Historic Dutch East Indies Route Event - Reports

[EHM-1442 Luis]

Hi

My problems had started before  the start line for the Historic Dutch Indies event.

There is a basic rule  that says- if your system is running well, don't modify it just before an propilot event -  But i didn't care about this rule and i changed my cpu and ram.
CPU – Intel Q9550 and RAM – 4GB

I run XP 32 bits and  FSX sp3. Notice that XP has a problem to manage 4gb of ram.
I made about10 attempts  to finish the first leg and after 10 or 15 minutes flying i received an error message “Run out of available memory.....blah...blah” and fsx crash to desktop.

After the ctd, I did some googling and I modified  the page file, new attempt, new crash...modified the settings on fsx, new attempt, new crash.... I  found the solution on this SimForums with the boot.ini modification.    http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=29041

I hope this can help other people.

No problems on the first leg.

Leg 01 – Leaving EHAM
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee6/Filipe974/EHAM01.gif

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee6/Filipe974/EHAM02.jpg

Leg01 – Arriving LFMV
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee6/Filipe974/LFMV01.gif

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee6/Filipe974/LFMV02.gif

Comments and reports from other pilots are welcome

Cheers

Luis

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Oh Luis,

I am really sorry about you. The good'ol XP can handle only 3.2 GB of RAM, so practically 3 modules... which can be unstable if you not use pairs... If you have asked about it, we could have answered it.

Better luck next time, and happy flying !

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Hi Luis,

glad you worked things out and got your system up and running again! And thanks for the link to this very useful FSX tweaking site. I hadn't seen it before. It contains a bunch of useful tips and tricks, which I will be needing soon when I am done saving up for my new PC (Updating for me would mean CPU => Motherboard, RAM, HDD; in short: total system replacement). Advantage for me is that I will be having two systems to choose from for a while, until the wife confiscates the "old" one

Anyway: a good idea to  open up a thread for flight reports. I will certainly post some of my adventures here.

Like this leg one:
I am still getting to grips with the F100. I thought she would be more or less over powered, but much to my surprise, I keep finding myself taking off at the very end of those sometimes looong runways... So I decided to fly the first few legs off-line until I am more comfortable and confident that I'll find all buttons to push when I need them. I do use dynamic real world weather, and for this first leg I used daylight time, just to be able to enjoy the surroundings more.
I looked up the runways in use, and decided on rwy24, LEKKO1S departure. Dialed in the appropriate frequencies, and fired her up. After taxi to S7 I was immediately cleared for take off (I still had AI traffic to 0 ...) and I managed to take off, keep her under 220 KIAS, turn left as per SID, and follow the SID to LEKKO. From there it was an "easy" GPS autopilot flight to LFMV. More or less...
I liked the view of Paris from FL330. Makes you realise that Charles de Gaulle airport is really BIG !
After a small hour or so, it was time to initiate descend. Passing through different key altitudes, I "suffered" for very rapidly changing wind diractions, so I put my AP IAS to 200 kts, just to be sure I would not hit that overspeed below FL100 penalty. I had my descend planning set up to arrive at AVN VOR at 8000ft. Then I peformed a hold as published, while descending to 3000ft, then on to AN (over the field, and follow the outbound radial 005 for 7nm. Turn left to intercept ILS 17. All went OK (much to my surprise) until then. I was pretty pleased with myself not having hit any penalties yet, when I pressed the button on my throttle quadrant to lower the gear. Immediately a green strip on top of the screen, announcing the "Landing lights off under FL100" penalty. Grrrrr...., pushed the wrong button. Pushed it again, and then pushed the right button to lower the gear. Ah, well, such is life; you give some, you take some.
Meanwhile I was established nicely on the localiser. Last check: lights on, gear down, altimeter set correctly, lateral position on course 169 to localiser, vertical position on glide-scope, airspeed OK, runway in sight ... All set for a safe landing. Some crosswind, but not too much. This should be a walk in the park.
When almost over the threshold, AP off, reduce thrust, up the pitch a notch, and BOOM, the wind had turned from a 20 kts headwind into an 10 kts tailwind. Thus reducing my IAS from about 140 to 110. BANG, on the tarmac. Both penalties for excessive G-forces, totaling up to 900 PP penalty points. With the 150 of the landing lights I even got to 1050  
Lucky I did not crash the plane, or I would be out of the event already after one leg ...

Next leg, to LIRN, I will probably fly tomorrow. I also want to install the DA F100 for FSX (and get to know that one a bit too, first), so I'm not sure which one I'll do first...

See y'all up there!

Eric-Jan

PS: next leg I'll shoot some pictures too

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Following Luis idea to open this section, I am switching to it.
For the second night (early morning in Europe) in a row I flew leg 1. This time I wanted to be sure my flight was not unlocked. But after finishiing it again the same problem with the EHM website. I could not send the PIREP to EHM. It is saved but not sent. Again the home page was not fully shown. It only opened down to the 10 top PP pilots. Nothing on actual flights nor last PIREPs reported.  Could it be that at that particular time the site is slower for maintenance purposes?
Are there other pilots suffering of the same problem when flying between 0200 and 0400 UTC?
Oh! in this flight I noticed something that had never happened before: The strip announcing the actions was delayed. I noticed when setting the flaps before takeoff. I took like a minute to show up after the action was taking. And the gear down confirmation was almost at touchdown no matter I normally lower the gear when passing 1300' altitude.

My first flight was between 0330 and 0500 UTC on Dec 19. Today, Dec 20th, my flight was between 0200 and 0400 UTC. Rem my local time  is UTC - 4.5
So I have flown the leg twice but still in EHAM.
One thing is for sure. It is not my machine because I could again sent the PIREP to IVAO just like always.
I will try again today. At the same time.

Finally, this is the message I got when pushed the PIREP sending key:

"<HTML><META HTTP-EQUIV="content-type" CONTENT="text/html;charset=utf-8">
ERROR: MDB2 Error: unknown error :: connect: [Error message: User euroharm_ehm03
already has more than 'max_user_connections' active connections] [Native code:
1203] [Native message: User euroharm_ehm03 already has more than
'max_user_connections' active connections]"

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Hi Eric-Jan,

Try remove the extra Cargo from the payload list, and apply more trim at take-off. Unfortunately I had to fly twice the flight, because I could not send in the PIREP - I got the same error message.

Now flying the 2nd leg over the Riviera. Too bad it is winter season and only 10°C down

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Thanks!
I did just that ,  and it got better controllable because of it.

Nevertheless, I just bought myself the DA F70/F100 for FSX. I did not like the FS9 ported model, with the Embrear cockpit with LearJet gauges very much, to be honest. I do like the paint, but that's about it. I don't trust the flight characteristics, and the AP does not seem to be able to keep her steady. A little nervous pitching, and variation of the IAS all the time... I even got an overspeed penalty today, with speed set to 260 KIAS. That can't be too much, now can it? Also, some buttons and gauges that don't work. Nah, I'd rather pay a little for a realistic model. It comes with a learning curve, though So for now I used the Euroholidays fleet one, with the panel as described above. I'll be practicing the DA one the next couple of days.

Question, though:
Do I create a new plane section in the aircraft.cfg of the DA F100, for the EHM tour plane, or do I just take any livery that comes with the package, and put a remark in the appropriate field in Flogger? I ask, because Flogger reads some fields ("ui_*") from aircraft.cfg to determine if the right plane is selected, that corresponds with the PP locked flight. Do I need to "fool" Flogger, or will it accept the PIREP automatically, even if the airplane does not match the locked one?
Curious how you guys that already have the DA F100 do this.

Also: would there be an EHM livery out there that I could use for the DA one? That would be so nice ...

P.S. flight report will follow shortly, after I get some sleep first

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Leg 02 takes us from Avignon to Naples. I am finally getting to grips with the F100's handling, so a simple southbound STAR from rwy17 did not pose any problems. We are soon over the Mediterranian already

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, with a good tailwind (107 kts, even 111 kts at one time).

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Over the Med, we have a little time to get a good look at this wonderful paint

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before prepping for the STAR at LIRN.
The PZN1C STAR calls for an outbound radial 105 of PZN, followed by a 56 degrees inbound course to POM. So I dial in the two frequencies, and set up the ILS runway 24 frequency already. I will not need any other NAV frequencies for the ILS-X approach to runway 24.
Soon we see Napoli, underneeth a blanket of thick clouds.

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Winds are from the south-west, so it will indeed be a rwy 24 landing; we are all set.
Overhead LIRN

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After a 15 nm outbound, turn right to intercept the ILS. Let's get this caneloni on the ground
Established on the ILS, ready to extend the final notches of flaps

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Wind picked up to 220deg/33kts, so there was some x-wind component, but manageable.
After 1:50h of flight we had a relatively smooth 200ft/min touchdown.

A good flight, with an overspeed penalty I cannot really explain. Apparently 260 IAS is too much at FL310...
Well, never mind! I got some playing around to do with the DA F100 before I start the next leg, to LGAV.

See y'all up there!

Eric-Jan

[EHM-1442 Luis]

Hi
Arriving to Naples i get very strong cross winds too and i was lucky because i have smoothing winds enabled in the fsuipc and this also avoid overspeed when the winds changes.

Leaving LGAV to HEAX

Somewhere over the Mediterranean sea


Cheers

Luis

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Well, guys, I find myself in Greece, now, after completing the third leg

I do not have the paid-for version of FSUIPC, so I cannot set wind-smoothing on
That would probably have kept me under the 11.000 PPPP (Pro Pilot Penalty Points) mark today, as I got another 290 for overspeed...

Taxi to LIRN rwy24, with no problem.

I started using my DA F-100 for this tour today, but still with the TAM livery. I do not have an EHM livery for my DA just yet, and I don't think I'll be finding the time to paint one very soon. So this will have to do for now.

Climbing out, passing FL120


I remember having a good tailwind (some 50 or 60 kts, I believe) when the overspeed ringer called out. At that moment I had an 84 kts headwind, causing some 350 KIAS for a little while. Grrrr...

Over Patra


When I arrived at LGAV, I tried to autoland. But somewhere along the way, I had pushed some wrong buttons, I guess, and I had to disconnect AP, autothrottle, FD, the works to land manually. That worked out great, by the way, so no real problem there. I just have to get more familiarised with the DA plane.


See y'all up there!

Eric-Jan

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Nevertheless, I just bought myself the DA F70/F100 for FSX. I did not like the FS9 ported model, with the Embrear cockpit with LearJet gauges very much, to be honest. I do like the paint, but that's about it. I don't trust the flight characteristics, and the AP does not seem to be able to keep her steady. A little nervous pitching, and variation of the IAS all the time... I even got an overspeed penalty today, with speed set to 260 KIAS. That can't be too much, now can it? Also, some buttons and gauges that don't work. Nah, I'd rather pay a little for a realistic model. It comes with a learning curve, though So for now I used the Euroholidays fleet one, with the panel as described above. I'll be practicing the DA one the next couple of days.

Question, though:
Do I create a new plane section in the aircraft.cfg of the DA F100, for the EHM tour plane, or do I just take any livery that comes with the package, and put a remark in the appropriate field in Flogger? I ask, because Flogger reads some fields ("ui_*") from aircraft.cfg to determine if the right plane is selected, that corresponds with the PP locked flight. Do I need to "fool" Flogger, or will it accept the PIREP automatically, even if the airplane does not match the locked one?
Curious how you guys that already have the DA F100 do this.

Also: would there be an EHM livery out there that I could use for the DA one? That would be so nice ...

E-J,

Unless I'm mistaken the DA Fokker package doesn't have a VC yet? If so, you should be able to merge the EHM Fleet F70 or F100 model with the 2D panel, aircraft.cfg and .air file of the DA version to get the best of both worlds. Normally you just need to recalculate distance values for things like the [LIGHTS] section so they show up in the right place on the visual model according to where the CofG is placed for the DA one. This has worked for me with plenty of payware stuff for FS9

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

E-J,

Unless I'm mistaken the DA Fokker package doesn't have a VC yet? If so, you should be able to merge the EHM Fleet F70 or F100 model with the 2D panel, aircraft.cfg and .air file of the DA version to get the best of both worlds. Normally you just need to recalculate distance values for things like the [LIGHTS] section so they show up in the right place on the visual model according to where the CofG is placed for the DA one. This has worked for me with plenty of payware stuff for FS9

Mmmhhhh ... nice!
As you know: I like a challenge. I'll go see if I can get this to work. Thanks for the tip

Oh, and you are right, the DA still is VC-less

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

But first: Let's get to Alexandria 

 
Departing LGAV on the SOREV 1F SID


Turning left to pass Crete (that green blob on the radar screen  )

So far, so good. My first auto-take-off, SID, and climb to cruise level! Ouch! 55 PPPP for not setting my altimeter to STD in time ... Actually, I put my main altimeter to STD soon enough, but not the backup altimeter too, so I guess I got "punished" for that
Time to prepare for the arrival...

I put in the FMC a hold over AXD, starting at FL100, descending to 3000, followed by an outbound 9nm HDG 197. From there I want to take over with a heading controlled RH turn to intercept the inbound radial 40 AXD. Then descend to 1700 at 7nm DME, and a visual, manual approach to HEAX, rwy04.
This is a good exercise in FMC programming for my next flight, when I want to do a full autoland at GAZA, with the ERIC1G STAR (http://www.fly-euroharmony.com/forum/index.php/topic,5771.0.html)

 
FMC programmed, Egypt in sight, descending on profile to FL100 to enter the holding pattern, and then a further profile descend to 3000.


Entering the holding pattern

I had some trouble getting all automated features to shut down when I wanted them to, so I ended up landing pretty far down the runway. But with a nice 122 kts, and -88 ft/min descend rate . I got to stop in time before I ran out of runway, so I would almost call this flight a success.


On blocks, and on external life support

See yáll up there!

[EHM-1749 Hector]

I had to go around in Gaza because in short final on the Localizer I couldn't see the runway. I then realized that the runway has no lights but I was too close to attempt the touchdown. Bad pilot planning. On the second attempt it was fine.
I just checked Bagdad. It looks fine in FS AFCAD.

[EHM-1749 Hector]

It was not planned but I touched down on RWY 15R in Bagdad at 23:59:36 Local Time so we received the New Year 2010 while taxiing to the terminal.
Happy New Year!

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

May the new year bring you all many happy landings!

I flew leg 6 HEAX-LVGZ this morning. The website was very slow, so I had some problems locking the flight. I saw Trevor just taking off from LGAV, and it took me the time he needed to fly to HEAX to get things up and running. Even on my system, that's a loooong time

Nice to see a controller come on-line at HEAX, though, so I decided I would give my DA an on-line première.After Trevor had landed, I finally got Flogger to eat the booked flight, so we're all set to go. Take off was rwy36, which is the shorter of the two. I did not expect that, but ATIS already told be before I connected, so no woories. I had the charts available in a parallel running Acrobat Reader session, so I could just ALT-TAB, wait, read, ALT-TAB, wait some more..., taxi to hp rwy36 via B and W.  After take off, at 3000ft, it was bye bye Tower, and bye bye Trevor, because he could not lock his next flight either at that time. Did you get your PIREP filed OK, Trevor?

After an initial climb,  I headed to the planned route, intercepted the GPS track and climbed to my filed FL210. It was a clear day with not much wind and only a few clouds, so the view was excellent
Then: the proof of the pudding: I had programmed my ERIC1G STAR as good as I could into the FMS, and it was now time to descend to 6000, over ARH, then enter a descending holding pattern to 3000, continue to EGORA, and intercept ILS01 at hdg 53, alt 2500.


Up until the holding pattern, everything was going OK. But when I pushed the button to exit the hp, she just turned her back on me. It took a bit of time to convince her that we would need to fly a different heading, and also speeds went back up to 250kts... I guess I'll have to read up on those holding patterns  .
After flying on heading / speed / altitude input back to EGORA, and then hdg 53, the ILS intercept also was everything but smooth. I ended up sinussing left and right around the localiser track, so I pushed the go-around button. Then I unplugged the AP, the autothrottle, and altitude control. NOW I am in command! Feels good . After a little dampening out of all various mishaps, I turned around, and flew the ILS needles by hand. Much better, and a nice 200 ft/min touchdown, though slightly off center to the left.


Meanwhile, I got two warning lights for collector tanks being low. This means I probably would not have made it to my alternate. I still had 470 kgs fuel left, which is cutting it close...


Well, I'll be off to Baghdad tomorrow. Planning for it now, so I can fly early morning. And I'll be back reading the manuals on this bird...

See y'all up there!
E-J

P.S.: I did manage to merge the EHM model and texture with the DA *.air, and panel. Now my wheels look like they sink into the asphalt a bit, so I'll have to fine-tune the contact points (Bruce ) a bit. I'll take some exterior shots again tomorrow.

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

P.S.: I did manage to merge the EHM model and texture with the DA *.air, and panel. Now my wheels look like they sink into the asphalt a bit, so I'll have to fine-tune the contact points (Bruce ) a bit. I'll take some exterior shots again tomorrow.

Good news E-J - I might be tempted to get the DA Fokker myself at this rate

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

You better be soon then, if you want to get her to do what you want before the Dutch East Indies Tour is over  
She comes with a learning curve, but man do I like that curve.

Leg 6 takes us from Gaza to Baghdad. The most politically sensitive leg of all the tour ...

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Stable at FL310, over Jordan somewhere.

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Flying into Irak, I got one opposing traffic, passing 3000ft above

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Descending into Baghdad

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Despite what the charts say, a full autoland in ORBI is possible A nice 130kts, -145 ft/min touchown, only a few feet from the centerline.

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On blocks at ORBI. See what I mean by "I have to tweak to contact points"? I'm just glad that did not trigger a crash, or excessive Gs penalty

Safe flights to everyone!
See y'all up there!
E-J

[EHM-1749 Hector]

WARNING: be careful after landing in OIBB and parking. Do not use RAMP 1 for there is a fuel truck very close (FS9 default scenery) and FS will refuel to maximum causing that you end up with more fuel than when taking off. I noticed when sent the PIREP. Too late.

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Thanks for the heads up, Hector!

I am preparing to fly this leg this weekend, so I'm glad you posted this

E-J

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

That fuel truck was gone when I arrived (in FSX ), so there was no problem for me there
Meanwhile, I have arrived in Konarak, without posting any reports here (busy, busy , busy ...).

I am still having some strange issues with the DA F100. Last night, while descending "on profile" during the STAR into Konarak, the AP suddenly decided that I was way too high, and put her in a nose dive. Before I had the AP overruled (still don't have it down which buttons to push / pull in such a situation), I already had acquired penalties 6, 14, and 17 (over speed below FL100, the general "overspeed" penalty, vertical speed > 4500 ft/min)
Now, I have already given up aspirations of getting in the PP top 10, but this still does not feel nice. I ended up flying her by hand, and landing safely, but still.

Another issue I have had pretty much every flight so far is the altimeter setting to STD when climbing through FL180. I set the main altimeter to STD, but the back-up altimeter does not change with the primary altimeter. So I also turn the dial to show 1013 mbar, but that does not do the trick. The only thing that seems to work is pressing "B" right after passing FL180. That only works after passing FL180, and needs to be done, I believe, before FL185, so that comes pretty close as far as timing is concerned. Missed that one a couple of times already. (Thanks for your PM on this, Hector )

I think I solved the third issue: I had flown the last two legs with the speed brake slightly deployed. Now, the speed brake has only two positions in the DA F100: on and off. So how can it be 30% deployed? And only when airborne? What I did to solve this was to load another airplane, deploy spoilers (!), retract them again, and load the F100 again. I saved that flight for the next leg, and then took off. The speed brake remained retracted as it is supposed to be. Let's see how that works when I load the saved flight again...

Well, I better get to work now ...

See y'all up there!
Eric-Jan

[EHM-1749 Hector]

For those using FS9 the default OPSF runway has no lights. Again I made the same stupid mistake of not checking it in advance. It was not an easy task to spot the runway in pitch dark. Result: 400 points penalty for a hard landing. Well deserved!

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Same goes for FSX scenery ...
I got a PPPP-free flight this time, though

With some 400 ft/min touchdown v-speed ( -364 acc. to saveyourflight, -411 acc. to Flight Keeper) I was probably close to that penalty myself

[EHM-1749 Hector]

You were very close indeed Eric-Jan. My v/s at touchdown registered by FS Flight Keeper was 479 fpm.
Anyhow, I just checked the next stop and the runway is lighted. At least in FS9.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

For this leg I have also something to report, but it's on the "odd stuff" category.

I usually - included today - fly with failures off (yes, yes, shame on me, I know   ). To navigate 100% VFR, as I like, I just look at the landscape around and periodically switch to Google Earth to guess where I am.

At some moment, when switching back to FS, poof!
- Speed Indicator = 0 and flagged
- Altimeter = 0 and flagged
- Vertical speed indicator = frozen
- FD bars = off
- AP LCD screen = black

First I hoped it's some kind of "temporary insanity" and tried to restore a normal situation (even checked the failure settings, to see whether I changed these by mistake), but eventually there was little else to do other than accept the situation.

I had to disconnect the AP because it was holding an unknown altitude. Fortunately the backup altimeter and speed indicator were operational, so manually holding altitude and steering was easy.

Descent was more difficult, as I continually feared a too deep dive (and thus did exactly the opposite   ). Final approach was uncertain as I had no vertical speed indication, so I just guess I was on a proper glideslope. Some PAPI lights would have helped but there were none on "my" runway.

I don't even dare to imagine how it would feel with the backup instruments down too. Brrr...

Andrei

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Wow ! What a nightmare. Once it happened to me too on board a B757 I think, while I tried to land in Stockholm. But that was in FS2002. I have no clue how these things can happen, that many guages frozen in the same time, whils some backup gauges are still operating...