New Alaskan Branch

[JD_LincsUK 0]

After reinstalling FSX and AH on my shiney noo pooter, it was time to start up a new company.

Somehow, even after my exciting adventures in the challenging environment of the PNG bush, I yet again can't resist the lure of the Alaskan wilderness.

Only this time, returning a little closer to civilisation at Lake Hood. Seem to remember setting up a base at LHD during beta testing and having much fun with it. I also ran one from close by last year - starting out with the Bellanca Viking from a lovely little strip called Nondaltaon (5NN). With the UTX scenery added, it was always a pleasure to return to that strip in the evening or at night time - had a ethereal sort of glow, with all the warm-looking night lighting - most welcoming.

It also had some interesting approaches - especially when I started upping the weight class.

Looking back in my log, I recall this was the base from which I first flew the Carenado Caravan, and very well suited it was, too. Have to have a dig in the archives for some pics.

Hmm - seem to have mislaid - or maybe deleted - most of those pics. I always take lots of shots when I'm flying - too many, and then tend to get carried away with the 'delete' key when I sort through them!

This is the Viking on approach to Nondalton on a typical workday evening:

I do, however, have another eason for returning to the Anchorage area, and that is to test the performance of my new kit. I mentioned in the hardware forum that the only complaint I've had in FSX, performance-wise, was stutter whilst on approach to Anchorage with the UTX scenery loaded (it is set to maximum quality by default and Anchorage has a lot of objects - several airfields & docks as well as the city itself).

So it will be interesting to see how smoothly my approaches go this time around.

I am also reverting to the 'JD Aqualinks' branch of my conglomerate companies as well - and making use of my currently stored hangar of amphibs and float planes. The callenge is to remain on these type - strictly no wheels-only aircraft in this company!

The C172 has already been sold off - it doesn't tend to float too well :icon_yikes: and I'm just checking out the Carenado C172N floatplane as a suitable starter, the A2A Cub being way too slow and small (from a freight point of view) to be a viable alternative.

I can see me heading rather quickly in the direction of my fave Beaver, but I am hoping to have the discipline to try something new this time around, and to remain in the middleweight category, rather than hurry to the heavies and end up getting bored and ditching the company for blue-er skies (as opposed to greener grass :biggrin: ) elsewhere.

Okay - off we go!

I'll track the fate of this company in my blog.

Chars,

JD

[Tim_A 997]

Excellent; looking forward to reading some more reports. Are you running in career mode?

[JD_LincsUK 0]

Yes, Tim, always.

Haven't run it in non-career mode since before release. To me, the early stuff is the most enjoyable.

I just did some testing at Anchorage and the stuttering was even worse than before! So it can't be down to my hardware - I just don't believe that.

I had to go down 4 levels in UTX - to level 3 - before I managed to get consistent frames in the teens. Otherwise it would stay around the 5fps mark! Mind you, it was in bad weather with heavy rain.

Still, hopefully sorted now - looking forward to the proper 'off' tomorrow

JD