PIREP Leg 65: Palermo (LICJ) to Elba (LIRJ)

[ddavid 149]

Benvenuti in Sicilia! Per l'aeroporto di Palermo - Falcone-Borsellino aeroporto (LICJ).

Today, we fly to the Isle of Elba, sometime home to Emperor Napoleon, and where to eat real gurguglione, washed down with the local Aleatico wine.

The flight will take a little over 2 hours - here's the plan (Thanks Tim):

We're priveliged to be using a veritable gem of an aircraft, the DC-3 of Air Atlantique G-AMCA:

The wind's in the south west, so we'll be taking runway 20, and the big bluff, to the south will require a fairly quick turn towards the main departure waypoint.

Here's the Jeppesen SID:

No STAR (Good evening, Bach) at LIRJ, but here's anapproach from the ELB VOR:

Now, the kids are all aboard (What kids? - Ed), so we can start the port engine:

Oh, yes - we've got a party of school-children with us. They're off to Elba for a camping holiday. So far, they're reasonably quiet - let's hope it stays that way.

Taxying is a joy in the DC-3 (just a slight adjustment to the rear contact point rotation angle!):

One of the spotters managed to get us on the take-off roll...

... and we're airborne:

Here's the turn to D5-PRS:

This is KERON, at 13 nm DME on the 282 deg OB radial from VOR PRS. And we turn northwards to pick up the 324 deg OB radial from VOR PAL towards GIANO:

20 minutes later, and we're at GIANO, some 60 nm DME from PAL:

The heading is now 337 deg as we head towards Elba:

And here's the VOR ELB signal:

The wind has made a heading change necessary (Sloppy flying! - Ed):

50 nm DME from VOR ELB and we start the descent:

First sight of our destination and there's a cheer from the cabin:

A bit bumpy, so the seat-belts sign goes on to get the kids quiet, again. We level off at 3000 ft:

"C'è il campeggio!" - let's hope it's not too near the transmitter...

Elba's looking nice in the evening light.Wonder what's for dinner?

Giving the kids the grand tour - This is Porto Abruzzi:

Turning again, over Portoferraio, where Napoleon had his flat:

This is LICJ:

Out over the bay for the Base turn:

Turning onto LICJ approach:

Long Final:

Everything looks good...

Short Final:

Touch down, and the kids go wild...

Turning off the runway, nearly there:

Full stop - let's hope the kids have some decent weather...

Thank you for flying Air Atlantique - see you soon!

Cheers - Dai.

P.S. Excellent Elba scenery from www.blogfsx.forumfree.it.

[brett 2,284]

Great series of screenshots Dai.   Thanks for the nav play by play, felt like I was along for the ride.  What's for dinner?

[Ruzzo 59]

An absolutely beautiful leg. I loved the evening and approach screenshots.

 

Where can I get the Air Atlantique repaint, Dai?

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Superb shots there Dai - no suprise on the aircraft front though!

[mutley 4,487]

Superb PIREP Dai with some very scenic shots 

 

Good to see you know your ar*e from yer Elba! (Geddit? -- no Ed)

 

One day we will tempt you away from the Dizzie!

[stu7708 244]

Great PIREP Dai, but I think I shall have to revisit the screenshots once back in front of a proper screen... I think my iPhone is not doing them justice

[ddavid 149]

Thanks for your kind comments and, no, you'll probably never drag me away from the DC-3!

 

Air Atlantique livery from here:

 

http://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/16937/fs2004-air-atlantique-douglas-dc-3/

 

But it's for FS9, so you'll have to port that model into FSX to use the textures as they're bmp's not dxt's. However, onceyou've done that, you've got at least a dozen different Air Atlantique liveries to choose from.

 

On the Elba front, I'm working on a short video - should be available soon-ish...

 

Cheers - Dai.