Community Discussion > Flight Operations

Tropical Traders Event; the whole story in pictures

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EHM-2387 Eric-Jan:
An ehhm, ..., interesting evening, to say the least :)

It all started with a bit of a delay due to all of us having Flight Logger issues discussed in another thread. After solving them, we (Peter, David, and myself) took off at around 2030Z. At that time, Gian came to join us from his flight from Atlanta to Bermuda, so we were with 4 already. Having to catch up, he used some accelerated time to Concorde his way to join the herd.

DetailsClimbing out, there were some patches of ground fog, but no significant weather.

DetailsEn route, approaching GA, still climbing to avoid the terrain.

DetailsUpon approaching Cape Gloucester, some clouds appeared, with a cloud base initially at some 3000 ft. Later, near our destination, the ceiling dropped to 1100 ft. Or at least in my (XP10) environment. In XP10, runways are more difficult to discern than in FS9/FSX, and flying low does not help then! Luckily, Trevor had by then found his way to CPG / CGC, so his flashing beacon lights could serve as an initial guidance :)

DetailsCreating my own dust storm at the dirt strip of Cape Gloucester  ;D As you can see, there are some differences in scenery between the sims.

DetailsAfter filing my PIREP, I tried to join the rest of the crew for a group picture moment. As they were all sitting in (or actually "over") the sea in my scenery, I had to go very close to the edge of the water. And, of course, I fell inn (lost my #1 prop in doing so).

DetailsAmazing how much buoyancy a DC-3 has, in X-Plane ;)
Floating off into the sunset.

DetailsAt around half-way the trip, I lost both engines. Probably I overloaded them trying to catch up with Peter and David, at high altitude. Not a fuel issue, this time. Temperatures appeared to remain in the green, until the engines stopped.By then CHT gauges indicated 0. Either the gauges broke down, or some electrical failure had occurred, or the cylinder heads were actually really cold. Cannot determine that any more. But flying in mountainous terrain, without propulsion, that's not a preferred situation. AYGA was the nearest field, so I tried an emergency landing there. I did not have the gliding range, though (I kept her pretty neatly at best glide speed). But, lucky for me, the terrain in the vicinity of the airport was relatively flattened. A last minute gear-down, and full flaps to bleed off all possible speed, I gently touched down in a grass patty some 3 nm short of the airfield. Flightlogger found that I had landed (not at destination), not crashed, so I must have done it right. ;) After some quick repairs, I was soon ready to depart again. I would take the direct rout to CGC, deviating only to avoid the mountains. I ended up just ahead of Peter and David, while Gian had already Concorded past me to land as #1.

So, with the FL issues, the emergency landing, and the excursion on to the water, all in all quite an adventure. And that on a regular Monday evening ...

EHM-2758 Peter:
Very nice report of our mission of last night EJ!

Here's the Doodle-link for leg 14 of the TTT from CGC (CPG) to AYKY: http://www.doodle.com/7srw864h2i49a832

and, of course, my screenshot contribution can be found in the Gallery: http://www.fly-euroharmony.com/forum/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=45

See you all next week perhaps?

Peter

EHM-2387 Eric-Jan:
Ah, I see!
I was PanicAir do Brasil. That explains a lot! ;)

EHM-2758 Peter:
Hi EJ,

Must be a slip of the pen... ehhh keyboard. You probably meant Panair Do Brasil and what's a 'panic'-air situation, if you compare it to what these pilots have to endure who fly across Colombia!
Just watch this video: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/riskingitall/2011/05/201151112305049621.html

Al Jazeera hitched a ride on one of the 30 DC3's that fly across Colombia regularly. It proved to be a risky trip; over the Amazonian rainforest, the plane was caught in a violent storm. Amid turbulence, without visibility and no radio contact, it took the captain enormous effort to steer the metal bird above the clouds.
"It's dangerous," Captain Raul told Al Jazeera. "The slightest problem and the plane will just fall out of the sky."
The DC3's serve a number of Indian villages in the Amazon, and they are often the only means of transportation connecting the jungle towns to the outside world. Raul transports villagers, furniture, mattresses and animals in his plane.
No one seems to know the exact age of the plane Raul is flying. "During the war the flight data wasn't recorded. It only began when we started taking passengers and freight, when civil aviation began," the captain told Al Jazeera. "I think it was updated in 1962."

Yet the ancient model seems to miraculously land and take off in the harsh conditions of the Amazonian. For Raul, no control towers, minimal fuel reserves, and a slippery landing strip instead of a runway are daily business.

Read Al Jazeera's full report from Colombia on their website. Above, watch the full episode of Risking It All.

Enjoy,

Peter

EHM-2589 David:
Thanks E-J and Peter for the report, photos, video, doodle, etc. and I post some photos too  ;D
DetailsDetailsDetailsDetailsDetailsSee you next week :)

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