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A while ago, while updating my SIM for the World Update with Italy, I had noticed, in the description, an honorable mention of "Malta" (island) scenery been also offered some attention in the same Update. And, lately, I've been roaming over all these (pretty) islands (actually more correctly "archipelagos" which are geographically quite appealing too). The Isles of Scilly certainly comes to mind, consisting of 5 or 6 main islands and numerous (around 140) mostly nameless (unhabitable) rocky outlets...which all together give a distinctive charm to that place, located at the southernmost corner of the greater archipelago that is UK and Great Britain....🙂...Anyway, I was reminded of Malta today... The island country Malta is also an archipelago, located strategically on the Mediterranean Sea between Europe (Italy) and Africa (Tunisia), both of these latter regions, I've recently explored in the SIM. The Maltese archipelago has a total of exactly 5 islands (out of which Malta and Gozo are the main two, which I've thoroughly toured, interior lands and coastlines, see images below). Then there are two miniscule islands (not name-less but un-inhabited). One of them, Cominotto, which I've simply overflown, is supposedly accessible, I read, for visits as follows, "One popular option to reach this secluded paradise, part of the famous Blue Lagoon, is to take a ferry to the Blue Lagoon and then swim across to Cominotto. However, one must be aware that it could be risky because there are high underwater currents around here... (I see...🙂...) ...another option is to rent a private charter boat..."...hmm.... this sounds preferable (and more convenient) ...🙂... Malta island with ~100 sq miles of area and dense population (imagine half-a-million people in a (10 miles x 10 miles) area), is an extremely interesting urban complex infused with rich history, beautiful beaches and colorful landscapes. Though lacking in (extensive) green vegetations and rolling pastures (that I've seen in my recent (virtual) visits to other islands), I was especially struck, here, by the rosy and red hues of its topography and topsoil (many images below). So, here we go as I travel in my (likeable) V-Tail Bonanza personal transport, lifting off northward from Malta International Airport (LMML), for this island tour, and eventually reverting back to the same airport for a landing on its southward Runway 13. Thanks for viewing...! Hope you enjoy...!

OK, I've been hanging around Southwest England a lot lately as a (non-local) awestruck tourist...for several days...discovering the beauty of mountain-less land...🙂...and prodding a few others here (local and non-local) to do the same....🙂...I've visited Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall Coast and Newquay Airport...etc... So, before, I finally head back across the 7 Seas to Illinois, USA, I thought I would pay a visit to Lizard Point (also in Cornwall, and often called just "Lizard" by the natives...🙂...), which is the most southerly point of mainland Great Britain, of course, losing the absolute (southernmost) title by a whisker (only by 4 miles of Celtic Sea) to St Agnes of the Scilly Isles, which I've also visited... Previously, on my way from St Mary's Airport (EGHE) to Newquay Airport (EGHQ), I'd vertically crossed the southernmost coastline of (mainland) England, and, here, I travel horizontally, from West to East, skirting the same coastline, from Land's End Airport (EGHC), all the way to Lizard Point (see my MFD Map shot #2, below, for relative positions of these two locales, across a distance of only about 25 miles). There is no airport at Lizard, the nearest airport being Land's End where I've started from... Of interest and note: Land's End, my ORIG, is the most westerly point of mainland England, again, losing the absolute (westernmost) title narrowly to Corrachadh Mòr in the Scottish Highland (by a margin of just about 20 miles). I was reading further a bit: Which is better, the Lizard Point or Land's End...? Lizard Point has just a car park, couple of shops/eateries and the nearby village (Lizard village is half-mile north of the Lizard Point overlook). On the other hand, it says, Land's End has been bought and turned into a sort of theme park. So, the Lizard definitely fits my bill better...🙂...my younger days of fascination with crowded Theme Parks being things of the past now...🙂...Well...Nonetheless, both Land's End and Lizard Point are special corners of the Earth. As someone said here, the next stop west across the vast Atlantic Ocean, 2,000+ miles away, is Newfoundland...! So, here we go...please find a collection of 20 pictures, as I fly eastward from Land's End to Lizard Point along the coast (and the cliffs), at altitudes (varying between 500 ft to 2,000 ft) with the setting sun behind me, and in the comfort of my (favorite tourer twin) Dornier 62...🙂...In my last 4 screenshots except the last one, I've reached Lizard Point (and overhead of it), as also seen on the MFD Map. In the final image, I'm (reluctantly) turning my a/c backwards to trace my route (back) to Land's End airport...with no place to put my aircraft down around there in Lizard... Thanks for viewing. Hope you enjoy.

Here is another of my "Getting to know River XYZ..."...🙂...and bits of Geography Lesson via MSFS (for myself too). I am particularly curious about World Rivers that are not so well-known outside of their countries. I might have heard about them, but always curious to know a bit more. So, here we go. We all know of the famous Nile River of Africa, longest in Africa, and arguably the longest river in the world (running toe-to-toe with the other famous river, Amazon of South America). Nile may have originated near Kenya Border (Lake Victoria) with 11 countries sharing its water, but my subject, here, is the forceful and furious (Kenya's) Tana River that's wholly contained within Kenya. The other motivation for today's post is my wish to fly the (distinctive) V-Tail Beech Bonanza (I recall, I'd purchased both the PA34 Seneca and the V35 Bonanza, as Carenado's SALE items together, a long while ago, but have not got to fly the Bonanza yet). It's ironic, for those of us who have been engaged in this hobby long enough, how many times we keep purchasing the same aircraft, over and over again, often from the same developers...🙂...e.g., props (like this one) and jetliners (like 7x7/3xx). I do recall from decades ago, when Carenado was allowing its early aircraft to be included free as part of other vendor's scenery products. We now pay top $ for their aircraft...with not that many SALEs...🙂...Nonetheless, they have stuck around producing a/c that are pleasing to look at...🙂...for sure. This V-Tail Bonanza, one of my favorites, since my earliest SIM days, has frankly never looked better to me (see below, for close-up shots of it). Now, Tana River is the longest and deepest river of Kenya, and a major contributor to Kenya's sustenance (water, agriculture, hydro-energy, and ecosystem). Here is another curious fact, I found about Tana. The mouth of a River (where the river meets the sea) is typically dictated by the river itself and natural processes. In Tana's case, however, more than a century ago, humans had created a canal on Tana, for containing its natural flow and using it for navigation. The flooded river, instead, cut through to the canal, and found an easier way to the Indian Ocean using the same man-made canal. So, currently, Tana's main course into its mouth is an artificial one, rather than the complex (natural) system of channels and distributaries of its former mouth (which still exists today). See my concluding images of the river's merger with Indian Ocean, and you'll see how there seems to be just one mainstream flow emptying into the sea, radically different from that of e.g. Mississippi or Po, that I'd shown before here. Tana originates in the mountainous range from an elevation of ~11,000 ft, ~85 miles north of Nairobi, near about the region of Mount Kenya (which has named the country after it and is the 2nd highest peak in Africa after Kilimanjaro). The river would then flow for 1,000 kms through Kenya's coastal plains meandering its way to the Indian Ocean. Lately, the river has been running rampant, causing havoc and devastation in Kenya townships. Kenya has two rainy seasons, the major one in Mar-May (about now), and another minor one in Oct-Dec. There are 5 (large) dams constructed along Tana River, and while humans try to contain and leverage the river's power this way, Tana, in recent weeks (and months), fed by torrential rainfall, is bursting through its banks, overflowing multiple of these dams, creating flashfloods and landslides... Here, I explore the (peaceful) sites of Tana's origin and dissolution. First, I've taken the short flight from Nairobi (HKJK) to the river's source in the Aberdare Mountains (until I've spotted its thin trickle emerging from these highland forests, see shot #s 8-12). Next, I've taken off from Mombasa (HKMO), traversing, as the crow flies, the 120 miles, most of it over Indian Ocean, to the mouth of Tana River. See my last 7 pictures, as the Sun is rising in the east, off the Indian Ocean, behind my back, and I've reached the confluence of this river and the sea, and then I'm heading inland up the (single and broad) stream of Tana River... In the final 3 images, my a/c is exactly aligned with the course of the river, with the moon above me...🙂..., and Tana below. The metallic skin of my (V-Tail) Bonanza is glowing in this morning light...of this speedster a/c that had defined beauty and class more than 50 years ago, its follies and troubles of the 80s, now almost forgotten... Thanks for viewing. Hope you enjoy...!

I have been always fond of the colorful Air Jamaica livery and found this A310 repaint lurking in my hangar. So, I felt like lifting it up today, one more time, for its own old times' sake, into the blue skies, above the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, that it was once so familiar with. I've lifted off Rwy 25 of MKJS (Sangster International Airport; one time Hub of Air Jamaica) and have taken a short loop over the city of Montego Bay, skirting the northern coastlines of Jamaica island. I've finally landed back on Rwy 07. Jamaica's culture was historically heavily influenced by Spanish colonization, and you will notice the print "Spirit of Spanish Town" on both LHS and RHS chins of this aircraft. [The shown Reg. (6Y-JAB) A310-324 had actually started its life with Delta Air Lines, served with Air Jamaica for 5 years, and ended its life with PIA Pakistan International.] Thanks for viewing...! Hope you enjoy...!

This is a follow-up to my previous post on the Isles of Scilly. As I'd mentioned there, I was barely able to take off St Mary's Airport (EHGE)...with a bit of daredevilry that is not well-advised for this Douglas behemoth...🙂...I don't have yet that STOL capable, sturdy, nimble, and reliable BN-2 at my disposal, which is really the aircraft that is suitable for commuting in these miniscule islands (true in RW too, btw). Anyway, having thoroughly toured the 5 main islands and immensely enjoying the beauty of this place, it dawned on me that I better find a place to land next... (having ruled out the NDB approach back to St. Mary's short runway due to pilot's lack of confidence...🙂...). So, here, I've headed out, across the sea, towards the mainland with my mind (initially) set for the Land's End Airport (EGHC). Land's End is only about 30 (flying) miles from St Mary's, and I can surely handle it...I thought.... See my 2nd image below, from the cockpit, where I start out by flying over (and bidding fond farewell to) the fast receding "islets" of Scilly, while pondering at the same time, about this disjointed land that was once all together...in the ancient times...12,000 years ago...🙂...Well...then a change of plan while enroute...!! As the DC-3's (minimal) GPS was (reliably) tracking its route to EGHC, myself imbibing a soothing beverage of my preference...🙂..., I looked up this EGHC airport some more. I knew beforehand that it has ~2,500 ft runways. However, first of all, I couldn't motivate myself today to tackle an RNAV approach with this DC-3 and its most rudimentary (and a bit finicky too, if you ask me) avionics suite (I'm using here the (stock) Asobo version, un-modded). I perused bits more of on-line discussions about this airport in a British Forum, which outlined the "good", "bad", and "ugly" features of the airport (see below) ...hmm...somehow, I'm reminded, here, of Clint Eastwoods's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"...🙂...must have watched it at least 3+ times.... Anyway, about EGHC: [The Good] A former VFR-only airport getting IFR procedures is rare and always a good thing. [The Bad] It seems they will charge you (not a concern for me), but the approach will take the aircraft over water and out of glide for quite a bit of time (a valid concern for me). [The Ugly] A truckload of UK-type (can't say the prohibited word here, but it starts with "bull" and has 4 more letters...and spoken like a true British (or even an American), I took this bit seriously here...🙂...) ...essentially it said that the new IFR procedures at EGHC come with many restrictions and dos and don'ts etc. Thus, dissuaded from EGHC, as I (frantically) looked for an alternative airport, preferably with an ILS approach where I can easily guide my DC-3 down with LOC/GS guidance, I found the Cornwall Airport Newquay (EGHQ) just 35 miles further up along the (Cornish) coastline. I then directed my DC-3 towards Newquay's ILS Runway 30 (see my approach and landing images below). In my 4th shot, below, you'll see me making Landfall near Land's End (the words here have a nice rhythm to it...🙂...) ...against the rugged coastlines. Land's End is the most westerly point of mainland England, but not the westernmost point of mainland Great Britain, as this title is narrowly taken by a site in the Scottish Highlands. However, the topography of Land's End region is quite striking indeed, with rocky cliffs, rough seas, and delicate pastures and farmlands...all these elements combining together to give this region remarkable (natural) beauty (see my images, shot #s 5-14, aided by decent MSFS rendition, as I overfly this (mountain-free) region in a relaxed manner soaking in the ambience and beauty of this short passage, on my way to Newquay)... Hope you enjoy this collection of images from my trip...! Thanks for viewing...!

First of all, the monumental feat of airmanship while landing the (massive) C-17 on Scilly Isles' EGHE Runway...🙂...see Andy's post...should be something to seriously reckon with...🙂... Andy says it took several attempts, but surely, he has nailed it on his final attempt. And, if one can do it once, one will probably be able to repeat it without as much difficulty...being already familiar with the terrain and approach features of this unique airport. Anyway, after viewing that post I felt encouraged to try, for myself, a landing into the other (north) Runway of EGHE (Andy had landed on the west Rwy 27; see the overhead image below (shot #3) of the crisscrossing (09/27 and 14/32) runways). I noticed that Rwy 32 of EGHE allows for an NDB approach. Now, it has been more than 10 years since I last accomplished an NDB approach in the SIM (you see, these are the days of GPS, FMS and EFB...anything less (such as VOR/NDB Navigation) is tantamount to stone age (aviation) technology...🙂...because these are now obsolete...) ...Moreover, in MSFS, I didn't have a good idea about how to set up for an NDB Approach. Some research indicated that the G1000 allows for tuning to the desired NDB frequency (for St Mary's EGHE Rwy 32, the NDB (ID = STM) frequency is "321.0"). Once tuned, the HSI on the PFD (indeed) displayed the blue ADF Needle with the top arrow "always" pointing towards the NDB ground station (see my 2nd shot, below, where the PFD shows the ADF needle and the MFD shows the NDB station). The published radial to (EGHE) Rwy 32 NDB Approach is "324" degrees. So, if the nose of the aircraft is aligned to 324 degrees, with the blue (top) arrow of the ADF needle pointing straight ahead...then the aircraft is on track towards the threshold of the destination runway. Frankly, I found it a bit tricky...being not used to it..., but it all eventually did work out well enough to make a smooth touchdown on the first attempt (see my landing images). So, please find 20 pictures, as I've lifted off Rwy 14, in the opposite direction, climbed to 1,500 ft, proceeded out over the sea for 10 nms, and then made a U-turn backwards to track the NDB signal of the HSI, while aligning the a/c to 324 degrees heading. I certainly need more practice with such procedures in MSFS, but it was good fun overall, especially approaching (and landing) into such a picturesque (island) airport. Of course, I have preferred to test this procedure with my trusty (and meek) Cessna Skyhawk, but the C-17 (or the C-130) would be the farthest things on my mind for this exercise...🙂... Thanks for viewing this collection of images from this simple experiment...! Hope you enjoy...!

OK, here is another "Bliss" themed post of mine...🙂...I recall the last one was "40 miles of Bliss" in a SAS DC-3 over Sweden's hills and pastures, and here it is "20 miles of Bliss" (but no less "blissful") over the beautiful waters of English Channel, flying between two of the major Channel Islands, in a modern TBM-930 turboprop, in the colors of Aurigny Air. Now, locally around Chicago, as the temperatures are warming up for Spring, and the trees are beginning to blossom with delightful flowers and leaves, the birds (and the squirrels) can be easily spotted frolicking around, having emerged out of their long winter hibernation. Yesterday, I noticed an unusual (red-and-yellow colored) bird sitting steady on the tree, and today, while perusing my a/c liveries, I came across the "Puffin" bird...🙂...If you were to ask me what livery (and logo), I vividly recall from the earliest days of my involvement in this hobby, it would be that of the bright yellow Aurigny Air airplanes, with the (hard-to-forget) Puffin bird image on the tail of their a/c. I am sure all of us have flown, in past SIMs, the BN-2 Islanders and the BN-2 Trislanders, of Aurigny Air (I recall having mastered, I thought, that KLN-90B GPS on the avionics suite of these a/c SIMs along with that tiny moving map...🙂...) ... Aurigny, the flag-carrier airline of Guernsey (more correctly "Bailiwick of Guernsey"), was among the first operators of the BN2 types, and, in fact, had first introduced the BN-2 a/c over the exact same (short) route (from Alderney (EGJA) to Guernsey (EGJB)), that I'm flying here today. However, for this post, I'm flying in the (better) comfort of a modern TBM-930...🙂...and no KLN 90 GPS here either, but advanced Garmin Avionics instead... (the livery is fictional because, though Aurigny has since moved on to modern a/c types such as the ATR and Embraer, it doesn't have any TBM in its fleet). Nonetheless, I'm thankful to the repainter for this livery of my affection and nostalgia. I was reading today about this Puffin bird a bit more, "The species have a stocky build, and large beaks that get brightly colored during the breeding season. Their short wings are perfectly adapted for swimming with an intricate flying technique underwater (incredible divers that they are...they can reach depths up to 300 feet in less than 30 secs, while looking for food, their (specially designed) wings pushing forcefully against the water enabling them to swim as fast as 10 miles per hour). Moreover, in the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute) flying low over the ocean's surface, in swift flight.... (So, the Puffin birds are amazing specimens of amphibian aviation indeed...🙂...) ..." Anyway, please find a set of images, as I return near the Normandy Coast that I'd once visited in one of my previous posts, but this time, further into the English Channel, for a flight between Alderney and Guernsey. Right after lift-off and gears-up, I've activated [Dir-To] towards the IAF of ILS/DME Rwy 27 of EGJB (EGJB has a (scenic) seaside 4,800 ft Rwy suitable for most of your aircraft except the big jets...see my approach and landing shots). I've also included a few other images of Guernsey in and around the airport and the island...only 24 sq. miles in area, but it surely packs a punch as a really wonderful place of gorgeous beaches, breathtaking cliffs, and most of all, one can see both sunrise and sunset off the English Channel, on this island (see my images). I also did spot small roads and foot-trails leading to many overlooks to enjoy the magnificent views... (So, it's time to rent one of those picturesque cottages, take out my stowed-away (and folded) Electric Bike from my TBM-930, and head out to one of those seaside corners...looking for those Puffin birds diving deep into the waters nearby...🙂... getting carried away a bit by the (virtual) beauty of the place...🙂...Oh well...). In my last image, I've left you with a close-up shot of my TBM-930 tail showing the (logo) artwork of this amazing little bird... Thanks for viewing. Hope you enjoy...!

This post is triggered, by a member suggestion, on my Channel Islands (Aurigny Air) post, to also explore the (charming) Isles of Scilly, just about 40 miles (south and west) of (England's) Land's End. It's to be noted that Lizard Point maybe the most southerly point in mainland Great Britain, but it's St Agnes Island of the Isles of Scilly (which we're visiting today) is the southernmost part of England and the entire United Kingdom, edging out Lizard's Point by barely about 4 miles of oceanic water, further southward. Isles of Scilly, the geography of which I've now a fairly good idea, thanks to the member suggestion, has 5 main islands (see my (superposed) VFR MAP in the on-ground image (shot #1) below, sorry, no nice G1000/G3000 MFD Map here, because I'm flying the DC-3...🙂...). Out of the 5 main (inhabited) islands, St Agnes is the southernmost on my MAP, and St Mary's (EGHE) is the one with a long enough runway (~2,000 ft). I could barely lift off with my (cumbersome) DC-3 from that runway...so please be aware that this is done by a (non)-professional pilot in a closed (home)-course and is not recommended for RW scenario...🙂...I have then travelled clockwise in a circle overflying the 5 main islands seen on my VFR MAP. In the Isle of Scilly, there are very few cars...the few belong to the residents. So, intra-island, one uses Bikes, and Electric Bikes (my choice in Guernsey Island...🙂...), and inter-island, one uses ferry, helicopters, or DHC-6s and BN-2s. From my visit here, what struck me most, are these "islets" (tiny "usually unnamed" pieces of uninhabitable land; see my images) defiantly sticking above the oceanic waters, strewn all around this area (there are 140 such islets in the Isles of Scilly). In fact, Isles of Scilly was once, ~12,000 years ago, part of the mainland England but got detached and then engulfed by the Ocean, which fact is quite evident by occurrence of these trace "islets" that I would observe (later) on my path while heading towards the mainland (Land's End) ...that trip to be in my Part II Post. Please find 20 images below where I've (thoroughly) explored, from above, the unique moods and the splendid beauty of the Isles of Scilly...so near the mainland, yet they seem so pristinely isolated in the endless waters of the Celtic Sea and the wider Atlantic Ocean. Scilly islands (together) may be just one-fourth the area of Guernsey (island) of my previous post, but these islands are equally beautiful and even more interesting in their (cumulative) topographical appeal... Hope you enjoy this collection of pictures from my tour...! [Note: I had actually wished to fly the British Caledonian (BCal) DC-3 for this post, but instead preferred to use a DC-3 equipped with GPS/Autopilot (to reduce pilot workload...🙂...of this intensive tour), so, I've opted for British United Airways (BUA). Coincidentally, I learned later that BUA, that operated for only 10 years between 1960-1970, would be later bought out by Caledonian Airways to eventually form British Caledonian (BCal)... (I'm fond of these airlines affectionately known as the "Callys".... maybe because of that (Scottish) Rampant Lion logo...complete with protruding tongue and extended claws...🙂...none on this BUA livery though...still, if you ask me, the (blue-nosed and cheat-lined) BUA DC-3 looks good here...) ...] Please expect to see the images of my concluding portion of the trip from the Isles of Scilly to the Mainland...in my next post... 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...!

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.

How about...if I pilot you today from Hongkong to Bangkok in utmost luxury...🙂...? No, I don't mean in the (cramped) space of that Cessna Citation Longitude (lingering) in our hangar. Here, I mean, in a full-size aircraft...one that's one-and-half times longer in size than the Longitude, with two powerful (commercial grade) CFM56 Engines capable of delivering 3 times the Thrust, same (0.80+) Mach Speed and a range of up to 5,000 miles...an a/c that could transport you, point-to-point, anywhere on the Globe...🙂...Oh well...this all sounds like bit of a sales-pitch, but it's not, because these are all facts. However, being a serious simmer, that you're, you'll surely overlook the virtual part of the (actual) transportation. And I left the best part for last. We'll also take a look at the interior of our aircraft (ample pictures included below). LVFR has simulated specifically the A318CJ 'Elite' version, and I read, "This aircraft's private interior is made with the blueprints of a real A318CJ 'Elite.'" So, please examine the interior cabin images, below, and judge for yourself. It looks impressive indeed except, maybe, for the plasticine characters (word borrowed and learned from andy1252...🙂...). Recently, my teenager was asking...why his Xbox "Games" characters look so vividly real (and life-like) while my MSFS characters (typically) look so questionable...with such minimal mime-like motions...🙂...there must be a good answer, but I wonder why it's not possible to fix it. When I see our (virtual) crew members (or pax) in the SIM, I'm still (sometimes) reminded of that "Otto" (balloon) character from the movie "Airplane". Anyway, things here are improving for us...I think... So, this typical A318CJ (CJ = (Airbus) Corporate Jet, the likewise Boeing's term is BBJ = "Boeing Business Jet"), has the following cabin sections: Fwd Cabin: Entourage Lounge (I liked this section the best, see the last image of my set of interior screenshots, though I would have preferred the latest issue of "PC Pilot"...🙂...rather than the "Digital Camera" magazine on the desk) Mid Cabin: VIP Dining Area and Lounge Aft Cabin: Private Office and VIP bedroom Lavatory: 3x (Not shown below...🙂...but they are there hopefully even in our virtual setup here...) Galley: (Not shown below, but I checked it's there and looked normal to me...) And Misc. Facilities include (to name just a few): 4x 20" TVs, 1x 31" TV in the Private Office (that sounds like a good place to hook up my MSFS2020/Xbox to that 4K TV...🙂...), and 1x 42" TV in the Executive Lounge Satcom Telecommunications, Swift 64 Internet, and 7x Cordless SAT phones Zonal Temperature and LED/Lighting Controls, and individual Dome lights in all areas Aircraft Safe Box, Video Center with 6x CD player (with surround sound), Bluetooth Printer and Fax Machine With that introduction to our aircraft, please find, below, 20 images of my A318-112 ACJ 'Elite' (RW Reg. B-6186) in the elegant (light-blue) color of Yalian Business Jet (an enterprise based out of China), starting off on a very early (~5:30am) flight from Hong Kong International Airport (VHHH) to (Bangkok's) Suvarnabhumi Airport (VTBS), across ~1,000 miles (takeoff-to-touchdown), mostly flying over-water, just as the resplendent Sun is rising up into the sky, on my port side window, above the shinning blue South China Sea. Thanks for viewing. Hope you enjoy this collection of images...from our flight today...!

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...!

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...!