PIREP Leg 16 Ahmedabad (VAAH) to Indira Gandhi Intl (VIDP)

[needles 1,013]

Well, having waited for what seemed like an eternity for Jess to show, I'd spent more than my Mutley's bar tab was alloted.
They don't have a great choice in single malts at the hotel I was booked in to. Slumming it was not what I thought I was getting. Cheers.

Why Me?

So eventually, after a few days hanging around, I get the call that Jess was indeed about to land at VAAH - Ahmedabad and that I should get down there pronto to catch up with her.
Her aircraft actually landed as I was pulling in to the car park, so I rushed through to the arrivals lounge and made out all was well and that I'd been in the airport for ages. Knowing very well that Bacardi was the tipple of Goths, I ordered a full bottle to be at my table for when the said Goth waltzed through the arrivals door.

What I saw was not a pretty sight. She looked bloody awful. Hard day in the office? I asked. Shut-it she said and immediately cracked the bottle open and poured herself a tall one.
My ears were ringing from the tale Jess told me, of the trouble she had had getting here. Bloody hell she can yap for Wales.

As the hours passed and two empty bottles later, Jess decided she was suitably calm enough to find the hotel she was booked in.

All I will say is, it wasn't the hotel *cough* that I was in.

Next morning I collected the baton from Jess, said our farewells and I filed my flight plan to VIDP - Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, via VIAG - Agra AB Airport.


I have a good friend in the Indian military who happened to be based there, so as I was wanting to take a trip to see the Taj Mahal, I gave him a call the previous evening and he managed to get me permission to use the airbase as a stopover for a few hours.

Great stuff!

So with the baton safely aboard, I go through my checks and get permission to line up for take off.



Taxiing to runway 05 for an overcast, dawn departure.


Checks all complete and just awaiting takeoff clearance.


And I'm away. Pretty hazy and overcast but fairly soon I'll be high enough for some clear visibility, hopefully anyway.


That sun is pretty full on as I climb up to 4500ft. If it wasn't for the cloud, it would probably be unbearable.


A shot from my office and I'm above the cloud, but the sun is rising also.


After a few miles the cloud started to clear and I could make out the Indian scenery below.


Just over 90mins flying I'm on final approach for VIAG - Agra AB.


After finding my temporary parking spot. I'm escorted to the terminal building where I find my good friend waiting for me. Rashid offers to take me to see the Taj Mahal himself, as he has a couple of hours stand down time and he also knows a quick way to get me there.
He is so kind and takes a photograph of myself and the baton, which I never lose sight of, outside the Taj as proof we were there.


We get back to the base and say our goodbyes and as a special thank you, I gave him a bottle of Single Malt. You have to do these things. Sorry Boss. I bought it using the company credit card.

I'm soon on my way from Agra Airbase.


I couldn't resist getting a couple of last shots of the Taj Mahal, in all it's beauty. After which I get back on course for New Delhi.




After such a lush green countryside, it was interesting to come across this arid looking part. But then I did mention how that sun was shining.



Not long after, I am on the outskirts of Delhi and my goal in sight.


On finals for VIDP, not long now and my part in this is done for now.


Perfect line up for runway 28 left.


And down safely.


All parked up at my given gate, now to find a safe place to drop off the Baton for Kieran to find.


When I arrived there was no sign of Kieran but I had left a message for him behind the help desk.


I wonder how long it will take him to find it.


Now, hello Delhi, let's find a decent hotel, with a more than decent stock of cold beer and Single Malts.


Over to you Kieran. Good Luck
 
 
 
EDIT:
Software used:
Sim: FSX SP2 + Accel
WX: ASN
WX: Textures: REX4 Texture Direct
A/C: Carenado Baron B58
Scenery: ORBX FTX Global
Plan-G

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Thanks Brian. Better get planning!

[mutley 4,498]

Love the PIREP Needles!

 

Looked like a fairly trouble free flight, it's great when you get one of those.

 

Don't forget to let us know what add-ons you used! 

[needles 1,013]

Oh bugger I forgot about that again.

I'll append it to my pirep.

[ddavid 149]

Well, Hello Delhi! (I just don't believe it, Margaret!)

Carry On ATWC-ing...

Great narrative - kudos for getting the elephants to look after the Baton!

Cheers - Dai.

[brett 2,316]

Loved those shots Brian,  made a dreary, rainy day go away.  

[stu7708 244]

Well done Brian, looks like perfect flying all the way through (I guess you got your control issues sorted  )

 

I assume we'll find the cost for the Bacardi bottle on the company card invoice as well  

 

 

[needles 1,013]

Hey Micke, it took me five goes at flying to complete the actual short run.

My PC, or FSX kept crashing, so not an easy time.

Very frustrating.

[J G 927]

Great PIREP Brian!  You should try the Ashock Yatri Niwas hotel in Ashock road, number 19 if I recall. I stayed there back in '89 whilst backpacking around India.

 

It's very cheap, all rooms come with a bucket and baler shower, squat toilet, a raised concrete bed and a window with a great view of somebody's grubby washing.  I cant recommend it enough for a budget hotel, in fact I cant recommend it at all.

 

I too have sat on the very seat you sat on in front of the Taj Mahal.  You wouldn't recognize me though as i was only 30 at the time.

[stu7708 244]

Hey Micke, it took me five goes at flying to complete the actual short run.

My PC, or FSX kept crashing, so not an easy time.

Very frustrating.

 

I know the feeling mate.. Sounds very much like issues I've had a few times when I've had dodgy RAM-modules installed. I think I'm on my third or fourth set in my current PC (soon 5 years old).

 

If I were you I'd run some sort of MemTest ASP, if only to rule out a faulty memory circuit as the culprit.

[Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142]

Great PIREP, namesake!  

 

I especially liked the overhead view of the Taj Mahal: was that really only Orbx Global? (Not doubting you at all, just interested to see that they included it: in which case, well done Orbx!).

 

Nice editing work, too!   

 

Cheers,

 

B.

 

[stu7708 244]

Bruce (Brian), I think the Tax Mahal is actually there even in default FSX.... At least it looks like it from what I've found on other websites.

[needles 1,013]

@Bruce/Brian, yep, I only had FTX Global installed for that region, apart from the default of course. Whoever put it there, to it looks slightly out of place if you look at the screenshot. From the angle I took the shot, it looks more likely to belong several metres to the left of its current position.

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

[Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142]

Thank you, gentlemen, for enlightening me.  

 

<slightly off topic alert>

 

It only occurred to me about six months ago that for the last fifteen years or so I have spent the vast majority of my simming flights in "European" (OK, slightly extended beyond that, but not much and not often) airspace, so this entertaining PIREP was another reminder to me of the fact that I should start flying elsewhere more regularly -- perhaps especially in what was referred to in my young day (I only had one) as "The Far East". (Evidently I hadn't seriously imagined that Orbx "Global" meant what it said). Also, of course, in my case I tend not to see much of that sort of detail from six or seven miles up, which is why apart from global mesh and Orbx Global/Vector/Regions the rest of my add-on scenery consists entirely of lots and lots of airports... 

 

<\slightly off topic alert>

 

So I'm very much enjoying the aspects of the ATWC that take me (and the rest of the team) to airports I have never visited before.   

 

Well done, guys, and thanks again.

 

Cheers,

 

B.