me well enough that I could now have a more (honest) chitchat with my colleague next time I happen to speak with her...or even better, maybe I should call her up right away...🙂... Thanks for viewing these pictures...! Hope you enjoy...! And Happy Easter Weekend to those who are celebrating it...!

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...!

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.

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.

The saying goes, "There's a first time for everything". Here, I mean in the SIM...e.g., surely, we recall well the first time we'd pushed the Throttles of the PMDG Base (600/700) NG for FS9, with unprecedented anticipation and excitement...🙂...back in 2003, more than 2 decades ago, heralding the age of high-fidelity 737 simulation on the desktop. And soon, there will be another first...the coveted long-hauler 777 in the world of MSFS...🙂...yes, that will be a first no matter how many times you've flown it before in the virtual world, or how many times you've crossed the Oceans in the Real World 777... Likewise, in the previous SIMs, I do not recall any flying in the Far East countries, China/Japan/Korea being the prime examples of it. Of course, there were airports in our SIMs for Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul respectively, and the diehards among us, yours truly included, might have (occasionally) flown extra-long-hauls from Kennedy or Heathrow to such destinations...in spite of the awareness that there were really no topographical features to discern within those countries...as one could e.g., in the PNW... Anyway, in MSFS, I've now tested Japan (with the World Update), Korea (without any Update), and here, in this post, I take a trip in China (also without any Update). I fly the China Southern Airline's C208 Caravan, exploring the region north of China Southern's Hub, the city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. A World Update certainly does wonders for any region, whether e.g., it's the Caribbean or Japan. So, despite no such Update, for this part of China, my excursion still proved fruitful, in my opinion. It gave me a good feel of the geographical features of the region (which was not possible in the previous SIMS, hence a first...). I learned about the scattered mountains (small and big; see my images) as one traverses, across the plains, northward from Guangzhou into the heartland of China, and the famous Pearl River (2nd only to the iconic Yangtze River) that flows right through Guangzhou City (see images of it in my landing shots). I have lifted off Rwy 02L (ZGGG) of Guangzhou Airport and returned (home) to land also on the same 02L (ILS) Rwy of Guangzhou. The Caravan (Reg. B-3610), below, is indeed a RW aircraft that belongs to China Southern Airlines. Hope you enjoy this collection of 20 images. Thanks for viewing.

[First of all, I'd always thought that being on the Xbox, on a close (and quarantined) system, I could not self-inflict any pains on myself...🙂...even if inadvertently...plus my limited inventory of aircraft and scenery (i.e., no freeware) has (generally) kept me out of trouble too. However, today was different...the (blue) progress bar, at the bottom of my screen, was stuck for ever and simply didn't budge, its leading edge stopped, aligned with the tail-tip of the Cessna Longitude (above the progress bar) proudly flying high, on the Splash Screen...🙂...that's how I could tell, the bar was not advancing...! Only repeated attempts of not-so-graceful procedures such as (Sign-out-of-Xbox, Turn-Xbox-console-off-on, Quit-MSFS-altogether etc.) finally brought me back to the World Map Window...Phew...This was worse than the haunting memory of the (blue) "spinning-circle-of-death" CTD on my FSX system...🙂...Oh well...Eventually I got back to some flying...I'm thankful...] I've heard there is a silver lining even to the darkest clouds, so, one thing in the SIM made my day today. On the Xbox, I do not have access to the (nice) DC-3 Mods (notably Duckworks) along with its associated Autopilot enhancements. Therefore, so far, I've been flying the (stock/Asobo) DC-3 manually, by the seat-of-my-pants, so to speak...banking, climbing, descending, and landing while watching the gauge needles...it's fun but not convenient. For my flight today, I wished to fly the DC-3 in an interesting livery, and I chose SAS. When I got into the cockpit...lo and behold...I found a couple of GPS units and a basic Autopilot Panel (see my cockpit shots) ...smiling back at me...🙂...It appears, for one of the several DC-3 livery Packs I'd picked up (from the Marketplace) a while ago, the repainter had (thoughtfully) chipped in a cockpit enhancement (of a GPS and Autopilot combo) to go with the liveries, SAS airline included. So, for today's DC-3 flight of mine...it felt like having the most advanced avionics at my fingertip...who needs EFB/CDU and such...🙂...All I had to do, was to enable the ILS approach on the GPS, click [ALT-HOLD] and [NAV] for my (cumbersome) DC-3 to (meekly) follow the magenta line all the way to the ILS RWY [FAF] of my destination airport. Once there, for GS guidance and landing, the [APR] button too worked well with this (stock) DC-3. The SAS DC-3 (Reg. SE-CFP) that I'm flying, here, across only 40 miles, from Stockholm Arlanda (ESSA) westward to Stockholm Västerås (ESOW), is a special a/c. Built in 1943, in the thick of WW II and christened "Daisy", this DC-3 has the rare distinction of having taken part in the 1944 D-Day operations. Post War, "Daisy" was renamed" "Fridtjof Viking" (see nose of the DC3 images below) to become one of the first aircraft in SAS fleet. After more than 80 years, owned by no less than 8 different owners, and been obviously (lifelong) well-taken-care-of, it's still (pleasure) flying today as a privately owned a/c of the "Flying Veterans" Association (this marking also seen on the rear fuselage). Though this DC-3 is no longer sponsored by SAS, SAS has allowed its colors to continue on the a/c, out of affection and deference for its legacy, I guess... Please find this collection of 20 images of my blissful flight from the capital city Stockholm to Västerås over the gentle hills, prairies, lakes, and streams of Sweden, with DC-3 "Daisy" (aka: Fridtjof Viking) ...equipped with GPS and Autopilot...which made a world of difference to me today...🙂... Thanks for viewing...!

A long while ago, I had a colleague (and officemate) who, around each end of year, would invariably make his holiday trip from Chicago to Algiers, visiting his family. The reason I recall this well because I would sometimes give him a ride to O'Hare, directly from work, at the end of workday, which was convenient for him (and I didn't mind a visit to the big airport...the aviation fan that I am/was...🙂...). Anyway, my (driving) conversation with him would go somewhat as follows: Me: "So, is it a direct flight from Chicago to Algiers or with a stop in Europe?" He: "From here, I always go to Paris (Orly) first in a "big" plane, and then I go to Algiers in a "small" plane." Me: "The "big" plane...is it a Boeing or an Airbus?" [Note: You've to realize, having been flying the (stock FS9/FSX) 737, 747, 777, 321 for a while, I already felt like an authority on all kinds of commercial airplanes..."small" and "big"...🙂...] He: "I don't know." Me: "OK, do you know how many engines does this "big" plane have...2, 3 or 4?" He: "Two". [Note: It turned out that his "big" plane was an Air Algerie B767 and his "small" plane was an Air Algerie B737.] Anyway, in my MSFS, I've no 767, one of my favorite twins in the SIM (since the LVLD's SIM 767 glory days), but I wished to replicate the smaller 2nd-segment of my colleague's flight from Paris (Orly) to Algiers. So, please find below 20 images of my flight today as I fly from Paris Orly (LFPO) to the Algerian capital city airport of Algiers (DAAG). Geographically, there are two (significant) features on my (southward) route I was a-priori aware of. I would cross the Pyrenees range of mountains at the border of France and Spain (see shot #s 6/7), and I would have to overfly the Alboran Sea (which is actually the westernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea) lying between southern Spain and northern Africa (see shot #s 8/9/10). The seaport city of Algiers resides on the northernmost edge of Africa. In fact, no sooner had my 737 made landfall into the African continent (see my ending images) than the (final approach) ILS guidance of my a/c kicked in, sharply (but reassuringly) banking my plane eastward towards the ILS Rwy 09 of Algiers airport. As I visited Algeria today, I was (fondly) reminded of my recent (virtual) trips to the adjoining lands of Morocco and Tunisia...🙂... Thanks for viewing this collection of images. Hope you enjoy...!

It's well-known that the Airlines are tough business to survive. Fierce competition, high and volatile cost of (and critical dependency on) fossil fuel, and other capital-intensive investments in aircraft, maintenance, and infrastructure etc. make it one of the most challenging sectors of the economy. This is especially true if the airline is a new entrant into the market. On top of all these, the COVID Pandemic years put significant stress on the airline industry, by reduction of domestic and international travel demand. Seasoned and established airlines coped with the Covid challenges by converting e.g., their business model from pax-based to cargo-based operations (freight and cargo operators actually benefited from a rise in demand for air cargo during the Pandemic). I was reading a bit today. Have you heard of the term "Preighters"? I had not...and not in the Dictionary...🙂...Well...It is the term actually used by the Chief Lufthansa Executive to describe aircraft that are converted from passenger purposes to freighter purposes. It was a phenomenon (and a strategy for survival) that had uniquely arisen due to the (prolonged) global pandemic. Airlines are now slowly returning to profitability, but numerous airlines (unfortunately) failed to survive the pandemic. Here is one example. Hi Air of South Korea was a regional airline that started operations in 2019, purchased 2 ATR 72s in 2020 to (ambitiously) expand further its network, in spite of the imminent (but not fully visualized) global slump in air travel. 2020 was indeed an unfortunate choice. So, last year, in 2023, just 3 years after inception, the airline folded and was forced to cease all operations. Though the airline survived and operated for such a short period, a repainter has chosen to keep it alive in our virtual world by recreating its attractive livery and logo (see below) that caught my attention today. The airline's first route was between the city of Ulsan (RKPU) in the southeast corner of the country to the Capital of Seoul (RKSI) in the northwest corner of the country, which is the route I've replicated for this post. The country is fairly mountainous, though the highest summit is just over 6,000 ft. Here, I've overflown the T'aebaek Mountains, stretched along the east coast, with the Sea of Japan seen on my starboard side...on my way to Seoul's Incheon International airport. The (default) MSFS rendition offered me a fairly good idea about the country's topography (I'm thankful for it), but it clearly lacked details in terms of airport and cityscape features. Nonetheless, this trip, was an opportunity, for the first time ever, in the SIM, to explore and glimpse the geographical features of this country and these places, far-far-away from mine... Please find below 20 pictures from my flight today. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for viewing...!

A long while ago, lasting for a decade and half, I would (invariably) make my once-a-year road trip from Ohio to destinations on the east coast of U.S. mostly to Maryland and Washington, D.C., and occasionally to New Jersey, visiting friends and relatives. The distance was not too much...e.g., about 400 miles from Columbus (OH) to Washington (DC). I could do this in one driving stint of about 6-7 hours, with one break for stretching of legs and for restroom, though, if I were to do this now, I might need more than one health break...🙂...Anyway, I always thought, and still think so, there is no better way to familiarize yourself with the heartlands of Midwest, than driving this directly eastward route that traverses basically 3 states, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, before diving south towards Maryland and Washington, DC. The West Virgina segment of the Highway almost does not count...a thin strip of < 15 miles, across the state's peculiarly shaped (narrow) panhandle; so, you see the sign of West Virginia welcoming you, and just 10 mins later, you see West Virginia bidding you farewell. Always felt a bit strange... On this route, you cross over many significant rivers and bridges (I love bridges), and then you enter the famous Appalachian Mountains of eastern U.S. A major portion of my route would traverse the state of Pennsylvania, along the so-called Pennsylvania Turnpike of Tollway system. The Appalachians are no Rockies (nor Alps) for sure, with highest elevation of only about 6,000 ft, but they have posed significant (and daunting) obstacles to eastward travel across U.S., through the century. They stop your eastward journey on its track and dare you to cross them. Though hardly (2,000-3,000) ft high on average, they span north-south extensively, and there is simply no way around them except boring holes through them thanks to Alfred Nobel's invention of "Dynamite"...🙂...man against the mountains. This is how the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built...with 7 Tunnels through 7 mountains of the Appalachian range. Out of the 7-tunnels, actually 4 Tunnels are in active use today, though which I would make my way on my trip. I'm more familiar with cities and towns around these mountains than the Rockies, and these mountains, though troublesome for highway system, are beautiful, with a perpetually bluish, picturesque and dreamy look about them. When I would (suddenly) enter one of these Tunnels of darkness, after hours of (non-stop) driving in bright sunlight, with my sunglasses on, I would often forget to take my sunglasses off, until my wife would remind me, "Why don't you take your sunglasses off?" I would then feel my face to see that I've indeed my glasses on, and would say, "How about you? You are not taking your sunglasses off...", and then the inevitable reply, "But...I'm not driving...", so, it was clearly a losing argument on my part...🙂...The active tunnels of today along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, were (originally) built more than 140 years ago, in 1881, under the auspices of South Pennsylvania Railroad, when automobile travel was not yet popular. Four of those Tunnels were later adapted (with (extra) parallel bores built for multi-lane traffic) for roadway travel in the 1940s (considered "engineering marvels" of the time). So, there are now left behind a few (abandoned) "Ghost" Tunnels in Pennsylvania, nearly forgotten, under the Appalachian Mountains...with their own stories to tell...🙂...if anyone would listen... In my pictures below, I've focused on 2 of the 4 Tunnels I would cross in my (past) trips: (1) Allegheny Tunnel under the Allegheny Mountain (2) Tuscarora Tunnel under the Tuscarora Mountain (LAT/LONG co-ordinates of both derived from Google-Earth and inserted into the MSFS FlightPlan). As I lift off, below, from Pittsburgh (KPIT), these are the first 2 Tunnels (each more than a mile long) that would have to be reckoned with on my (roadway) journey to Washington, DC., but so nice, here, that I don't need to worry about these in my aerial flight....🙂... (See e.g., my shot #11 for the Highway I must have travelled on). In my pictures (shot #s 14-17) of the 2 Tunnel entrances, observe how the I-76 Highway disappears into the mountains. I've also included one image (shot #18) where from my vantage (aerial) viewpoint, you could spot the Highway re-emerging on the other side of the mountain... Please enjoy this collection of images, below, of a classic U.S. airline, Eastern, and its DC-3, tracking the Tunnels of Pennsylvania Turnpike. Eastern operated 76 DC-3s, with flights in the same region (similar to Allegheny Airlines of my previous post), over and across the Appalachian Mountains that bring one of the most unpredictable and turbulent weather patterns in the U.S., naturally associated with such mountains (they are magnets for cloud and rain). In fact, on almost every occasion I've travelled through these mountains and the valleys, I vividly recall instances of gathering clouds and rain, except during the Fall season...with bright sun and stunningly beautiful colors of foliage, on the wayside, on the forests, hills, and mountains of Pennsylvania Turnpike...there is nothing better to soothe your mind during long driving...as I would be glad to be finally on the plains, free of Tunnels, towards my destination on the east-coast (see my last shot)... Thanks for viewing and your interest...!