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Leg 6: LGKR LTAG (Incirlik) [long, long post]


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All right, boys and girls, welcome to our flight from Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greece (LGKR), and easy for you to say, to beautiful Incirlik Turkey, also known by the catchy name, LTAG. As you can see our accommodations will be world class and we'll be ready to board you as soon as the eight drums of hydraulic fluid are loaded. Pay no mind to the work gantry and the open cowlings. Any rumors that radial engines leak oil are simply scurrilous propaganda by our closest competitor, Air Bulgaria.

LTAG-A.jpg

#1 running, #2 cranking...

LTAG-B.jpg

Allowing traffic to pass before push-back.

LTAG-C.jpg

Some of our ramp neighbors, courtesy of Traffic 2005.

LTAG-D.jpg

I'd like to introduce our flight crew today. I'm Captain John, and this is... well, we don't know his name or anything much about him, but that is an Air America patch on his jacket. He won't say much. Anyway, he may or may not be moving through the cabin serving beverages and peanuts during our flight, but probably not.

LTAG-E.jpg

Pushing back, at last. Please make sure your seat back is in the upright position and your seat belt is blah, blah, blah, blah....

LTAG-F.jpg

Waiting our turn, as a Mooney waits in front of us and an Olympic Airlines twin turboprop arrives with much bouncing and smoke -really. The Mooney disappeared into thin air seconds after this was taken. Either AISmooth removed him to facilitate traffic flow, or he somehow knew what was going to happen in about 20 seconds.

LTAG-G.jpg

No! Don't turn there, you crazy Greek!

LTAG-H.jpg

Well, this is a fine kettle of fish. So much for AISmooth facilitating traffic flow. I had to push back about 500 ft. from here, then taxi around him on the grass to get to the runway. Ground Control was NO help.

LTAG-I.jpg

Cleared for takeoff and lined up at last. Wonder how the fuel's holding out. They say the sound these radials make at idle sounds like they're saying, "a gallon of gas, a gallon of gas, a gallon of gas".

LTAG-J.jpg

So, you ask, where are all the dramatic takeoff and climb out shots, with the picturesque view of the airport receding in the background? Well, I was kind'a busy flying this crate, and the bozo next to me doesn't seem to know how to operate anything. This is at 3,700 feet climbing out and is as dramatic as it gets. The visibility was pretty crummy anyway.

LTAG-K.jpg

Ah, Greece! The gently rounded curves of the inimitable Microsoft FS9 standard scenery. You can almost smell the olives and ouzo from up here. We're at 10K, now, even though we filed for 9. I think they know something about the topography that I don't.

LTAG-L.jpg

...but it is pretty, in places. Glad I'm not walking.

LTAG-M.jpg

Right forward view from the C-123. To the co-pilot, everything looks like a windshield wiper. Wonder why I didn't get one. If it rains, he's flying.

LTAG-N.jpg

More Greek/Microsoft scenery. Rounded or not, it doesn't look like any kind of place for a forced landing.

LTAG-O.jpg

Now that's more like it. Very scenic up ahead.

LTAG-P.jpg

Water, water everywhere, and me with no pontoons. I hope these P&Ws keep turning.

LTAG-Q.jpg

The last of Greece....

LTAG-R.jpg

...and the beginning of Turkey.

LTAG-S.jpg

Hmmm. Nice looking place. I wonder if Madonna has bought it. Note my window. No wonder I could smell the olives and ouzo. I'm guessing this thing isn't pressurized.

LTAG-T.jpg

Oddly, the Turkish scenery looks a lot like the Greek, only more so. Don't let any Turks or Greeks overhear that!

LTAG-U.jpg

OK, that's as artistic as I get. That sun is really bright. If you look closely you can see the silhouette of the pallet of hydraulic oil drums right through the fuselage.

LTAG-V.jpg

The visibility is getting bad, and NONE of the airports around here have a published ATIS frequency. It didn't last long though.

LTAG-W.jpg

Don't look now, but you've just been mooned. The sun and the moon in the same shot. You don't get that opportunity every flight.

LTAG-X.jpg

Here's the Mediterranean again. Haven't seen if for a while.

LTAG-Y.jpg

Can you read the name of the next VOR? Seeing is believing.

LTAG-Z.jpg

On our left you can see the baby version of the dreaded cumulus granitus, or the cloud with a rock in it.

LTAG-AA.jpg

Vectors to final. Note the approach slope light just visible in the lower left. It's not Incirlik, it's a sucker field (not to be confused with a soccer field) just a few miles off the runway 5 approach end of Incirlik. I wonder if anyone's ever landed there by mistake?

LTAG-AB.jpg

Ah, there's the real Incirlik. Ladies and gentlemen, please be sure your seats and tray tables are blah, blah, blah...

LTAG-AC.jpg

Off the runway. I know! I know! There are none of those dramatic arrival shots we all love. Someday one of you is going to have to tell me how you manage that in the midst of wrestling with 45,000 lbs of aluminum and the law of gravity. Note the KC-135s. I wonder if they have gas. Probably just jet fuel. I need gas, like about 6,000 lbs. of gas. Oh, well. I'm sure there's a Microsoft gas pump around here somewhere.

LTAG-AD.jpg

Look! My big brother's here! Hey, Herc, over here!

LTAG-AE.jpg

The grass? They're parking me on the grass? How undignified. It's not like they're short of ramp space or anything. I hope they don't believe those stories about radials leaking oil. I've a good notion not to give them their hydraulic fluid.

LTAG-AF.jpg

Well, the story ends here. I hope you enjoyed the flight. Sorry about the beverages and peanuts, but this guy just will not get out of that seat. Anyway, the drums are unloaded, the cowls are open and I've got to get after those oil leaks.

LTAG-AG.jpg

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:cool:

What can I say John, fantastic post and commentary at it's best.

At one point I nearly spat my peanuts at the screen as I was laughing so much when you were nose to nose with the crazy Greak at Corfu!

That's really got my Sunday off to a great start, I was feeling a bit grumpy as there's no flying to day as it's Mothering Sunday here so it's off to see the Mother in Law this morning and my Mother is coming around for Dinner.

Catch up tonight hopefully.

Cheers

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Hi Craig,

Hope you are still viewing, what we need to know is where you would like to fly and in what aircraft?

We also need to give others time to bid too.

It's up to John who will fly the leg if we get more than one offer but he's GMT -6 so will not see the post for some while, we have to think of our Australian cousins too :yes:

Feel free to do the flight for your own interest if you wish but John should give you the go ahead after reviewing the bids being the pilot on the last leg :cool:

Hope you understand :wink:

Cheers

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ohhh, i see, I was wondering how things worked. Ok, well I havent started yet so, my own fault for not reading the instructions on how you are planning your flights. Well, I will have to postspone as I was going to get the flight done this morning but, Mothers Day is here, so im off. I will check back later on to see what is happening.

Thanks Mut.

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Hi John,

That is an absolutely fantastic post :cool: . I really enjoyed the shots, and the entertaining commentary gave it an edge. I loved it! I hope to see loads more screenshots from you :-)

Well done :wink:

Dave

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Smeagol,

Glad you liked it. I had hoped my attempts at humor might make up for the lack of artistic content.

What aircraft are you proposing to fly? I certainly hope it has a radial engine, or two...or three or four. :-)

Also, I'm in the US and don't know when it's 1600 where you are.

Normally we're supposed to have a 24 hour period for others to "offer" flights, so everyone in the various time zones gets their shot. Having said that, it looks like you've been trying to get one in for a day or so.

Please let me know what you propose. Dubai sounds interesting. You might see Michael Jackson there. Last I knew he was hiding out as a "guest" of the local Sultan.

John

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OK, Smeagol, go for it. Looking forward to seeing Dubai.

Normally I'd hold off for the specified 24 hours before making a decision, but I know you've been trying to get in a flight, so I'll "award" this one to you. When you've finished and posted, please allow 24 hours after you post before picking the next pilot. I'm afraid we're cutting Joe Ellwood in Australia, and maybe some others, out of the picture here.

John.

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  • 7 months later...

Panos,

No disrespect of the Greeks intended.

I call your attention to shots 8 and 9. This particular simulated AI pilot did not seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He was probably an expatriate American who just happened to be working for Olympic.

Thanks for bringing my very first ATWC leg back to the top. I'd almost forgotten that one.

John

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