UK builders : Part Deux

[Daveanne]

The further adventures of two amatures and a Trolley Dolly, (still absent).

Guys, sorry for the break in the flying reports, but the wife made me spend 2 weeks on holiday, and then £2,500 on the front room, however I am now the proud owner of: new wall paper, an increased sized front room (knocked out the old fire surround, very sixties), new gas fire, new 50" wall mounted HDTV, HD Cable decoder & recorder, Blue ray Video player, 5.1 surround sound home cinema system, new carpets, cushions to match, new side tables, occasional lamps etc. you know the score...

Jesus....!!, what I could of bought for the sim with that lot...........?

Anyway, a shortened version of where we are now.

I think I last left you at Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, cold and wet too.

To keep things simple we are going to fly to PADK, ADAK Island in Alaska, rather remote I know but it was better to do it in two flights than sit at the controls for 4 - 5hrs at a time.

Took off on the 16L in fog and climbed to 15,000 ft before we cleared the cloud, then given clearance to 20,000, 25,000, 29,000 then 34k and finally 35K.

Settled down at .765M with a wind of 356 degrees @ 26kts.

When handed over to Anchorage control, they brought us down to: 24k, 17k, 7k, 6k, 5k, then 4,000 and finally 2,000ft for a non IFR approach and cancelled Radar service on us, charming......!!

There seems to be a problem with RC4, because when this happens, they don't give you a frequency to go to talk to the tower at your destination, so we had to formulate our own approach pattern, just using the charts.

Bearing in mind that there was a mountain directly in the approach path at 3,125 ft, this could be interesting, so we elected to join the glide path at D9.7 and reduce height at 700ft per minute, by the way this is in cloud, with no visual at all of the airfield.

We finally break cloud at about 700ft, only to find that the runway is just dissapearing under the nose, with a runway of only 7,790ft, no option but to do a go-around.

John, is flying so I give him vectors to do a go around and make another approach, this time we break cloud at a reasonable height for a landing and touch down quite nicely (John's getting the hang of it now).

We turn off at the runway intersection, heading for the tower (very low scenery, no enhanced stuff at all), and the engines conk out !!!

Appears that I had inadvertently forgotten to switch the centre tank pumps on at start-up, so it ran out of fuel, good job we didn't do another go-around......!

So now at PADK and going to go to PANC (Anchorage) on the next leg.

Took off from there, some ungodly hour in the morning, but it doesn't matter its light there all day at this time of the year...from 23 and climbed up to 5,000ft, then cleared to 15K, 23K, 34K, and finally 35K.

Settled down at .756M wind at 076 degrees @ 5 kts (rather sedate for this altitude), but -44 degrees C.

Anchorage start us down: 24K, 18K, 11K, 9K, 6K, 5K, 4,800ft and vector us to do an approach onto 14, loads of room at 11,584ft long

Uneventful landing this time and we park up at Stand 11A.

Both the above journey's were to say the least rather boring, with long expanses over water with the occasional Island passing by, Microsoft, wants to improve its scenery up that part of the world too, even the basic terrain left us for dead, with vast expanses of candy-striped ground and no hills etc.

Next step PANC (Anchorage) to PAKT (Ketchikan), still in Alaska, Christ its big.........

Take off from PANC on 6L and climb out to 7,000ft, then given vectors to join our own nav and cleared to: 10K, 15K, 23K, 34K, and 35K settle down at 0.77M wind 276 degrees @ 28kts and -49 degrees C.

We re now following the West coast of Alaska, and are once again hit by the candy-striped terrain, with no detail at all, pity, however as we near our destination, the scenery starts to get better.

I have been able to download some airport scenery for Ketchikan, which has improved things nicely, even got Sea planes in the harbour too, in fact there is an approach plate for those too......

Once aging RC4 relinquishes control and terminates radar contact for our approach to PAKT, which as we are to find out is going to be a major problem......soon.

We settle in on the approach, because it has an ILS, great! but as we are rounding out and touching down a generic FS 737 suddenly appears on the runway in front of us back-tracking down the runway.....Charming, we smash into it at about 140kts, expecting FS to do its normal and re-set, however it doesn't and brings us to a shuddering halt half way through the other 737, what the F*** is going on here?

Everything is stood still for a moment, but I notice that we are moving forward very, very slowly, if I give the throttles more power we start edging forward more quickly, until eventually we exit the rear end of the other 737 and are able to carry on down the runway and park up at Stand 1 (they only have 1).

Not ideal, but hey we are here, John's disappointed because he didn't get to try to stop the aircraft before we fall of the other end of the runway, its only 7497 ft long, its surprising how a little bounce or two the runway gets eaten up very quickly.

So the next day whilst working away on my office computer I set up the flight again and stop it just before making a decent into PAKT, save it and then copy the saved flight onto my memory stick.

So the next week, which was two weeks ago I sit John in the left hand seat and re-load the last part of the flight, for John to have a go at again, we make a good approach, but John slightly fluffs the landing and we go for a go around again, I vector john, because we have no contact with ATC, and finally we make a nice approach and touchdown on the end of the runway (the right end too), but as we are taxiing up the remainder, there in the only runway turn off/on is a generic 737 waiting to get into the runway, with no where for us to go, Hey Ho, open the throttles and we go across the grass then in to the taxi way and back to the ramp 1.

Now we start everything again and go for the next leg: PAKT to CYVR (Vancouver).

Straight forward takeoff,and climb to 15,000 straight away, then 20K, 23K, 29K, 34K, finally 35K 0.77M wind 180 @ 49 kts -49 degrees C.

Scenery is now getting better (have the Canada scenery disk loaded in), thanks John.

very spectacular as we near Vancouver with nice views of the Rockies to our left, and the various islands to our right and underneath.

Descents given to: 24K, 15K, 12K, 8K, 6K then turn 080 descend to 5,000ft and turn right 170 for an approach on 26R, lined up nicely and press VOR lock for the centre line, but it doesn't lock on and wanders past the centre line, plus the glide slope will not lock on too, never mind I make a fairly steep approach by hand and round out to touch down on the Piano keys on 26R, wind up the planks and breaks taxiing off the runway at M4.

Given clearance to the ramp and settle down at Apron 6 stand 35 and shutdown.

So that's where we are at present, unfortunately I have been very busy at work, again and haven't been able to move from there yet, won't tomorrow night either, in Glasgow, then London the day after (for real), Hey Ho, you see the world in this job.

Next leg, which will be a double one is Vancouver to Seattle, then re-launch and fly onto Salt Lake City for some desert fun???

See you next time folks.

Daveanne.

[Daveanne]

Sorry, yet again for the delay in letting you all know how the journeys going, sort of got lost in me updates…..

Well we left you all at Vancouver on stand 35.
Next leg is a short hop over to Seattle (KSEA), should be quick and easy…famous last words.

So we get ready and have a look at the weather: 280 @ 8kts 20miles vis Few @ 1,500 SCT @2,500 BKN @ 3,500 15 degrees C with a dew point of 11 degrees c. Runway in use: 26R

Route: YYJ, IDNEY, CONDI, CHATM, DISCO, CDGPN, JAWBN, DIGGN, LOFAL, ARPEE, CARRO and on to KSEA.
Programme FMC and ask for clearance, given 26L for take off and taxi out to the hold @ D5.

Given clearance: Given fly runway heading to 1000 ft……........? SQ 3437 departure on 132.30.
Take off uneventful and climb to 1000ft, given vectors on to 260, then 175, 170,165, and 170, we think that we have misheard ATC and climb up to 10,000ft (thought we had logged this into the flight plan and FMC), however get a bollocking and sent back down to 1000ft.

It is here we realise that we did indeed put 1000ft in the flight plan instead of 10,000, wow the ground doesn’t half pass by quickly at 250kts and 1000ft…..!!
So we request 10,000ft, but are only given 6,000ft, hey ho better than 1000ft just missing the hill tops.

So we are getting near to Seattle, but just a word, we notice that the scenery on the way down is, for the want of a better word CRAP, until we get into USA, then it improves no end can’t think why….?

We get lowered down to 3,000ft and vectored to 125, 160, 070 and finally 010 degrees on a left hand circuit to 34L at Seattle, nice long runway @ 9,425 ft, set up for approach and reduce speed to intercept the ILS to 34L, landing OK and taxi off to Gate C10. Nice one, except for the low altitude?


<O</O
Refuel and get ready for the next step: Seattle to Salt Lake City (KSLC)
Weather: 270 @ 6kts 10NM vis, Few @ 1,500, Temp 16 c Dew point 11 c Runway in use 34R.

Route: RADDY, YKM, BRUKK, PDT, BEAMO, DNJ, DBS, LAVAH, LHO, CARTR to KSLC.
Programme FMC and ask for clearance: Given to 7,000ft expect FL350 SQ2326.
Pushback start-up and taxi out to South Apron 34R and hold, given clearance to line up & wait.

Clearance given to take off fly runway heading climb to 7000ft, off we go no problems and given vectors to 105 degrees and clearance to 15,000ft , then 110 degrees and 20,000ft, then given own NAV @ 16,000ft over to LNAV and VNAV, then to 23,000 and finally 35,000ft.

On route: wind 327/31kts @ -52degrees c and a speed of 0.77M, ground speed of 453kts with a true airspeed of 444kts.

We see lots of lightening and flashes and bangs as we near the desert and start down via ATC to 27,000, 24,000, 19,000, 15,000, 13,000, 12,000, 11,000 and then to 10,800ft, given vectors onto 040, 100, 190, 205 then 165 degrees.

Told expect vectors to 35, joined the ILS and began reducing speed and increase flap settings, nearly at the runway and John, lands it a bit too heavy on the threshold, resulting in a crash situation….hey ho, however once we have sorted it out we park up at stand C4. Must remember to turn crash off…


<O</O
Next leg: Salt Lake to Denver (KDEN)
Weather: 130 @8 kts 10 NM Vis, Few ‘ 8,500, SCT @ 2,500, Temp 27 degrees (Phew)with a dew point of 02 degrees dry or what? Runway in use: 17

Route: TCH, CHE, FROGS, RIDJE, ALLAN, TOMSN, HYGEN, SHAFT and on to KDEN.

FMC programmed and clearance given to depart on runway 17, SQ4414, so we pushback, start-up and taxi out to the hold short runway 17.
Given clearance to 14,000 ft, and off we go, no runway heading this time and allowed to go by published departure route, given clearance to 15,000, 23,000, 29000, 34,000, and finally 35,000ft.

Scenery is very uneventful, seen one American desert you’ve seen them all………, my colleague John has flown over this bit and remarks that its just like it for real, miles of nothing.

So we begin our decent to 24,000, then 18,000 15,000 then given a Transponder frequency change to 3337, down to 13,000 and given vectors onto 170 degrees, then down to 9,000 8,000 7,900 vector onto 100 degrees and given clearance to approach on 16.

Intercept the ILS, reduce speed and touchdown nicely on the ‘Keys’ so we taxi to stand A36, Wow what a big airport, good job we had lots of fuel when we got there….?


<O</O
Next leg: Denver to Kansas (KMCI)……..Somewhere over the rainbow, stop it!!!!

Weather: 000 degrees@ 0kts, still eh? 10NM vis Few @ 7,000, SCT @ 11,000 Temp 13 degrees dew point 08 degrees. Runway in use 26….Jesus that’s a long way from the terminal.

Route: EMMYS, MCK, PWE, RBA, PEGGI, HAIRS and on to KMCI.
Clearance given to hold short Runway 26 SQ2143 climb to 15,000, follow departure procedures as filled.

So we taxi to 26, what a big airport its miles to the runway, but we get there with lots less wait than we started off with….!!

So we takeoff and climb to 15,000 straight onto LNAV and VNAV, cleared up to 20,000, 23,000 34,000 and finally 35,000ft.

Once again not a lot to look at just plain old homestead country, but we get lowered to 27,000 then 24,000 by Minneapolis ATC, then down to 18,000, 12,000, and then to 7,000ft advised we will be given vectors to 27, lowered to 4,000, then 3,000ft and a direction of 180 degrees and finally 240 degrees for ILS interception and approach.

Lowered down to 2,800ft and intercepted the glide slope and centre line, on with the ILS and touch down on the runway, no problems with this one and park up at Terminal B gate 36.


<O</O
Next leg, and bringing us up to date: Denver to Chicago (KORD).

Weather: 300 @ 03kts 10 NM Vis Few @ 18,000, temp 16 degrees dew point 03 degrees, runway in use 27.

Route: CAKO, JTHRO, IRK, BDF, BENKY, NEWRK and on to KORD.
FMC programmed and ask for clearance, given clearance to 7,000ft, expect FL350 on runway heading SQ3154.

Pushback and start-up taxi out to runway 27 taxiway C1 and hold short.

Take off OK and climb to 6,000ft, given vectors onto 040 and 12,000ft then 045 and 15,000, then 19,000, own Nav VNAV and LNAV, climb to 23,000, then 29,000, 34,000 and finally 35,000ft.

Weather on route: Wind 301 @ 54kts GS 470 kts temp of -52 degrees c.

Start to drop down given by Chicago ATC to 24,000, 19,000, 12,000, reduce to 240kts and down to 9,000ft 220kts and vectored on to 045 degrees and then onto 090 degrees, then down to 4,000ft at 210kts, then onto 360 degrees for a nice flypast the coast of Lake Superior, with Chicago City under our left side, a nice clear view of Meigs (The home of Flight Sim, I suppose every flight simmer has taken off from that airport at one time in their life?).

So we now turn left onto 300 degrees for an ILS approach onto 27L, fly down the ILS, John at the helm, and touch down nicely (little bounce) all on his own, well done John.

Taxi off the runway and park up at C18.


<O</O
Well that’s where we are now, the next step is from Chicago to New York, so good they named it twice…………..stop it!!!!!!!

That will take place on Wednesday evening the 26<SUP>th</SUP> of November 2008, maybe I should follow John’s example and fly under the New York bridges on the way in?????

No not our John, the other one, by the way well done for the world flight, it looked great, how much did you manage to raise for charity?

See you again folks
Dave & Anne

[John Davis]

Hi Dave ... yes you should fly und all the bridges and dont forget the barrell rolls

Not all the money is in yet as a lot of our donation pages are open until january, initial reports suggest we raised approx £3,000 for the Air Ambulance.

Best wishes John (the other one)

[Daveanne]

Well done on raising the dosh for charity, and yes I forgot about the barrel- rolls, nice touch too.

Daveanne.

Don't suppose you know anything about setting up phidgets 8 servo interface and motorising a TQ?

[John Davis]

Fraid not .... I was waiting till you mastered it then I will copy what you have done

Cheers John

[jonnydaz53]

hi guys do you know any builders from the essex or southeast area??

regards john d

[John Davis]

Hi John, Gary Oliver has his 777 Simulator down in Farnborough I think.
He was one of the offical World flight teams.

Here is a link to his Simfest Site
http://www.gary-oliver.co.uk/simfest/

Cheers John