Docking

Just a couple of screenshots of the Cessna c206 on floats. One of the tricks after landing is to  position the plane close enough to the dock (without damage) to disembark passengers. This is the marina dock at Shawnigan Lake BC It did take a little jockeying but that will improve after I spend more time in this plane.

Over to Germany to meet an old lady friend..

NOTAM: Not much reality in this flight, unlike my previous gliding post.

A nice little job turned up, but first I had to get from Blackpool (EGNH) to Cologne/Bonn (EDDK) in Germany. Seeing as G-SLIK was back in country after having spent some time in Ryan & Scott's capable hands, she was just the ticket to get me there in a timely fashion. Thanks for taking good care of her Stateside, guys!

Taxying out. The glider club is nestled near the hills on the horizon.

Quite a nice evening for a hop to the continent.

Passing by Liverpool John Lennon airport. Just to the left of the port forward wingtip.

 Being vectored for visual on 14R

Approach looking good.

Touchdown!

Good to know the fire crews are around even if hopefully I'll never need them.

Shutdown. The crew van was there to meet us with typical German efficiency.

Time to let the ground handlers tuck her up for the night.

But where's the old lady friend you ask? Here she is! I'll be taking her back to East Midlands (EGNX). Maersk Star Air were supposed to have a 767 destined for East Midlands, but it went u/s so UPS (with whom Star air have a contract) had one of their MD-11s which could fill the slot so to speak. (No GAC hours here!)

Cheers.

Let's Try That Again

You might remember (or not) my last flight to Hot Springs VA had to divert to Roanoke VA because of conditions at KHSP
were well below minimums when we arrived.

A few days later found me in Sikeston MO for another bass fishing charter to Host Springs. Tag along to see the outcome:

Onto out for a runway 2 take off. The flight is planned for just under two hours.

Coming unstuck! Just inches off the ground.

On our way and turning on to course. We'll level out at FL 190.

This and next, scenes along the way. Smooth air, a little ice quickly dispatched. No biggie.

On the ground at Hot Springs Ingalls Field. Nice flight.

Lynchburg to Chicago Executive

Early in the morning we're off into cloudy skies.

 A little break in the clouds as we turn toward the northwest.

 Still climbing for FL400 but on top of the overcast.

 Just a beautiful morning up here.

 An hour and a half later we've descended over Chicago.

 O'Hare over there.

 Setting up for Chicago Executive.

 And there is runway 16.

Parked and our passengers have left.

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY

May is gone already.  Nearly half the year is gone with it, and I have no idea where that went either.  Time flies.  What does that have to do wth flight simming?  Not much at all.  Just an observation.

Our flight sim world seems to slow during the summer months.  I've noticed this each and every year since I started Greenbrier Virtual Aviation (now Greenbrier Aero Club) and it holds true this year too.  Most everyone does a few flights here and there, me included, probably when it rains and they can't do outdoor things.  Truthfully I find that I appreciate the few flights I do get to do more than if I was flying every day.  Quality over quantity I guess.

Enjoy the flights you do get to do.  Enjoy the outdoors too.  Winter will be upon us soon enough.

May is officially closed.  Stats for the month below.

Total fight hours reported:  59.4 hrs

Total number of flights (all flights):  53 flights

Number of pilots reporting flight hours: 11

Average length flight (all flights): 1.1 hrs

GAC hours reported:   56.7 hrs includes all event, destination, and general flying
                  Light Event hrs:  9.4 hrs

GVA Hours: 2.7 hrs

Total GAC/GVA Hours: 59.4 hrs

Italy

Today we're flying the King Air 350i from Milan to San Giusto on the Italian west coast.

 Flying in a foreign country always gives us looks at airline paint schemes we don't see stateside.

 Off from Milan, we'll climb to 8000 feet for this fairly short flight.

 Here we're making our turn toward the coast.

 As we get closer the terrain gets mountainous.

 Until we get to the Med.

 Turning on final for San Giusto.

 You can see the airport in the distance.

 On final.

While taxiing in yet another foreign (to us) airline.

NOTAM:  This flight was inspired by my oldest son's recent vacation to Italy.  While he didn't fly to the coast from Milan, it was of course the only way for me to do it.

Telluride to Tahoe "T to Shining T"

OK OK, it's a crappy play on Cee to shining Cee. There, happy now? LOL

I had wanted to do a flight from Telluride to Lake Tahoe so as to have a flight plan in my file of standing flights--those flights that I tend to do regularly--and I wanted to do a take off in the "non-recommended" direction at KTEX. The info on the Telluride approach plate notes that landing on 9 and taking off on 27 is recommended but landing and take offs in the opposing directions are not prohibited and since both ends of the runway have PAPI lights I guessed that some fools must occasionally land on 27 and take off on 9.

After having taken off on 9 I have to say I'll probably stay with the published procedures. Oh, it can be done easily enough with a turbo-prop, and in a jet 9 would be no real problem at all, but those teeth (read mountain peaks) were uncomfortably close when flying out in my King Air.

This and the next three: Views from KTEX with only a comment or two inserted here and there.

Looking towards runways 9-27 from the apron. We'll turn right , taxi down to the head end of 9 and take off. In the future I'll try to get a shot of the mountains I was taking off towards. Generally speaking, they are closer than these.

Over Nevada, maybe 20 minutes out from South Lake Tahoe, KTVL.

Turing for final approach to TVL, 15 miles.

You should be able to see the PAPI lights about now.

Welcome to South Lake Tahoe, where the rich play and hang out.