Leg #56 SAWH - YSRN

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg raises only a few navigation problems, especially in its very beginning and its very end. Most of it follows Colorado River; unfortunately it does not reach as far the Grand Canyon, but there are some interesting segments along the valley. So, if "airborne canyoning" is your thing, make sure you don't use the 747 on this leg.

Personally I used the PC12 (again) because of the dirt runway at the destination, while anything slower would be just too slow on the initial part of the leg, which is to be flown really high (remember my C172 mistake from the previous leg?).

If possible, take off from runway 21, otherwise make an initial 180 turn back over the airport, because it's part of the orientation clues. Locate and follow a road running south past the airport, while climbing at 10500ft.

Note a power line on the right, because this is NOT where we are heading. The road splits and the right-hand variant follows the power line up across the mountainside; from this point, follow the left-hand variant towards the far end of the valley.

Note another road junction, near the end of a power line (it is not the same we left earlier). Follow the road on the left, along the power line. Although the terrain does not make it obvious, we are now out of the North Platte River, following another river downstream.

The road is easier to follow than the river itself. A lake appears ahead, but before reaching the lake we reach Mc Elroy airport (20V). The airport is located behind a mountain peak so it will only get visible as you get abeam it.

At McElroy, the valley seem to continue right ahead but in fact it turns right following a narrow and intricate canyon. Make sure you do turn right at the proper location, and then follow the valley downstream at your best. The terrain makes it rather difficult, in some spots it is difficult to tell the "upstream" from the "downstream", but you should use the available clues:

• The general orientation of the main valley to the southwest;
• The overall look of the terrain (look further than just the next valley bend)
• The vegetation and more generally the texture, in my case it was natural to guess that snowy terrain is "up" while grassy terrain is "down" (but this depends on the season of course).
• One particular detail may help, at some point the river flows past a bunch of red rocks that look very differently from the remaining of the terrain nearby.

While doing so, we reach Eagle Regional airport (KEGE), normally you should see it on your left but, if you miss the main valley as I did, you may reach it from the east and fly over it. In all cases, being located in relatively large grassy and flat terrain within the mountains, it should be easy to spot so if in doubt just fly towards it.

The valley (we talk about Colorado River by now) continues to the west, much easier to follow as well as the highway and railroad running along it. After crossing another valley portion sided by red rocks, the terrain becomes lower so it's possible to descend to 7500ft.

At some point note a tributary flowing from the south, and Glenwood Springs airport (KGWS) within that valley.
Further east, the valley becomes wider as we reach Garfield Regional airport (KRIL). It is now possible to descend to 6500ft.

Next we reach Grand Junction, a relatively large city with an airport (KGJT) having two runways in a "V", then the smaller town of Fruita.

The valley bends left, near the smaller Mack Mesa airport (C07). It is time now to leave the highway and follow the river into the canyonlands. In the beginning, the railway remains close to the river (unlike the highway), and then it leaves the river too. Fortunately, shortly afterwards the river becomes wider (and thus rendered in FS as a water body) so it is very easy to spot and follow.

Note the town of Moab high above the river on its left bank, then the Tangri-La airport (UT68) right down along the river. You may descend to 5500ft, BUT only if you are in for a rather intense canyon low flying party. The river becomes narrow, and so does the valley, so make sure you don't "miss" any turn. Navigation is not an issue though: although there are a few secondary valleys in the area, only one has a river inside and this one you should follow.

After this narrow segment, the river becomes wider again as it flows into Powell Lake. From this point, there is little to note about the landscape. Bullfrog Basin airport (V07) is clearly visible on the right bank of the river (and quite busy with AI GA traffic as I flew past it). From the same spot, Cal Black Memorial airport (U96) is less visible on the opposite bank as it is a little further from the river.

A tall mountain becomes clearer and clearer visible ahead; it is Navajo Mountain where the destination of this leg is located. If you are cruising at 5500ft at this point, do not forget this is below the airport elevation.

There are several possible approaches; the one I preferred is around Navajo Mountain. Continue along Powell Lake. When reaching the southern arm of the lake, continue downstream to the southwest and climb to 7000ft. As soon as current altitude allows, turn left aside Navajo Mountain western side. Turn around the mountain east then northeast, up to the large plateau located east of the summit. At this point, be on the lookout because the runway should appear in sight shortly (close to the mountainside, not the far end of the plateau).

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

The first part of this leg consists of a (guided) tour of the plateaus that make up the landscape in this part of Arizona, while the second half is a peaceful ride along highway, railroad and such.

When choosing an aircraft, the only limit is the dirt runway at the departure. I used the PC12, which has become my new "default aircraft" for the tour.

After takeoff, turn southwest and climb to 8500ft. Note and follow a road running in that direction, close to the airfield. The road does not climb or descend dramatically as we are now on top of one plateau.

Follow this road until crossing a power line, and then follow the power line to the east. Note the Shonto airfield (53AZ) below. As we follow the power line, it heads towards a valley across the plateau eastern edge (Black Mesa, in fact). Fly east down this valley, along with the power line and a road.

After crossing the Black Mesa, be sure to look back because it looks impressive seen from the east. Continue along the power line to Kayenta airport (0V7).

After Kayenta, a new mountain range appears ahead. It consists of a smaller northern section (Carrizo Mountains) and a longer southern section (Chuska Mountains). As soon as the two become distinguishable, aim for the pass in between (leaving the road and power line on your left).

After passing the saddle, turn right and proceed along and east of the Chuska range. There is a plentiful of roads in the area but none really helps as most run across the mountains not along these.

When reaching the southern end of Chuska range (note a red and white antenna on top of the southernmost peak), turn right again around it.

If the visibility is good, a town should be visible by now to the south, it is Gallup; fly towards it. In poor visibility, continue around the Chuska range until reaching a power line; follow this power line southwest to Window Rock airport (KRQE), and then a railway southeast to Gallup.

As soon as Gallup town and airport (KGUP) are clearly in sight, this leg becomes easy. Follow the highway and railway heading east. This is again a desert crossing with not so many landmarks to look for.

Near a small lake, the highway turns right and heads to Grants – Milan airport (KGNT). There is also an airfield at Cubero (NM74).

Further east, after passing near a small lake, the highway and railroad split. The railroad is better to follow, being the shorter option. Follow the railroad to the southeast, heading towards the Rio Grande valley. The river itself is not clearly visible, but the terrain alongside it clearly shows both vegetation and human settlements.

The railway we are following reaches the valley between the airports of Mid Valley (E98) to the north and Alexander (E80) to the south. Follow the Rio Grande to the south while descending to 6500ft, as the destination is near by now.

The river becomes wider so it appears as a series of lakes. As soon as you reach the second such lake (while flying west of it), Socorro airport should appear is sight.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg starts easily, along a clearly visible highway, but the end portion is rather fuzzy. Not only we get out of the US area covered by the VFR charts from http://www.skyvector.com, but also the area close to the border does not match (as of the FS standard scenery) these charts.

After Socorro, climb to 6500ft and ahead south along the Rio Grande valley, plus highway and railroad. The valley is again clearly visible as a green band of vegetation within a surrounding mostly desert terrain.

Soon a lake is visible ahead, it is Elephant Butte Reservoir. On the right shore of the lake is the airport of Truth or Consequences (KTCS), while the city of the same name is located a little further downstream. Next lake along the route is Caballo Reservoir.

When the Hatch airport (E05) appears in sight, the river turns left and so does the highway. At this point leave the valley to the southwest along a railroad and a secondary road, soon joined by a power line too.

After a while, the town and airport of Deming (KDMN) appear in sight. After Deming follow the highway to the west (along a railroad too). Caution, within the city the highway changes into a simple road, be sure to find the proper highway end at the city edge.

Again the desert crossing provides little landmarks. The highway turns northwest into Lordsburg (KLSB), where it turns southwest again, then turns northwest once more near the Arizona - New Mexico state border (which of course is of little use for navigation).

Note the town of Bowie along the highway (but no airport though), then the highway turns left towards the town of Wilcox and Cochise County airport (P33) nearby. Further southwest, the highway crosses a range of hills and then we get to Benson: the town, the municipal airport (E95) and a smaller airfield (31AZ).

After Benson, orientation becomes tricky. Note the mountain southwest of the city (Apache Peak). Turn south but keep EAST of Apache Peak. After passing the mountain, Sierra Vista city and airport (KFHU) should appear in sight further south. The airport has a very distinct layout, with three runways in a triangle, so be sure you get a positive identification on it (it is the last unmistakable waypoint).

Over Sierra Vista, head southeast a long a very shallow valley, trying to locate the river inside, and then follow the river to the south. If you are lucky enough, you may spot Evelyn Field (AZ26) near the river, easy to recognize by its two grass runways in a "X". Evelyn is also close to the USA - Mexico border.

Continue south along the river, and soon some lakes will appear. The first ones you should leave on your right, being of no interest, but then another lake will appear near a city. This is Cananea, the leg destination.

Approach is of course visual on the dirt runways, but at least the airport layout provides a multitude of choices so a straight in approach is guaranteed no matter where you come from.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg crosses the mountains of northern Mexico, which looks like an intricate labyrinth of shallow valleys. Landmarks are far from each other, it is not a route that could be checked and confirmed every mile.

So it is best to fly it high; I flew it with the PC12 at 12500ft but you may get higher, especially with a jet. The constraint remains, however, that the aircraft should be capable of taking off from the dirt runways of the origin airport. I also suggest "clear weather" for this leg; otherwise you will require a significant amount of luck.

After takeoff, head south along a road over a very shallow valley. In the beginning, the river itself is not visible but after a while it (Sonora River) appears next to the road (difficult to spot, however, due to the blue-on-green texture).

Follow the river to the south until it turns east (towards loser ground and Hermosillo, which is "almost" visible on your right). At this point, turn left and head towards a lake you can see in the next valley. As you get closer, the lake appears to have three distinct arms; follow the eastern one.

From the eastern tip of the lake, head east. This is the least controllable portion of the leg so be sure you keep the lake in sight behind, in order to keep the chance of returning to it as well.

While heading east, note that you cross some mountain ranges having a north-south orientation, and then note some flat plateaus with towns and villages on top. The first one should appear on your left (the town being Madera), then a larger one should appear on your left with several settlements, the most visible being Pena Blanca and Gomez Farias.

Note that this larger plateau has a lake between these towns in reality, but none appears in FS.

After reaching this plateau (at this point the three-armed lake should be just barely visible behind), fly over the two towns then continue to the east. Note a range of hills, then another perpendicular valley having a lake on your left.

Follow this valley south, to a larger lake (Laguna de Bustillos). Two towns are visible in the same area, Conception on the lakeshore and Cuahuhtemoc a little further south.

Over the lake, turn east again and soon a large town will appear ahead, it is Chihuahua next to the leg destination. Proceed towards the city and descend to 6000ft for visual approach. The airport is located northeast of the city, and the runway direction allows a straight-in approach.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

Plenty of roads and railroads again to look for in this leg! Besides, as both departure and destination airports provide nice paved runways, it is OK to fly this one by jet (except for the fuel consumption, fortunately it's only virtual). As for me, I stick with the PC12.

After takeoff climb to 6500ft (which is high enough for the terrain, but your aircraft may require a higher level) and head south, aiming for the eastern tip of the city. In that area note a road going south and follow it.

Further south, the road turns east over a range of hills, then southeast past these. A railroad (coming from Chihuahua too, but via a more southerly route) joins the road.

As we fly over a small village (there is a crossroad there, but just proceed ahead) a larger town appears ahead. It is Delicias and soon the local airport (MM2P) appears too.

Over the airport, head south again along the road, the railroad and a river. The direction changes a few times between south and southeast. There are more crossroads in the area, but with an eye on the three lines (road, railroad, river) it is easy to locate the "main" direction.

The next large town is Ciudad Camargo. Once over the city, the airport (MM0D) appears in sight to the southeast. Follow the road at the left of the airport, which is later joined by the railroad then both turn south.

Further down the road, we reach the town of Jimenez (no airport here, sorry). There are several roads in and out the city, the one to follow heads southeast, and then left of a small but very distinct hill. Later a railroad joins this road again.

Then follows a long and presumably uneventful desert crossing, along the road and railroad. After a small lake we fly over the town (or village?) of Ceballos. Later a cone-shaped hill appears ahead and eventually we fly past its southern side.

After a new turn to the right along the road and railroad, the large town of Torreon appears ahead. When the airport (MMTC) becomes visible, fly towards it and then south of it, looking for a road and railroad heading east.

Along with the road and railroad, we fly over Matamoros. Afterwards the railroad is no longer visible. The road turns northeast towards the end of a mountain range, then around and north of this range.

Caution, in this area it is difficult to follow the RIGHT road, as there is a plentiful of variants, whose general directions are difficult to assess. Normally the road to follow is roughly in the valley centerline. At some time a lake appears in sight, fly towards it. After this lake, the road is easier to follow.

However, should you miss this road, there is an alternate safe route. Fly south towards the mountains, then along the mountainside looking for the town of Parras (it is the only settlement on the mountainside, so it is easy to spot). Near Parras you should be able to see an airport too, slightly to the north (MM1E). From the airport fly north, looking for the first road running to the east, then follow this route until you spot the above-mentioned lake.

From the lake, note a railroad running to the north, but follow the road southeast. The road heads towards a range of hills, then crosses this range near its southern end, and then turns east into the town of Saltillo. There is an airport nearby (MMIO) too.

Fly to the airport, and then continue northeast along a highway, into a deeply cut valley. On the far end of the valley a large city becomes visible, it is Monterrey and we are close to destination now.

While still flying inside a valley, an airport appears in sight to the east, it is La Encarnacion (MM0N). Head towards it and start descending, but look north for the actual destination airport. When you get the airport in sight, you should be well aligned for a straight in approach on runway 02. Or you may prefer to join downwind for runway 20, which has the advantage of PAPI lights.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is another leg more suitable for high altitude VFR, because there are few "detail" landmarks while the overall distance is easier to assess from high above. Thus you can fly this in a jet, more precisely any aircraft you are able to put down at destination (paved runway, but a narrow one without glide slope lights).

After takeoff, head east and note two ranges of hills in this direction: a bigger one (both larger and higher) on the left, and a smaller one on the right. Aim between the two ranges.

As you get near these hills, a lake appears northeast. Fly towards this lake (there is a road below going in the same direction).

Before reaching the lake, note a large river a little further ahead. This is Rio Grande, which is the same river we have been following in the legs 26 and 27. In between, we have flown a large loop to the west.

From this point, the route basically follows the Rio Grande to the ocean (more precisely, the Gulf of Mexico). As soon as the ocean appears in sight, it is recommended to descend, especially if you are flying at jet altitude.

In fact this is the biggest problem of this leg. The destination airport is a small one that cannot be seen from the distance, thus the area where it is located should be approached at low speed and low altitude; otherwise expect some circuits around it.

When the ocean shores become distinguishable as details, note a large lagoon to the south, separated from the ocean by a long and thin isthmus. When this feature becomes obvious, it is safe to leave the Rio Grande to follow the inner shore of this lagoon.

While following the lagoon further south, note a series of thin islands that almost form an isthmus across the lagoon. From this point, the destination airport is close and will appear in sight within minutes. Maintain direction until you see it, then turn right for base leg or turn right "preemptively" to intercept the runway centerline on a longer finals leg.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is definitely a jet flying leg; just don't plan to fly too high because it is a short leg too. The whole leg is following the ocean shore to the south, with only a few landmarks worth mentioning:

• The southern tip of the lagoon we have been flying over since the previous leg;
• A river flowing into the ocean, with a town (La Pesca) and an airport near its mouth;
• A second river flowing into the ocean, with a larger town (Tampico) and a larger airport. This is exactly the leg destination, so be sure you start descending as soon as you spot this second river and the city (even if the airport is not yet in sight).

Approach is easy, there is ILS but personally I got lazy as the airport appeared in sight, I preferred to get down visually than to fly a large loop (I was too high and too far from the runway centerline to make good use of the ILS).

You may think I also got lazy in writing shorter and shorter route descriptions? Nah, this was just because orientation was (too) easy in these latest legs, but next leg we're going up the mountains again so be prepared to look for elusive landmarks again.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is another leg I have flown, with the A318, as high level VFR... and documented as such. Runways at both departure and destination are paved, long and large so almost any aircraft could do the job (not sure about the A380 though).

After takeoff, climb to 13500ft and turn to the southeast along the ocean shore. Fly over the lake (or should I say lagoon?) just south of Tampico, then over the larger one further south. Following roads is out of the question as there is plentiful of these running in all directions.

When reaching the southern tip of the larger lake, note a river flowing into the ocean further south. This is Tuxpan River, and while flying towards it try to locate the city of the same name and eventually the local airport (MM0X), which is close to the riverbank and parallel to it.

Over Tuxpan, turn to the south and note a larger city ahead, which is Poza Rica. Fly towards this city; shortly before reaching it, the airport of Tajin (MMPA) also appears in sight north of the city. Over Poza Rica, note and follow the river flowing through the city, to the west then southwest (upstream).

As we get near the mountains the river is flowing from, it becomes difficult to spot the "main" valley from high above, and nearby roads don't help much either. Instead, most waypoints from now on are lakes, which are easier to spot from a higher level.

Without a dramatic change of direction, aim between a very small lake on the left and a larger one (roughly cross-shaped) on the right. The larger lake (Tejocotal) is to look for especially, but be warned its apparent shape depends a lot on the angle of view, while flying west towards it, it looked more like a large-based "Y" letter.

After Tejacotal Lake, continue on a southwesterly course towards a larger  (and especially longer) lake, which is Tecocomulco Lake. After crossing the mountain barrier, the terrain below consists mostly of high plateaus, with mountain peaks rising here and there above these.

Over Tecocomulco Lake, maintain the rough "along" direction of the lake, to the southwest, between two such peaks. After passing these peaks, a large lake and a large city become visible in the distance. This is the capital city of Ciudad de Mexico. The city is quite large, so fly towards the airport (MMMX) as soon as you have it in sight.

Over the city, note the mountain range west of it. This range is to be crossed, but be sure you choose a lower crossing point as it is a good idea to start descending to. As soon as you get a sight of the landscape beneath these mountains, the town of Toluca should be visible ahead. The destination airport is just northeast of the town.

You may choose a visual pattern approach but personally I enjoyed the comfort of an ILS (runway 15) approach. To do so, when reaching the airport fly on the (reciprocal) runway heading, then do a procedure turn (anti-clockwise) to intercept the localizer. I doubt this is the standard procedure but it works while keeping the aircraft over safe grounds (which is not quite obvious with all those peaks around).

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is another leg above the high plateaus of Mexico, with heavy jet compatible runways at both ends. In other words: another job for the A318!

After departure, climb to 13500ft and turn east, back towards ciudad de Mexico. While doing so, be sure you get high enough to clear the mountains in between.

Once above the city, and possibly with the international airport in sight, note the range of peaks southeast of Ciudad de Mexico. The most southerly one, which is also the highest, is Popocatepetl. Fly towards it, more precisely south of it then turn east around it.

While flying over the southern mountainside, note a large lake, having a very irregular shape, ahead (this is Valsequillo Lake). North of it (which is left as you look) is a large city, Puebla. A little north of the city is the Huejotzingo airport (MMPB). Fly towards the city and locate a railroad starting from there to the southeast.

Follow this railroad along a shallow valley (which is the first one east of Valsequillo Lake). Caution, the railroad makes a long and unexpected (and useless too, as it seems from above) loop before heading again southeast, and this happens exactly within an area where it is not clearly visible due to vegetation.

South of this area the valley becomes deeper and is easier to follow, so you no longer need to look for the railroad. Note the Tehuacan airport (MMHC) on the left side of the valley. The town with the same name should be there too but apparently it is not rendered in FS.

South of Tehuacan is the lowest point within the valley. From this point the river flows east through a perpendicular valley. The exact spot, however, is not obvious in FS except if you have a high-resolution terrain mesh.

Further south, the valley splits into several parallel variants. However, it does not matter which one is the "principal" valley, because the target is visible in the distance, in the form of flatter ground ahead (south). Fly towards this new plateau.

Soon the town of Oaxaca will appeared in sight, followed by the destination airport just behind. As far as approach is concerned, runway 01 is better because there is room to the south to descend and do a procedure turn.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is the last leg inside Mexico, and it goes down then up again. The runway at destination is long enough (for jets) but is narrow and has no glide slope lights, so it is not best suited for heavies. I personally flew this leg with the A318 but was somehow confused reading the airport elevation so I kind of overshoot, stopping after the runway end (ouch).

After takeoff, fly east to the plateau east of Oaxaca (and caution the peaks in between, of course). There is a railroad heading in the same direction, and it is a good idea to follow it, but it ends where the plateau ends... while we should be going further.

Where the railroad ends, follow a road to the south. The road itself makes plenty of turns along a valley, but soon it becomes obvious it heads towards a lake having a (roughly) triangular shape. As we fly towards this lake, the Pacific Ocean itself appears ahead. After the lake, follow the river that drains it, which leads to low and flad ground along the ocean shore.

Two airports are visible in the area: Ixtepec  (MMIT) on the left and Salina Cruz (MM1X) on the right.

If anything happens and orientation becomes unsafe before this point, at any moment you can fly south to the ocean then follow its shore southeast until you reach Salina Cruz.

After Salina Cruz, more mountains are visible to the northeast, in he distance. Fly towards the closest high peak; about reaching it, a long lake appears ahead. Fly to this lake, over several villages on top of lower peaks and high plateaus.

Over the lake, follow its eastern arm then the river that flows into it upstream. More and larger lakes appear on your left, but these should remain in the distance, being located behind the mountain we need to "climb".

As you fly along the southern side of the mountain, note Tuxtla Gutierrez airport (MMTG) on your right, then a road that crosses your path and continues up on the mountain.

Follow this road over the mountain. On top of this mountain is a shallow valley. Here, the road reaches the town of San Cristobal de Las Casas, where there is a crossroad, while the destination airport appears slightly to the north along this shallow valley.

As the terrain around the airport looks rather misleading (in the ability to tell the low spots from the higher ones), I choose to descend in a 360 degree turn right on the spot (where I first saw the airport), then headed towards it at low level.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg leads us out of North America, which we have been crossing for some 30 legs, into Central America. I flew it with the PC12 again and, while a jet could do the job, note that both origin and destination airports have short and – especially – narrow runways.

This leg can be flown in a very basic way, which is along the Pacific coast. However, inland mountains provide an interesting landscape that would be a pity to miss, so the hereby-suggested route leaves the coastline for a ride among local volcanoes.

Alternatively, one could fly the entire leg over the mountains, but the way is difficult to find before lake Atitlan. Thus, the suggested route is a compromise between sightseeing and ease of orientation.

After takeoff, climb to 12500ft and turn right to the south as soon as the terrain permits. On this course we first cross the range of mountains near the airport, then a wide valley with a long and thin lake, then another mountain range and eventually, when crossing these, the ocean appears in sight.

Once you get the ocean in sight, the best path is between the coastline and the nearby mountains, ideally at equal distance from the two. While doing so, note the town of Tapachula on the left, as well as the local airport (MMTP).

The next visible town is Coatepec; there is no airport here but there is a railroad. By now we have crossed the border into Guatemala.

Next town is Retalhulen, and the spot is easy to locate due to a large "Y"-shaped river flowing into the ocean nearby. Near the city is the airport (MGRT), but do not waste time looking for it – I did not see it either.

After Retalhulen, Atitlan Lake appears in sight to the left, in the mountains. It is time to leave the coastline for a more interesting landscape so fly to this lake. Once you reach the lake, turn right to the east between mountains – most of which being in fact volcanoes, and this is visible from their shape even with the FS default scenery.

A large city appears ahead, which is the capital city of Guatemala. The La Aurora airport (MGGT) appears in sight shortly, apparently inside the city.

Fly over the airport, and then to a lake visible further east. Before reaching this lake, another one appears still further so continue towards this one. By the time we reach this second lake (Guija Lake), we are over El Salvador.

Further east, a third (and even larger) lake appears: lake Suchitlan. Fly to this lake too, then note a large city to the southeast. This is the capital city of San Salvador, and it is our next waypoint. Next to the city is Ilopango airport (MSSS), while the newer airport of Cuscatlan (MSLP).

After San Salvador, fly east along the coastline. When you reach a delta-like segment of the shoreline, start descending because the destination airport is getting close now.

The large Fonseca bay appears ahead. The leg destination is a small cape right before entering the bay, visible from distance. Note that we approach the airport perpendicular on the runway, so the best approach is left base leg for runway 33.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

Although "technically" this is the second leg along Central America, it is the first time we're going to see both oceans. I flew it with the A318 but had some hard time landing.

The first part of this leg is to be flown along the coast. This is easy when using runway 15 but things get a little spicy with runway 33. In this case, while climbing, pay attention to Mount Conchagua and turn right around it.

As we cross Fonseca Bay, we also cross the border into Honduras. Continue eastwards along the coast, until a large inland lake appears in sight. This is Managua Lake; fly towards it.

As we get closer to and then above the lake, the city of Managua gets visible too on its southern shore, as well as the international airport (MNMG). We are now over Nicaragua.

Behind Managua Lake an even larger lake appears. Fly over this second lake, on a southeast course. Note an interesting feature, the island of Ometepe formed by two volcanoes: Conception and Madera.

Right of the lake, a mountain range starts to emerge from the lowlands. Fly towards these mountains and follow the range to the northeast. Lake Arenal appears in the mountains; make sure you fly along it for direction.

Once we get past the lake and the mountain behind this, a large city appears ahead. We are now in Costa Rica and this is the capital city of San Jose. As we get closer to the city, the two airports of Juan Santamaria (MROC) and Tobias Bolanos (MRPV). Although both are named "international", I am sure that you will notice some differences between these.

From San Jose, follow the valley eastwards to a small lake, then towards the Atlantic as this appears in sight.
Once near the coast, in order to pinpoint your position, look for a small (short but wide) cape, where the town of Puerto Limone and the local airport (MRLM) are located. From Puerto Limone follow the coast to the east.

As we fly over a narrow cape, some islands appear ahead, the closest one being the destination of this leg. More precisely, the runway is located at the eastern tip of the island, perpendicular to our bearing. Thus, do not fly immediately towards the island.

For a left base runway 08, fly over the airport of Cap Manuel Nino (MPCH), and then aim for the base turn. Personally I tried to do a VOR approach in order to get a more precise approach with the Airbus, but somehow misread the distance so my approach was purely visual (and therefore a little overshot).

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is a short hop along Panama, which could be even shorter on a straight line between the origin and destination, but once we are in the area it would be a pity not to "visit" the channel.

I flew this leg with the A318, which was a little heavy for takeoff at Bocas del Toro. Witnesses have stated that no jet uses this airport in real life, so a turboprop would be more realistic.

After departure, climb to 13500ft and follow the northern coast. At cruise altitude both oceans are visible at first, then the isthmus becomes wider and the Pacific gets out of sight behind the mountains.

Further east, the terrain becomes flatter and the Gatun Lake appears ahead. As we approach the lake, the northern end of the channel becomes visible. Descend to 4500ft to enjoy the view.

The Atlantic locks are not rendered in the default scenery (unlike the Pacific locks, which is really weird), however the spot where the locks should be is easy to recognize (among other "hints", the water is sloped).

East of the Atlantic locks, is the city of Colon, with the local airport (MPEJ). Turn right and follow the channel. Waypoints and route indications are no longer necessary, as the channel is straightforward to follow.

The Pacific locks appear in sight as well as Panama City to the east and the leg destination airport to the west.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

With this leg, we complete the trip along Central America and reach deep into the mountains of Columbia. I flew this leg with the A318, and almost any aircraft would fit as well, the limitation being the length of the runway at destination (while approach itself is not difficult, due to the PAPI lights).

After takeoff fly east across the channel, and then over the airports of Marcos Gelabert (MPMG) and Tocumen (MPTO).

Further east, the isthmus that was relatively flat in the channel area becomes rougher again, with mountains along it.

We soon reach a large bay, with a river flowing into it from the southeast. Follow that river, and then continue in the same direction, to cross the Panama isthmus again. We soon reach another large bay, Uraba, on the northern coast this time. About this spot we also cross the border into Columbia.

Note a small comb-shaped cape, near the spot where Atrato River flows into the bay. Fly over this cape, and then straight east across the bay. Note a small short cape with an airport on top of it: this is Turbo (SKTU).

Upon reaching the mainland, continue to the east. A lake appears soon, with some hills behind. Fly towards this lake. As we get closer, it appears that the hills behind the lake are the northern end of a much longer and higher mountain range.

Over the lake, turn right to the southwest. Soon a large river appears ahead. Fly towards this river, then south along it. Next to the river bend is the airport of Caucasia (SKCU).
Follow the valley as it goes into the mountains. The valley becomes narrower and turns right, and then left again.

Further south, the valleys gets wide again but remains deep, with high mountains on both sides. We are now in the Cauca valley, which we will be following during this leg and the next one.

A large city appears in sight to the left, in the next valley and the surrounding hills: this is Medellin.

After Medellin the valley splits in two. Follow the left-hand valley, not the right-hand one that is flatter. From this point, there is also a railroad along the valley.

Descend to 8500ft as we get close to the leg destination, while paying attention to the mountains on the sides of the valley as we are now flying lower than these.

On the left a town appears; it is Manzales and it also has an airport, not visible though (probably we are flying too low to see it). After Manzales the valley becomes even wider, descend to 6500ft. This is necessary as the leg destination is now close and the airport is located at "only" 4500ft.

The city of Matecana appears, and then the airport gets visible too, but do not fly straight towards it because the heading is inadequate for a straight-in aproach. Instead, note the airport of Santa Ana (SKGO) ahead (it is easy to spot as it is displayed in FS on top of a high platform).
 
Once over Santa Ana, turn left towards the city and start descending, this leads on a good course for straight-in approach on runway 07. Note that approach for runway 25 is tougher due to the high sloped ground east of the airport.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg provides a first taste of what flying in the Andes means, and I must confess it is different from anything I knew. Although it is possible to fly this route well above the terrain features, I hereby suggest flying levels that get closer to these, for a more intense experience.

I flew this leg with my brand new Flight1 ATR 72, which was nice for most of the time but kind of tricky when landing; at that time I wished I had a lighter and slower aircraft. This being said, it is up to every one's skills and technically even jets could do the job.

If anyone remembers, the leg origin at Matecana is located high on the eastern side of the wide Cauca valley. The first part of the route follows the valley, so we need to get back into it first. This is easy task if departing on runway 25, but if runway 07 is in use pay attention to the high ground ahead, in fact it is the natural slope of the mountainside. In this case climb (ASAP) to 6500ft and turn right to the west once you reach this altitude.

Over Cauca valley, we fly again past Santa Ana airport (SKGO). Due to FS rendering and data, the airport seems to be raised on a high platform. Take note to this feature, because this applies to ALL airports within this valley, which therefore become easier to spot from distance.

While following the valley upstream, keep the river and the railroad in sight. Also, in case of doubt, it is better to follow the right-hand (western) mountainside, which is straighter and less fragmented than the left-hand one (where several secondary valleys exist).

The next (raised) airport is Zarzal (SK0C), followed shortly by Tulua (SKUL).

The valley is very wide so one feels there is plenty of space to fly along it. However, one should not forget that mountains on both sides are very high above. Not far from this spot, a plane bound for Cali airport crashed after having navigation problems, which led them across the eastern mountainside and unable to climb fast enough to clear it.

After Tulua, the next feature to look for is Calima Lake on the western side of the valley. A little later, two more airports appear in sight. The leftmost one is La Primavera (SKCL), the rightmost one is inside a large city – which is Cali (SKGB).

At Cali, follow the river and railroad to the south, again close to the western side of the valley.

The next segment of the valley is still clearly contoured at the altitude we fly but the valley bottom becomes rougher, with the river itself doing a series of sharp bends. This is no problem as we are still above these terrain features.

Further south, the valley bottom turns into a large plateau and the valley edges become less visible, which make orientation more difficult. Try to locate these edges, as little visible as they are, and follow the centerline of the plateau – to the south again. You should see the Popayan airport (SKPP) on the left, but this is not a major waypoint to look for.

Later, it becomes obvious that we are approaching the southern edge of this plateau, without seeing what lies behind – yet. As we reach this edge, the Patia River valley appears in sight, to the southwest and far below.

While it is possible to continue at 6500ft, for a better terrain experience I suggest slowly descending to 3500ft. The main valley is easy to spot but as we fly downstream, any secondary valley is just as good as these all converge lower.

Further south, the valley becomes narrower and later turns west, then northwest and out of the mountains. Locate the southernmost point of the river and head to the plateau that leads from this point to the south. Be sure to start climbing (11500ft is safe, but barely so) because this time we are going upstream – and fast. Two converging rivers flow south along this plateau, be sure to follow the leftmost one.

The valley turns into a plateau, with many villages generally located on the higher spots, then turns southwest. Soon two airports appear in sight (no more raised platforms this time).

The leftmost one is Tulcan (SETU) in Ecuador, while the rightmost one is San Luis, this leg destination. The easiest approach is following a right hand pattern for runway 07 starting with the downwind leg as the airport appears in sight.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is one more leg along the Andes, and a rather short and straightforward one. I flew it with the ATR-72. A small jet would do the trick too, but the best is to fly low and enjoy the landscape. Note that "low" refers to height not altitude, because the initial climb I suggest is towards 13500ft.

Take off heading south, or else be very careful at the high terrain north of the airport, and turn right as soon as airborne. South of the departure airport is the airport of Tulcan (SETU), very close but on the other side of the border - in Ecuador.

Over Tulcan, follow a shallow valley downstream, first to the south and then to the southwest. Further south, this valley turns right out of the mountains, while we continue southwest along a tributary valley.

The Yehuarcocha Lake appears a little left of the valley. South of the lake is the Atahualpa airport (SEIB). From Atahualpa continue southwest.

After Atahualpa we enter an area featuring small lakes hung on top of volcanic peaks. There are three lakes along the valley; the first one is San Pablo down in the valley, then Cuicocha and Mojanda high on the surrounding peaks.

Fly right through these lakes and maintain the same course further southwest. Soon a large city will appear ahead on the hills, it is Quito the capital city. Fly towards the city, and then towards the airport (SEQU) as soon as this one appears in sight.

Besides from being a valuable waypoint, Quito provides another "benefit": it is here that we cross the equator for the first time in this tour (I am not very sure, but I expect 3 more crossings later in the tour).

Fly right over the airport, and once over it turn south. The large shape of the Cotopaxi peak appears ahead. Note two lower peaks side by side right in front of the Cotopaxi and fly to cross the mountains west of both these lower peaks. While doing so it soon becomes obvious we need to cross a large and shallow saddle. Be on the lookout though, this saddle may be shallow but it is not much lower than the level we fly at.

While crossing the saddle, note a road and a railroad running in the same direction. You may follow these south of the saddle - or just fly to the south, and the destination airport will soon appear in sight. Before reaching the airport, note the peak of Chimborazo in the distance further south; more of this one will be seen in the following leg.

As soon as the airport appears in sight, you should start descending in order to do a straight-in approach to the south (and enjoy the luxury of the corresponding ILS approach).

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg is the most difficult one along the Andes - until now. First, it is a long leg and I suspect the "wise" VFR route is to get down the mountain, follow some river over the Amazonian jungle, and then get up the mountain again at the destination. Yet, again, this would spoil the fun of flying in the Andes so I persevered in finding a high mountain route for this leg.

  There are three very different sections along this route. The first part, from Cotopaxi to Cuenca, is relatively easy to follow. The middle section, between Cuenca and Bagua, lacks identifiable landmarks so it is tricky (so tricky that I got lost at some point, came back on my tracks and eventually found the correct route). These problems are also related to Google Earth, which does not provide much detail for this area. Finally, the last section is easy to navigate again, but provides quite a surprise in the end!

After takeoff, climb to 12500ft and fly south, along a railway that runs very close to the airport. The railroad leads along a shallow valley, first to the town of Ambato and the nearby airport of Chachoan (SEAM).

At this point, Chimborazo peak is clearly visible ahead (a little to the right, in fact). Continue following the railroad towards Chimborazo eastern mountainside, across a shallow but high saddle, then down south on the other side. After passing the saddle, a city appears to the southeast, it is Rio Bamba. Within the city there is the Chimborazo airport (SERB).

Be careful while following the railroad in this area, it enters and exits the town at a very sharp angle, so be sure you do not miss the "exit" leg of the railroad.

Follow the railroad along (and downstream) a shallow valley. At some point, the valley changes dramatically into a steep and deep valley, as the river struggles (and eventually succeeds) in getting out of the mountains. In this area (and before reaching "down"), the railroad splits. One branch (the right) follows the river downstream up to the Pacific, which we are not interested in, while the other (the left one) climbs back on the mountain.

Follow the railroad as it climbs diagonally across the mountainside, then upstream a valley to the left. As the railroad reaches the top again, a large city appears to the right: Cuenca. The railroad leads there, after crossing a smaller town dispersed on several hills, which is Azogues. As we approach Cuanca, the Mariscal Lamar airport (SECU) appears. The bad news is that the railroad we have so conveniently followed until now ends here.

At Cuenca, head south to get out of the valley the city is located in. The terrain ahead looks like a high plateau, with higher ground on its edges. There are several roads going out of Cuenca; locate the one that follows the western edge of this plateau. This road goes where we are going so follow it further south, there are no other terrain features that could make usable waypoints.

At some point, the road leaves the edge of the plateau and continues south in sharp turns. Ignore a road that splits and runs to the west, and follow the one along the plateau. Shortly after, the road leads towards a city, which is Catamayo. Before reaching the city, look on your right for the airport of Camillo Ponce (SETM).

The airport is located in a valley. Follow this valley to the south (upstream). Shortly after, a road coming from Catamayo joins the river we are following, but this is of little use as it ends in a loop in one of the nearby villages. However, from this point the valley to follow appears clearly to the south, so orientation becomes easier.

The valley ends in a saddle; cross this saddle and follow the valley on the other side, downstream, which is to the south again. The valley is easy to follow and the river even becomes larger (and thus rendered as a water body) further down. Descend to 9500ft because from now on there is no more point in flying very high.

As the river gets larger, follow its right bank, looking for the next waypoint. This is the point where the river turns sharply northeast and gets out of the mountains, while receiving a tributary river from the south. Caution, the river leg going "down" gets visible only when one gets close to this point. Also. On the right of the river, is the airfield of Shumba (SPJE).

From this point, locate a second tributary valley, less visible and with a smaller river along it, coming from the southeast. Follow this shallow valley upstream.

As we follow the valley, something really strange appears ahead. It looks like a rock tower and, as you probably guessed by now, the destination airport is right on top of it. Take the time to admire this terrain feature, because it is unique: you won't see it in the real world (I found no clue that such a "tower" would exist there). Moreover, this is not just a simple airport elevation mismatch in FS, because not only it is very tall but also it has some micro-terrain features of its own on top!

Speaking of terrain, once you decide to land it is easier to approach from the west, because in the opposite direction you will meet high terrain in the vicinity of the runway threshold.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

The previous leg has led us slightly outside the main and high line of the Andes. Time to get back into it!

The landscape is - again - spectacular, especially if one does not fly too high. Also, note that altitudes indicated in this leg description shall serve as an orientation means too, for instance in telling the correct saddle to fly to from the others that are too high.

I found the landing after this leg to be particularly difficult, in fact it is the second leg when I crashed (the first being Brighton Island, for those who remember it) and I had to fly the leg again. Thus I don't advise anything too big or too difficult to put down, the terrain provides enough of a challenge by itself. As for me, I successfully flew it with the PC12.

While planning the departure, do not forget where the airport is located, on that strange rock tower. This allows for some unique takeoff techniques, especially if one uses runway 31, like taking off downwards! So enjoy this opportunity, and while doing so descend to 6500ft after departure.

The first section of this leg leads back where we came from, to Bagua and eventually the large river we have been following in the previous leg. At this point, turn right and follow the valley that leads southwest (upstream).

Soon, the valley turns east, then southeast and becomes larger. Later on, the valley turns south and becomes narrower. Climb to 7500ft to avoid the bottom that keeps getting closer.

There are quite a few tributary valleys on the left and right side, but the one we need is on the left (western) side and low enough to enter it. There is also a road that seems to follow the valley but eventually climbs to the mountain south of it. Follow this valley.

If the initial section of the valley is low, this is going to change further west so climb to 12500ft. After a few sharp and narrow bends, the valley gets larger and eventually turns into a plateau. In this area there is a town near the valley, which is Cholocal.

From Cholocal follow the river to the south (as the valley is difficult to locate as such). Note some strange cliffs on the left, which is another FS-only feature due to an airfield located in this area, Pampa Grande (SPJB.) Don't hesitate to check in order to be sure, but be advised the airfield is visible only while flying really close to those cliffs. Continue along the river.

The edge of this plateau becomes visible but this is of little interest: over that edge is a valley that leads back to the same other valley we have been following. However, it is useful to fly near this edge in order to locate the lake nearby, which is an important waypoint.

From this lake fly west, then south following a river and a road and climb to 13500ft because we are getting close to the saddle to cross. Note a lake on the left, hung on a mountainside; the saddle is slightly south of it. After crossing the saddle, follow the valley that runs to the south and descend to 7500ft. This was the highest point of this leg.

Look for a railroad that follows the valley (not quite from the saddle, though), because this is related to an important waypoint. As the valley turns right, the Pacific appears in sight but in the same area the railroad splits. One branch continues downstream to the coast, while the other leads upstream into another valley. Follow the latter and climb to 9500ft.

This valley is narrow and has sharp bends on its lower part, so be sure to follow the railroad. Further south, the valley gets larger but in the same area the railroad ends. No problem though, because the valley itself is now easy to follow.  Climb to 10500ft and prepare for a difficult approach (though I did not expect to have such a hard time at first view)

The destination airport does not have clear terrain on either end, but rather high mountainsides. The choices are either steep descents (hopefully ended with a successful strong flare) or a level approach from the west with very short turns on finals. Personally I tried the latter option for runway 16 but the final score was Touchdowns:1 - Crashes:1. I wish you a better luck !(and / or technique of course)

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is one more leg along the Andes... with a twist, this time (which will be revealed at the appropriate time). Approach at destination looks like the one in the previous leg, but it is easier. I flew this leg with the ATR72... and no crash this time.

After takeoff, fly southwest (upstream) along the valley while climbing to 15500ft. Note that when departing from runway 16 it's not 100% guaranteed the aircraft can clear the nearby mountains, so plan and watch your climbing gradient carefully.

Further south, the valley becomes shallow and eventually it is possible to spot the saddle, which we reach near a small lake (Laguna Conococha). Unlike the valley we have been following, the valley ahead is very deep and flows to the west; the Pacific is visible in that direction.

To the left there is the Cordillera Huayhash, a range of high peaks always covered in snow. Aim to the large saddle north of this range, which is reachable at the altitude we are cruising at. Caution, this is not a very precise waypoint, and a cruising altitude significantly different from the suggested one can make a lot of difference (in confusion, that is).

Beneath the mountains we reach the surprise I was mentioning in the introduction. Near such an impressive mountain range as the Cordillera Huayhash one could expect: more spectacular peaks, deep valleys, or at least some hills as a transition to lower terrain. Well, in this case it's none of the above. Instead, the Andes have the "altiplano", high plateaus so flat that one could think they are just hundreds of feet above sea level - while in reality it's over 10000ft.

Fly towards the two lakes ahead, the longer one is Lake Lauricocha. A deep valley appears on the left, but we should remain above the plateau between this valley and the mountains. While doing so, we reach a crescent-shaped lake located in a narrow and deep valley.

From this lake, a much larger lake is visible to the left; this is Lake Junin. Fly towards it, with an "orientation bonus" if you fly over its northern shore: the airport of Vicco (SPVI), displayed on a raised platform as it occurs often in this area in FS.

Aim for the southeastern end of Junin Lake, and then continue in the same direction until a railroad appears. The next section of the leg follows this railroad to the south, with the only difficulty to locate all junctions and in each case follow the right track.

Soon, the railroad turns slowly to the southwest, and then after a sharp loop back to the southeast. Right after this turn there is a first junction; continue to the southwest ignoring the railroad to the southwest.

The railroad leads parallel to the hills on the left (ok, these look like hills but at this altitude...) Near the end of these hills, there is another junction with a railroad to the southwest. The main track then turns left towards a small lake (Laguna de Paca). There is also an airfield here, Francisco Carle (SPJJ), which is sunken into the ground.

The railroad turns again to the southeast, following a river, towards the town of Huancayo. At Huancayo, the railroad continues along the same river to the south, towards a section of narrow valley. Further south, the valley becomes shallow and the terrain turns into a plateau again.

The railroad continues roughly to the southeast, but at some point turns west towards a town visible in the distance, Huancavelica. At this point, leave the railroad and continue to the southeast. Caution, after this point the obvious waypoints are scarce so be on the lookout and be sure you can turn to a safe point, which in this case should be Huancavelica.

Note a deep valley on the left, but do not fly towards it, instead follow the plateau edge. As a town appears in sight down in the valley, fly towards it. This is Ayacucho, and the airport nearby is the Colonel Alfredo Mendivil Duarte (SPHO).

Continue past Ayacucho and upstream the valley located east of the town. There is a road along this valley too. After a while, it becomes visible that the valley ends into a saddle with a deeper valley beneath. On the edge, leave the road and follow this valley to the south.

Note a big "V" river bend (a triple bend, in fact) pointing east. From the tip, follow the tributary valley coming from the east. While following this valley, note a lake that appears on your left (Pacucha Lake); when this lake becomes visible, the destination airport is roughly at mid-distance.

The straight-in approach from the west requires a very precise vertical profile management, due to the high hill just west of the airport. There are PAPI lights that could help, but I did not check whether these actually provide a profile that clears that hill. It is also difficult because unless you fly very high, the runway itself is hidden from view by the same hill.

Instead, I suggest a more level approach. Descend while flying over the runway (which gives a good opportunity to assess its position), and then over the southern shore of Lake Pacucha. Turn 180 degrees over the lake, which gives a good sight of the runway. The only problem is the required turn on very short finals, but by carefully following the terrain it is possible to make this turn less sharp.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

While most of this leg follows the altiplano, its first section crosses a maze of river valleys that is some challenge for orientation. The narrow dirt runway at destination severely limits the aircraft choice. For me (and my present skills), such a runway calls for a C172 but… just for laughs, try to get one of these airborne at SPHY, the show is worth the lost time! So I used the B1900D for this one.

After takeoff, climb to 13500ft while flying to Lake Pacucha (northeast of the airport). From the lake, fly left of the hill nearby to a saddle (which is very close to the lake) and beyond, along a valley that descends to the north in a steep slope. This valley ends into the larger and deeper valley flowing from the west to the northeast.

Be on the lookout because VERY soon we need to change the direction again, when reaching an important confluence point. The main valley turns left and flows northwest (to lower terrain, which is clearly visible when looking in that direction). We came here following one tributary from the west, and there are two others, one from the east and one from the southeast.

Follow the tributary valley to the east!

The valley leads east, then northeast. Later, the valley turns to the southeast as we reach the Apurimac canyon. At first, only high snowy peaks are visible on the left side, but after a while tributary valleys appear from that direction.

Follow the first of these valleys that obviously leads to a saddle that is lower than your cruise altitude (if set as indicated in this leg description). Aim for that saddle while following this valley, which in its upper part leads east.

As we reach the saddle, a lake is visible ahead (at roughly the same altitude). Fly to this lake and watch the ground for a railroad a little left of it. This railroad is to be followed for the remaining of the leg, so as soon as you get it in sight the hard part of this leg is over.

Follow the railroad to the east. Note a crescent-shaped lake on the left side, as well as numerous villages along the railroad. Soon we get to the town of Cuzco and the Velasco Astete airport (SPZO).

After Cozco, the railroad leads downstream a valley, until this one turns to the northwest and out of the mountains. From this point, the railroad leads upstream a tributary valley almost changing direction (so one can easily miss the spot where the terrain stops descending and starts climbing again).

A lake appears on the right side, suspended above the valley (Laguna de Pomacanchis). Climb to 15500ft and note smaller lakes on the right side of the railroad. We soon reach the highest point of the railroad, situated in the La Raya saddle. Beyond the saddle the terrain is relatively flat and provides no orientation clues, so be sure to keep the railroad in sight at all times.

After a long crossing of the altiplano, what seems to be a small lake appears on the left but in fact it is a branch of Lake Titicaca. We do not fly directly towards it, instead we follow the railroad some more, until we reach Juliaca airport (SPJL). After Juliaca, the railroad turns west and crosses the mountains all the way to the Pacific coast.

From Juliaca, fly to the lake (which is now visible as large as it is) and follow (roughly) its western shore. In fact, the time required to cross the lake speaks for itself about the size of the lake.

A long promontory (east-west oriented) appears in the middle of the lake. Fly to the tip of this promontory, and then along it and close to its shore looking for the destination airfield. Caution, this one is hard to spot so one has to pass close to it to locate it. Do not descend yet because there is high terrain close to the airfield.

As soon as you get the runway in sight, the best approach is to memorize its position and orientation, and then fly away from it over the water while descending and eventually turn towards it on finals. Most of there maneuvers, however, need to be performed without actually having the airfield in sight.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This leg is mostly about crossing the altiplano, vith just some variety near the end to spice up things a little. The runway at destination is long, wide and has PAPI lights. However, before selecting the B747 remember the departure has to take place on the modest dirt strip at Titicaca Lake. So, for me it was the PC12 again.

After take off (westwards, I assume, due to the high terrain east of the runway), turn first right towards the lake to gain altitude then a full 180 right again to cross the narrow isthmus west of the airfield. Climb to 14500ft while doing so.

After the isthmus, fly southeast to the end of the lake and then south until crossing a railroad that runs east to west. Follow this railroad to the east (there is a parallel road too). Note that the capital city of La Paz is quite near, which could provide an unmistakable waypoint, however it is only barely visible from this angle. Thus we stick to following railroads.

Along the railroad we reach the town of Viacha, where a railroad junction is located. Two (!) tracks go northeast into La Paz; one goes southwest across the mountains, all the way to the Pacific coast, while the one we need to follow goes south, parallel to a river. Caution, there is no single junction but rather several "cascading" junctions so picking the right one is not trivial.

The railroad crosses several roads. Another road on the left goes in the same direction, almost parallel to the railroad. There are not many terrain features, except for a range of hills on the left and, a little further south, a lake on the right.

We reach a large river, which the railroad follows for a while to the southeast. Then the railroad leaves this river and here comes another long and uneventful ride across the altiplano. Eventually a large lake appears to the south and the railroad turns towards it.

Before reaching the lake we fly over Oruro town, and the local airfield Juan Mendoza (SLOR).

From Oruro we follow the railroad southwards, along the eastern shore of Lake Uro Uro. A secondary railroad climbs along a valley, while we continue south towards a larger lake - Poopo Lake - along the railroad and a parallel road.

While flying along the eastern shore of Poopo Lake, a small lake appears on the left, between the hills. From this point on, there is a "safe" route and a "spicy" route as well. The safe option is to continue south along the railroad until reaching a major junction, which is a waypoint in the next leg too. From that junction, it is thus possible to do the beginning of the next leg in reverse and reach Sucre this way.

The other option avoids flying that route section twice. In order to do so, a mountain crossing is required which calls for attention and terrain awareness and, as such, is not guaranteed to succeed. Should one get lost in this section, it is possible to recover either by flying back to Poopo Lake and following the safe route, or by flying south until reaching a railroad which is part of the same safe route.

If you prefer this more challenging route, fly to the small lake between the hills. Note that a road goes in the same direction. Follow the river that flows into the lake upstream, along one branch of this road (caution, there are more of them). The valley becomes narrow, then back wider. Follow the road which first runs within the valley, and then climbs on the mountainside on the left. While doing so the heading is south, then southeast and east, and eventually even northeast.

Note that at this point we are not so high to clear all terrain around, so you may prefer to follow the road while flying lower, nearer to the valley.

Shortly the road reaches flatter terrain and heads northeast. In this area look for a road junction, and follow the "new" road to the southeast. This road climbs to a saddle and continues in the next valley. Here is another road junction, close to the lowest point of the valley crossing.  The roads are not of high importance though.

From this point, the important is to follow the valley downstream. The first segments are oriented to the east and northeast, but it is impossible to provide a full description due to the lack of any visual clues except for the numerous river bends and tributaries. Also, following the valley may seem easy but in this case it is not always obvious to tell the upstream from the downstream.

In all cases, follow the valley as far to the east as you can, while looking for the city of Sucre in the same direction. The city is located on top of the hills, so it is visible from distance. Eventually, an easy approach at destination rewards this difficult section.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

In the last three legs we have been flying over the altiplano, east of the high peaks of the Andes. Time has come to cross the mountains again in this leg!

The dirt runway at destination limits the aircraft choice. I used the PC12.

After takeoff, climb to 13500ft and fly over the town of Sucre (which means a 180 turn if departing to the north). There are two railroads going out of the town, and both are heading roughly to the south, so be sure to pick the right one. The one to follow is leaving the town close to its western limit and runs south along a valley.

The railroad does not remain on the bottom valley for long, instead and climbs on its western side. While doing so it has a series of sharp turns so watch it carefully while you follow it (to the south, southwest and eventually west).

After a while (and a number of the abovementioned sharp turns), the railroad leads us to the town of Potosi and the nearby airport of Capitan Nicolas Rojas (SLPO). As soon as you get the town in sight, climb to 16500ft due to the higher ground ahead.

After Potosi keep following the railroad, This one climbs steeply on the mountainside left of the valley, then along a green valley towards a desert plateau. The look of the landscape changes - to desert - while the railroad continues its series of sharp turns. After crossing this desert, landscape color changes back to green, as the terrain gets lower. We are now out of the mountains, and back into the altiplano.

Shortly after, the railroad we are following ends at a junction on the main line. The main line is the very one that we have been following in the previous leg, and even the Poopo Lake is visible in the distance (unless it is a very well done illusion). As mentioned in the previous leg description, if one does not want to take the chance of getting lost in these mountains (and does not bother to fly the same leg section twice), this is the safest way to end that leg too.

From the junction we follow the railroad to the south while descending to 14500ft. This new section of altiplano crossing should be quite uneventful and possibly unimpressive in FS, but in real life we would see a quite outstanding feature: the Salar de Uyuni, or see of salt. In FS, however, there is no dedicated terrain class for salt so patches of sand desert are displayed instead.

After a while we reach Uyuni, in the southeastern corner of the Salar. The town is not displayed in FS but there are junctions on both the railroad and the road running parallel to it. There is one railroad track running east, into the mountain. The track to the southeast crosses out of the mountains, to reach lower ground in Argentina. Instead, follow the track heading southwest.

In the first part, this railroad follows the southern limit of the Salar, which we do not see in FS, so it is again rather uneventful. As we get closer to the mountains, however, the terrain changes. First some patches of desert appear, and then terrain turns to just desert.

The landscape becomes interesting, as high volcanic peaks appear on both sides of the (rather flat) valley we are following. After a while, we get to a railroad junction, as it happens we are done crossing Bolivia and have reached Chile now. Follow the railroad to the southwest. This is upstream so expect to reach higher and higher ground. The railroad has again numerous turns but generally follows the valley so it is easy to follow.

The railroad eventually climbs on the right mountainside towards a saddle. Caution, this saddle is only visible after one starts to turn along the railroad. The road parallel to the railroad is heading for the same saddle, so whichever you can follow is just as good.

West of this saddle, we are still over high ground and the terrain is a desert again. However, while flying southwards along the railroad the terrain gets lower so descend to 11500ft. At some point the railroad reaches a "false" junction, it is only a loop so continue southwards.

A town appears ahead, this is Calama. As we get closer, the El Loa airport appears in sight too.

After Calama orientation is tricky because we have to leave the railroad. Follow the road that exits the city north of the airport and runs to the southeast. This road seems to lead nowhere but in fact we are slowly climb towards the edge of a large terrain depression.

As this fact becomes visible, be sure to follow the road towards that edge (there are a few crossings to avoid). Once over the edge, continue along the road but look ahead. The spot we are aiming for is an oasis in this desert. Do not expect palm trees or water bodies, but the texture is different enough to make it visible from distance. As you get closer, the destination runway appears in sight too.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

A little bored of following railroads, and sensing the finish line is close (I mean Ushuaia), I slipped again into the "high level VFR" temptation. Departing from the dirt runway at San Pedro with a big iron seems somehow unrealistic, so it is time for my ATR72 again.

After takeoff, fly south while climbing to FL190. This way one has a good view of the depression and its sea of salt: the Salar de Atacama (unfortunately there is nothing but sand desert displayed in FS). As long as you reach the cruising level, turn left straight to the east and "just cross the mountains". At this level and in this area there are no impending mountain peaks so just fly straight and enjoy the view.

The best route further is to follow - again - a railroad. Be for the lookout as you reach the last (easternmost) deep valley, for a railroad running along this valley. Then follow this railroad to the south and out of the mountains, flying over the towns and airports of Jujuy (SASJ) and Salta (SASA). As it results from these airport codes, we are now in Argentina.

There is no problem if you miss the railroad; in this case continue east until clear of the mountains, then along the eastern mountainsides until reaching Salta.

In both cases, the Salta airport is easy to identify due to its very specific 3-runways layout. Caution, the airport is not actually in the town but on top of the hill west of it.

Once south of Salta, fly to and over a long lake. Then proceed along (but east of) the eastern mountainsides until reaching Tucuman and the Tenente Benjamin Matienzo airport (SANT).

After passing Tucuman, turn slightly to the right to keep the mountains in sight. A large reservoir lake appears on the left - Termas de Rio Hondo - but this is not of interest for orientation. Instead, while abeam this lake; look for a tiny reservoir lake ahead and to the right (Dique de Escaba).

Fly to this lake and note, to the south, a region of hills crossed by several north-south oriented valleys. Follow the nearest valley and soon these valleys merge into a single wide and flat valley, where a town is visible too. This is Catamarca, and the destination airport is just southeast of the town.

Note: if you are not in a hurry as I started to be, there is a more classic low altitude VFR route possible. Continue to the south over the Salar de Atacama until reaching a railroad. This railroad, if followed to the east (and to the north at the single junction along it) leads on a longer way to Salta.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

This is another leg to fly high; only this time I used the A318 due to convenient paved runways at both ends.

From Catamarca, fly south while climbing to FL270. Like in the previous leg, follow the eastern mountainsides. There are also a couple of large lakes on the left, which do not appear on the map.

Roughly between these two lakes, but closer to the mountains, is the town of La Rioja, as well as the Capitan Vicente Almonacid airport (SANL).

South of the second lake, the mountainside is less distinct and thus more difficult to follow. Maintain roughly the same heading (southwest) and look to the left for a massive but isolated mountain peak, covered with desert-like terrain. The next waypoint is just southwest of this peak, this is the town of San Juan. East of the town is the local airport (SANU).

South of San Juan, the mountainside is easier to follow until the next waypoint, which is the town of Mendoza together with El Plumerillo airport (SAME). At Mendoza, turn right for a straight west crossing of the mountains. The landscape is impressive but the difference from the previous crossing is obvious: the souther we get, the narrower are the Andes thus the shorter the crossing.

West of the mountains (and bck into Chile), do not fly all the way to the ocean. Instead, look to the south for a large city, which is Santiago, visible from the distance. While locating the city is easy, finding the destination airport is a more delicate matter as there area many of them within the city.

When approaching from the north, the first one in sight is the Arturo Benitez International airport (SCEL). The second airport to appear in sight, south of SCEL (and slightly to the east), is our destination Los Cerillos. The airport can be recognized to its main taxiway at a (non-square) angle to the runway. The suggested approach is to fly a downwind leg southwest while losing what is left as extra altitude, then turn around before reaching the high rocky terrain between the city and the ocean for the finals leg to the northeast.

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

The (partial) finish line at Ushuaia seems closer and closer. To further accelerate things, there is a full bunch of legs that can be flown with jets (I used the A318) and almost in straight lines. This leg leads south along Chile (no mountain crossings - for once).

After departure, climb to FL270 and fly south. As soon as we get some altitude, the terrain features around become clear: the Andes of course to the east, while the ocean is barely visible to the west. Between the two there is a range of hills. Most of this leg is to be flown above the flat area between these hills and the mountains.

The first town that appears (after leaving Santiago and its suburbs) is Rancagua, with a lake south of it and the local airport de la Independencia (SCRG). Then there are several towns along the route with no airports and thus more difficult to identify.

Next is the town of Talca, which is located just west of a large lake (Colbun), and has an airport (SCTL). South of this point there are no more hills, and the area between the ocean and the mountains is too wide to navigate without landmarks, so fly to the coast and then south along the coast.

The destination is located next to a bay formed by a long, narrow and curved peninsula. The city of conception is located in the very spot where a large river flows into the ocean. Start descending with the city in sight and fly towards this. In fact, while flying over the city the El Carriel airport appears in sight too.

To loose extra altitude, the best is to fly over the airport and then do a procedure turn or half a pattern for a finals leg to the north. In this case ILS is available too.