Naki's Snow to Surf Tour (non NZ)

[Naki]

Its time for another tour. For the first part of my journey I plan to make a leisurely jaunt from the top end of the Glacier Bay area in Alaska through a small part of Alaska into Vancouver and Seattle and down to Portland.

I haven't really planned where I will go from there but probably a big leap in something faster with longer legs (what Naki in a Tube!)over to Chicago - Boston and then down to Miami and into the Carribean.

I plan to do the first stage of the trip mainly in Dreamfleet aircaft as I like playing around with the GPS and the fancy avionics.

Following screenshots with Active Sky 6.5/RW weather/Dreamfleet Baron/Glacier Bay V2/Ultimate Terrain Canada/Alaska.

Day 1 Yaktukt (Alaska) to Carcross (Canada - Yukon)
Fantastic Day for flying and virtually cloudless (but bloody cold). I have filed a flight plan cruising at 11,000 ft - total flight time should be about 1 hour. The Baron is fairly well equiped for icing so ideal for this leg.

Before Departure @ Yakutat - quite a busy little airport - flying is the best way to get around in this part of the world.



Heres a couple of snap shots (taken later in the flight) of the GPS showing the route taken (sorry I cant be bothered mucking around with maps at this stage).





This will be a common sight for a while - snow & mountains!



..... and more ..............



Had thoughts of switching to IFR - but the cloud bank disappered rather quickly as I increased my altitude to 11,000 ft





Moving into Canadian territory I popped out into more excellent flying weather & switched to Edmonton Centre from Anchorage


About the only sign of civilisation during the whole flight - a road






Approaching my destination




Scrapping the side of a mountain




Parked and back on its feet! No photos of landing as I bent the nose gear! Perhaps I needed to refresh my landing techniques (Don't flare it like a 172!) in the Baron as I hadn't flown it for a while! - I'll just have to take another a/c on the next leg while it gets repaired.....

[G-HEVN]

Nice sequence

You never know, we might pass each other...

[Naki]

We might get close Tim!

I have just realised I am breaking the rules of flights in this forum as it neither starts or ends in NZ. Whoops! If anybody gets grumpy with me continuing with this let me know and I will can it and I'll move onto something else (or continue the flight without posting screenies).

Since my Baron is broken I've borrowed an Archer 111 (yes I know hardly a bush plane - will have something more appropiate next leg) for this short leg - Carcross in the Yukon outback to Skagway in Alaska

An early morning start. Weather is fantastic (RW weather) - no wind, little cloud



Large hill at the end of runway requires a fairly prompt turn to the left after take off



Most of the leg will require me to follow this valley and lake (sorry had the name of the lake but didnt write it down).





Awesome reflections off the mountains and snow as the sun breaks through



The only sort of flat piece of land I see on the whole flight



Wow the sunrise dissappeared quickly



My destination pokes through the misty clouds - now if I had a Stuka dive bomber I might be able to get down to the runway from here



Instead I take the sensible route and fly down the fjord reducing height and I make a hard turn to fly back up the fjord towards Skagways not that easy airport. Imagine landing a 737 here! Just as well I am in a Archer which is easy as pie to land. There will be plenty of cruise liners (and other boats) to see and dive bomb in the next few legs





Hmmm a bush Archer and Mooney - where are the Beavers, 185s and Cubs?

[kiwibarguy]

Great stuff Naki, i'm enjoying watching this flight. Great choice of destinations.

[ardypilot]

QUOTE

I have just realised I am breaking the rules of flights in this forum as it neither starts or ends in NZ. Whoops! If anybody gets grumpy with me continuing with this let me know and I will can it and I'll move onto something else (or continue the flight without posting screenies).[/quote]
Haha, not a chance. I think we can let you off this time seeing how good your screenshots have got! I haven't flown in Glacier Bay for a while but I think you have just given me motivation to do so again, keep up the great work mate

[victor_alpha_charlie]

Nice shots, I'm liking this trip. I'm thinking of doing a big trip in FS but I don't know where/In what. Any suggestions?

[Daniel]

That looks like an interesting approach and landing into Skagway.
How long is the runway there? Could a 737 fit in there?
Great shots there

[Anthony]

Excellent shots there Naki

For VAC, what about trying something like a round the world? You could split it across multiple days (weekend? holidays?) or fly accelerated time. You could do a tour of NZ like someone else may have done, and go from coast to coast, or from the top to the bottom.

To my mate Daniel:

[Naki]

Thanks for the comments guys - I'll take that as an endorsement to continue.

VAC - my trip has been planned to take in my favourite North American Airport addons - most of them anyway.

Next flight is a short hop down the channel (fjord?)from Skagway and around the corner to Haines. I found this old clanger (the excellent Dornier DO-27 by Digital Aviation) in the corner of one of the hangers and eceided to take that for a spin.

Did a bit of research on Skagway - the runway is far too short for a 737 and it appears the only regular service out of there is with various Cessnas, Pipers, Otters, Beavers, Islanders and the like.

Weather conditions aren't as good today with a 22 knot wind and some low cloud .........



With a 22 knot wind blowing down the runway the takeoff was very short in this old STOL aircraft - only a few metres........



Another cruise ship it betcha nobody will be swimming in that pool - my temperature gauge tells me it is 3 degrees celcius outside



The view back to Skagway





Out of the fjord and towards Haines.....



Pass a marina - the other way of transporting yourself around here



Haines airport..



Bit tricky landing this thing in a bit of wind and I float down the runway a fair bit after side slipping slightly to get lined up properly



I surprised myself and landed without the slightest hint of a bounce



Any flight time in this thing always requires some maintenance afterwards..........

[Ian Warren]

Heck Naki ! that really shows off the little Dornier , pleasant change from the regular Pipers and Beech's jezz the weather their is bit like Christchurch yesterday

[spongebob206]

Well Done!

[Charl]

NOW you're talking - great scenery and a/c shots Naki.
I've held off buying the Dornier because I don't have empathy for the plane, but it looks a stunning FS model.
Great to see some good shots of it.

[victor_alpha_charlie]

I tried it at dad's mates house while babysitting and couldn't get it started- otherwise I'd buy it. Again great shots!

[Naki]

Yep the Dornier is a rather nice piece of modelling and is rather realistic - too realistic (you over rev it breaks, you put the flaps down at the wrong speed it breaks etc). For what ever reason I don't fly it too much - probably too slow and Im scared I wil break it as it takes a while to get it fixed if you do (I guess you can turn the realism down though - but that takes all the fun out of it). I cheat a bit though - I get my "co pilot" to turn the thing on and off!

Next leg - Haines to Gustavas. Flight time approx 30 minutes. Weather is overcast but little wind.

Taking something with a bit more in the climb department and a lot more reliable as I need to get over some steep mountains - thats the plan anyway........

Realairs ACA Scout with Tundra tyres - a true bush plane - a bit shiny though - maybe its brand new and yet to beaten up in the bush.



Overcast as the weather report said but not too bad


Down the channel to gain some height before crossing the ranges


Climbing ........


One of the many glaciers around here.


The cloud disappears and it turns out to be a pretty good day for flying




I take a slight diversion to avoid some more cloud (rock hard clouds no doubt) and see a gap down the other side of the mountains into the flats where Gustavas Airport is located




Descending..




...approaching the runway for yet another crappy landing. I broke the tail wheel off this time! I seem to be going through my aircraft and undercarriage. Must do some tail dragger landing practice before I take this up again.


Parked up

[Charl]

Breathtaking scenery, sorry Paul, it's probably time for a map, you've lost me now.
Ain't that a goofy lil' plane, with those oversize feets??
Probably touched down a half minute before you realised it, no wonder you broke its appendage.

[Ian Warren]

OVERSIZE TYRES put on to bounce off the mountains

[ardypilot]

QUOTE

Next flight is a short hop down the channel (fjord?)from Skagway and around the corner to Haines.[/quote]
My favourite corner of the sim world- did a tour down the Lynn Canal for the Sim Pilot magazine a while back which can be viewed here: Arctic Cargo Run - Explore the Fiords of Alaska. There's a map on the page to sort out your confusion Charl

All my flights in the region where during the summer months, so it's great to see the alternative winter texture perspective Paul.

Last edited by ardypilot on Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[hamstickZKFLT]

Nice pics! Looks like fun!

[Naki]

Thanks for the comments guys

Searched everywhere for a decent map - but no luck - any clues anyone? Where did you get yours Andrew?

I wasnt going to fly out to Wood Lake Research Station on this trip but I couldn't resist another flight in the Dornier to try out its STOL capabilties into a shorter grass strip.

Once again the weather is not too bad -overcast and litle wind - still havent seen any rain or snow.

Very early morning start from Gustavas - still dark - I rush to the runway to get ahead of the Dash-7 taxiing down the runway for take off.

Sorry lots of pics couldn't decide which ones to delete and ended up posting most of them - hope you like them.



Climb out - the light in the backgroud is the landing light of the Dash-7 rushing down the runway - I quickly bank to the left to get out the Dash-7s way



Over Gustavas township - note the cruiseship in the background.


I take a rather long scenic route on my way to Wood Lake.










The sun breaks through




Approaching the channel/valley on which to fly up to Wood Lake






I am pretty high - but I throttle right back and drop the flaps and she sinks rapidly towards the runway


Another sweet landing in the Dornier - strange - its usually harder to land than the other a/c I have flown on this trip but Im doing greaser of landings in it - maybe I am concentrating more when I land this thing.


Ahhh but its not all that sweet as I jam the flap and its back to the hanger for more repairs.

[ardypilot]

QUOTE

Searched everywhere for a decent map - but no luck - any clues anyone? Where did you get yours Andrew?[/quote]
Included in the Glacier Bay v2 folder under documentation- great screenies once again!