July 7, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments
I hope you enjoyed the information I passed along during the update for leg 7. Just as a point of reference, before beginning leg 8 we have 18 hours, and 20 minutes of flying time logged on this tour. We’ve traveled 5,965 miles and burned just over 99,000 pounds of fuel since we left Sydney, Australia on 2 June. Once again this flight will take us south of the equator.
You may also remember I told you that not all flights operated during the course of this WorldFlight 2018 tour will be 100% accurate. From time to time I may take some artistic license and go fully fictional in what I choose to fly. As you’ll soon learn by reading more about our next destination, commercial flights simply do not operate into this airport. While this airport may be used as an ETOPS (Extended Range Twin Engine Operations) emergency landing site (this will explain our flight for Leg 9), non-military/government flights do not operate here. But more about this later in the article.
History of City
Diego Garcia is an atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean and the largest of 60 small islands comprising the Chagos Archipelago. Settled by the French in the 1790’s and was transferred to British rule after the Napoleonic wars. Diego Garcia was initially one of the dependencies of the British Colony of Mauritius until it was detached in the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in 1965.
Between the years 1968 and 1973, the native population was forcibly removed by the United Kingdom and the United States to establish an American military base. As of March 2015, Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island of the BIOT, the population is composed of military personal and supporting contractor agencies.
History of Country
The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is a British overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia. The territory consists of seven atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1000 individual islands amounting to a land area of just 23 sq. miles.
History of Airport
The airport located on the island of Diego Garcia is under the operation/control of both the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. While no commercial airlines operate into or out of Diego Garcia, the airport may be identified as an ETOPS (Extended Range Twin Engine Operations) emergency landing site or an en route alternate for flight planning purposes for commercial airliners. ETOPS allows for twin engine commercial aircraft (Airbus A330, Boeing 767, Boeing 777 or Boeing 787) to make theoretical nonstop flights between city pairs such as Perth to Dubai, Hong Kong to Johannesburg all while maintaining a suitable diversion airport within 180 minutes of flying time with one engine being inoperable. The airport also served as one of 33 emergency landing sites for the NASA Space Shuttle program.
Many conspiracy theorists suggest that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which disappeared on March 8, 2014 after departing from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing was flown to Diego Garcia.
History of Airline
If you’ve been to Las Vegas, you may have seen several white Boeing 737-600’s with a red stripe flying into or out of McCarran International Airport. These US Government operated aircraft, shuttle employees from Las Vegas out to the Nevada National Security Site (Area 51) and to the Tonopah Test Range Airport (KTNX) also known as Area 52. The airline name JANET, is derived from Just Another Non-Existent Terminal or Joint Air Network Employee Transportation. Janet flights operate under the ICAO airline code of WWW and flights can often be tracked on websites such as FlightAware.
Flight Briefing
WWW1066
VRMM – FJDG
Planned Fuel – 22,000 lbs
Planned Altitude – 36,000
Distance – 690nm
Flight Time – 2hrs
Route: A4D ATISA R329 MOMMA DCT NKW
Flight Journal
Until just before departure, our travelers believed we were flying direct to Plaisance, Mauritius. However, we have an incredible opportunity to spend a few hours touring Diego Garcia. One of our travelers, knows someone who knows someone else connected with the island and assisted in arranging for this brief stop and tour. And just to add a little touch of mystery to the day, we’re flying one of the Boeing 737-600 JANET airlines which the US Government needed shuttled out to the island. NOTE: The JANET airlines aircraft do not operate in this part of the world, but just to mix things up this is the story I’m going with. Enjoy.
Our passengers have boarded and we’re all buttoned up and ready for push-back. We’ve been instructed to tanker out additional fuel in the slight chance we’re unable to land at Diego Garcia.
Making the turn to line up and wait for departure on runway 18.
Positive rate, gear up.
A wing shot as we climb to our cruising altitude of 36,000.
Just making the announcement about our brief stop-over. I can hear the clapping and excitement of our lucky travelers from the flight deck.
The JANET airlines livery on the PMDG Boeing 737-600. Just a reminder, JANET airlines do not operate in this part of the world that I’m aware of.
The island of Diego Garcia just off the starboard side.
The water looks amazing.
Our island runway
Making our turn to join the visual approach for runway 31.
Interesting island
We’ll be on the ground shortly
Short final into Diego Garcia
Photography is strictly prohibited on Diego Garcia. The US DOD will provide the exterior photos to document our brief stay on the island.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.2
ActiveSky Weather Engine
ActiveSky Cloud Art
Envtex & Envshade
PMDG 737-600 Expansion (Janet Airlines livery)
Orbx Global Texture
VATSIM
Route Planning Tools
AivlaSoft PFPX
Navigraph Charts Desktop
FlightAware
FlightRadar24
SkyVector
Google Maps
Computer Hardware Specs
Our stay on Diego Garcia will be short. In approx. 3 hours we’ll depart in a retired Air Seychelles Boeing 737 for Mauritius where our travelers will spend a few days exploring and doing all the things tourists tend to do.
Until next time…Happy Flying!
Jerry
July 4, 2018 / admin / 2 Comments
As I had mentioned in the tour introduction posting I wrote before starting the 2018 version of the WorldFlight tour, I’ve circumnavigated around the world many times. I’ve done it in big and fast aircraft and I’ve done it in small and slow aircraft. I’ve done it with many legs (much like this tour) and I’ve done it in as few as 3-4 legs utilizing aircraft like the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777. Back in the FS9 days (when FS9 had the default Concorde) I went around the world (northern hemisphere) in 3-4 legs (can’t remember exactly) but did it at supersonic speed. That was cool. While the flights I conducted in only 3-4 legs were fun, I certainly learn a lot more when visiting more locations and especially taking the time to research some of the destinations.
In thinking back to some of my earlier “round the world” adventures, it got me thinking about just how much time it would take to go around the world if there was no need to stop to fuel (or mid-air refueling could be performed). So I asked Dr. Google and this is what I found out…
Cessna 172 – 132.7 hours.
Boeing 747-400 – 41.96 hours
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon – 18.9 hours
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – 11.3 hours
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo – 10 hours
International Space Station – 2.27 hours
Interesting stuff and hopefully you also find these sort of facts interesting as well. Enough of this, let’s get on with the tour. As you can see from the updated tour map (below), the first six legs have primarily been making our way northwest. We’re now turning and headed southwest and will soon dip back below the equator.
History of City
Male is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives and has a population of approx.. 133,000 and an area of 2.2 sq. miles making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern edge of North Male Atoll and consists of a central island, an airport island and two other islands under control by the Male City Council.
History of Country
The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of Maldives, is a South Asian sovereign state, located in the Indian Ocean and lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India. The Maldives is one of the worlds most geographically dispersed countries consisting of a chain of 26 atolls spanning approx. 115 sq. miles.
History of Airport
Velana International Airport, also known as Male International Airport is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhule Island in the North Male Atoll and nearby the capital city/island of Male. The airport first began operations in 1960 with the first runway being constructed of slotted steel sheets measuring a length of just 3,000 ft. As tourism increased in the early 70’s, the airport was further upgraded to handle the volume. Today, the main asphalt runway measures 10,499 feet and routinely handles aircraft up to the Boeing 777.
History of Airline
China Eastern Airlines is a major Chinese airline operating international, domestic and regional routes and is the second largest carrier by passenger numbers in China. The airline was established in 1988 and currently operates 496 aircraft. China Eastern typically operates a Boeing 737 between VCBI and VRMM.
Flight Briefing
CES1066
VCBI – VRMM
Planned Fuel – 13,500
Planned Altitude – 38,000
Distance – 420
Flight Time: 1hr, 35min
Route: BASU2D BASUR P570 TVM R457 MUGBA M3B
Flight Journal
The visit to Sri Lanka, while enjoyable….most days consisted of rain, more rain with short breaks from the rain where the sun would come out and the humidity would soar, then it would rain again. I believe our travelers are weary from the heat and humidity and ready for a break. But as I’ve shared with them, the next few legs will mostly be much of the same. Perhaps a brief break from the damp, sticky climate will come once we reach South Africa. But even that will only be brief.
For this leg of our journey, we will be flying a China Eastern Boeing 737-700. China Eastern operates flights between these two airports in the real world, so I felt it only right to do the same in our virtual tour. Our passengers have arrived for a very wet, late afternoon departure.
We can’t depart until all the luggage has been loaded and the ground crew is working extra hard on this wet day to ensure an on-time departure.
With the doors securely closed and locked, it’s time to pushback this Boeing 737-700 for the trip.
Position and Hold on runway 04. We’re ready to go…
Up and away.
We may eventually find some sunshine…somewhere.
Ahhhh, there we go. Clear skies and sunshine as we cruise at 38,000 feet.
As previously mentioned, our departure out of Sri Lanka was in the late afternoon and the sun is beginning to sink into the Indian Ocean.
A beautiful view as we descend into our destination.
The view from the flight deck.
One more wing view as the sun has just about disappeared.
We quite a strong cross-wind for our approach into Male.
On short final, we’ll be on the ground shortly.
On the ground at Male International Airport just before darkness sets in.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.2
ActiveSky Weather Engine
ActiveSky Cloud Art
Envtex & Envshade
PMDG 737-700 (China Eastern livery)
Orbx Global Texture
VATSIM
Route Planning Tools
AivlaSoft PFPX
Navigraph Charts Desktop
FlightAware
FlightRadar24
SkyVector
Google Maps
Computer Hardware Specs
Our travelers will spend two days in Male before our next flight. I certainly hope you’re enjoying following along with the journey and learning a few things along the way. I’ll see you right back here for the next leg.
Until next time…
Jerry
July 2, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments
If you follow the happenings around the flight simulation community, then you should be well aware that the 2018 FlightSimExpo which was held in Las Vegas on 9-10 June was a success. Flight Sim enthusiasts from around the world flew into LAS for the event and just about everyone I’ve heard from had nothing but positive thoughts regarding the 2018 event and look forward to 2019 and beyond.
As the dust begins to settle from the event, the organizers have been quick to communicate to those who attended the 2018 event regarding their opinions for future shows. Specifically their interest/opinion regarding specifically where they might wish to see the 2019 event held.
From what I understand the survey sent out to the 2018 attendees, identifies a list of six US cities including ATL, DEN, LAS, MIA, MCO and SAN. The survey also includes a write in slot as well. But most likely people will focus on the six named cities.
Of course, yours truly would absolutely love to see Denver named as the 2019 host city location. Denver (and the surrounding area) has a lot to offer and would be well suited to host the 2019 Flight Sim Expo and even future years as well. Denver International Airport is the international destination of many European carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Icelandic and Edelweiss. It is also a major hub for United Airlines and is served by most all the US carriers including American, Delta, Frontier and Southwest just to name a few. While the event would certainly save me a lot of $$$ and allow me to even sleep in my own bed, is Denver (or any of the other cities listed) the best choice for FlightSim Expo 2019 and beyond?
In short, I say NO!
Yes absolutely, Denver (and all the other cities) have excellent airports with plenty of flight options. Yes, Denver (and all the other cities) have plenty of state of the art conference facilities which could host this type of conference. Yes, Denver (and all the other cities) also have a suitable nightlife to keep everyone entertained after the conference event ends for the day. But….neither Denver…nor any other city listed has the nightlife that Las Vegas can offer. Especially when you think about location and proximity.
Consistency is Key
I believe the key to having a successful conference year after year after year is consistency. I believe it’s important to hold annual conferences around the same time each year and in the same location each year. While one might could say that holding a conference in Denver on an annual basis could get old and stale after a few years, I really don’t think the same can be said for Vegas. After all….when I think of Cool…the image of the Rat Pack comes to mind. Frank, Dean, Joey, Sammy and Peter absolutely understood just how cool Las Vegas was and still is.
The other advantage to holding a conference in the same location each year ultimately comes down to cost. Once a conference can establish themselves as an annual event, the organizers should be able to better negotiate deals with the hotel/conference center and pass those savings down to the attendees or use it to better enhance the event itself.
My Advice
If the organizers of FlightSimExpo care to listen, I say Vegas Baby! Consider moving the event up the strip…but keep FSExpo19 in Fabulous Las Vegas. You’ve got a really good thing going here….keep it consistent and it’ll grow.
Finally
Yes I realize some will say (in a nasally voice), “but Las Vegas is too hot”. I’m actually writing this (to be posted next week) while I’m traveling for work. I’m currently in MCO (Orlando) and this is how the weather report was posted earlier today online “Hot, Sticky, Steamy, Soupy, Wet, Swampy and Nasty”. Does that sound fun to you? Yes, it’s hotter than a two dollar pistol in Vegas, but remember…it’s a dry heat. MCO can’t claim that! Oh no….just Nasty!
Until next time….
Perhaps I’ll see you next year in LAS.
Jerry
