A real world adventure simulated…Part 2
Before I get started detailing part two, I just wanted to mention the Heathrow scenery is UK2000 Scenery. They develop add-on scenery for both FSX and FS9. It runs fairly well on my machine and since I enjoy flying to Heathrow, I wanted to update it from the way it looks in FSX default (which doesn’t include the new T5).
Part two of our journey takes place a few hours after we landed at Heathrow. You can read about the Denver to London Heathrow flight in Part 1. As also mentioned in part 1, this is a real world trip my wife and I are taking to visit her family in Belgium.
We made the 90 minute journey across London from Heathrow to London City Airport (EGLC). London City Airport is a small airport practically in the center of London and right on the banks of the Thames River. The airport services mostly other European destinations, but British Airways does operate a daily flight from EGLC to KJFK via a stop in Ireland. It is a fun airport to fly into both in real life and in FS Life. Please join me in this adventure as we depart EGLC for Antwerp, Belgium EBAW.
Our flight today will be in the CityJet, Fokker 50. I don’t get the chance to fly a lot of turboprop aircraft, nor do I get the opportunity to fly in them in real life. One of my favorite commercial turboprops used to be the Saab 340B which American Eagle once operated. I would take one of those when I flew from Dallas/Ft. Worth down to Killeen, Texas. Now American Eagle uses the ERJ’s for that route and has retired all the Saab 340B’s from their fleet. Anyway….the Fokker 50 is a sweet aircraft for FSX. I do need to upgrade the panel for it and that’s why you won’t see any short final shots from the cockpit window in this adventure.
Rubens 100, holding short runway 28 (as depicted in FSX) waiting for the Air France to depart. Runway 28 is (actually runway 27 in real life) is a short 4,984 feet and again right in the heart of London’s Financial District (the Wall Street of London) and buildings all around. We’ll need to let the props wind up prior to releasing the brake just for good measure.
Airborne, now let the bumpy ride begin. While this Fokker 50 needs to have a new panel installed, the ride characteristics are very good. She rocks and rolls just as the real Fokker 50 does. The rain in London has stopped, but the clouds are still hanging around and we have a light chop. I expect the chop to get worse before it gets better.
Bye-Bye London. See you in a few weeks.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we apologize for the rough flight. We just cross Dover and are headed across the English Channel. That is France just off the starboard side.
Approaching the city of Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp is depicted surprisingly well in FSX. The river Scheldt is visible winding through the city. Antwerp is a very beautiful city and I enjoy visiting there every chance I can. The Antwerp Airport (EBAW) is just ahead, turning for the downwind leg approach.
A short final shot (runway 29) from outside (sorry Al), just in the general direction off the right wing (less than 1 mile) is where my Mother and Father-in-law live. I can sit in their garden and hear the aircraft wind up their engines and props. We’re almost there. By the way, EBAW has a slightly shorter runway (by 30 feet) than EGLC. Landing and departing is less daunting with the lack of buildings and the obvious close proximity to the River Thames. It’s still a fun runway to land and depart from.
Parked at EBAW. Again, surprisingly EBAW is depicted very well. I’ve yet to find an add-on scenery for this airport. But I think FSX does a good job.
Well…I’ve simulated half of our real-world journey my wife and I will take in the next few weeks. It is time to head over to my Mother and Father-in-Laws house, get a shower and then walk to the Frituur Shop for some incredible Belgian Fries called frites (like french fries, but without the french). I don’t know the history of the friend potato, but the French have nothing on the Belgians and US? Ha….nothing compares. Also, Belgians don’t eat their fries with ketchup…it is mayonnaise all the way. I will also enjoy a few curry worst sausages called frikandel in Dutch. Ain’t nothing healthy about this dinner…it’s all about the reward after having been awake for over 30+ hours.
I don’t think I’ll document the return trip and will let this part 2 be the final chapter. I will of course simulate the return flight from EBAW to EGLC and then EGLL back to KDEN. But I’ll leave it up to your imagination how that trip goes. Right now my mind and my stomach is thinking Belgium and that’s where I’ll leave it.
Until next time, Happy Flying!
Jerry
