Flight stories, flight #2

[Tobus[NL] 28]

The next flight looked to be a little more challenging than the 1st. Lost of high places to fly but low places to go.

I planned my route again in skyvector, than in Plan-G, then made an fsx flightplan out of it for reference sake. Only loosely though: I'd figure I'd find my way via the canyons if needed so no gps points planned between the hard bits.

 

1st Leg was easy enough: follow the radial and find the volcano. Apparently I didnt look too closely to skyvector, as my set altitude of 10000ft was quickly to go to 15000, else I'd be intimate with the snow capped volcano. From about 150nm I lost the VOR so luckily I had it planned already.

 

After overflying the summit I went eastward while descending along the slope. I picked plenty speed here but was pretty sure I'd lose it somewhere along the way.

Figuring SCOH, where a mandatory T&G was needed, was way down, I went along the water and used the canyons to get to a straight in approach.

 

Or so I thought. Here the evil organiser of this challenge reared it's evil head.

SCOH was nowhere to be seen when reaching the end of the canyon. I slowed down dropping flaps to 30, passing a hill to my right at the end of the canyon. Behind that hill lay SCOH in what must be one of the most idiotic positions to lay a runway, with high slopes at three sides of the single short strip.

Luckily I was slow already, so quickly dropped gear and flaps to 50. No room to make a proper circuit here anyhow, so I joined base and dove in.

 

 

An I made it and made a proper landing of it. Now I was lucky to have 1760HP under the hood. I pushed the Packard Merlin almost to its stop, gently pulling up and pulling in gear and flaps to 10 degrees, while very gently sliding to my left to get to the lowest point of the hill in front of me, all the while teetering on stall speed. As I cleared the crest I pulled in my flaps completely and set cruise settings again... phew.....

 

Now on to SCHR Cochrane for another mandatory T&G. From planning it didn't seem so dicey, but then again so hadn't SCOH.

It turned out getting there was the hardest. The ground was high and the clouds not much higher. Getting over the clouds would let me loose my visual so I chose to stay "low". I flew on a more or less straight line down the canyon, then jinked right into another one, thinking I'd bolt up if line of sight became hazardous. I never had to, as on the most uninviting spot a hole opened up in the clouds. One of those amazing once-in-a-lifetime sim moments...

 

 

After that moment the ground started lowering a bit, making life easier. I saw SCHR from quite a distance and manouvered on a normal left hand circuit. No issues on the approach, landing and following take off again.

 

 

After taking of again I made a repeat of the last leg, following the canyon NW, jinking later NE to get to our last point and landing at SCCC.

This turned out to be fairly easy, apart from the final bit towards the north and a direct approach into SCCC. The canyon I had planned was narrower and higher than expected and also full of fluffy cloud. Trusting my terrain GPS I dove in, making sure my altitude remained stable. As I roared out I saw SCCC at my left hand side. Having the room here I made a normal circuit and landed fine again. Those 2+ hrs just flew on by....

 

 

All original photo's here

http://fs-snaps.com/album/t27N

Edited April 17, 2017 by Tobus[NL]

[brett 2,283]

Nicely done PIREP Tobus, well flown. And yes, it does help to have 1760HP under the hood.