Hear Episode 39 Here

Download this as a PDF for printing.

What is an IFR flight? It is the exact opposite of what VFR is. In VFR proper separation from clouds and bad weather must be maintained at all times but with IFR, those separations may be broken because the pilot is flying a filed flight plan along a route.

Another big difference between VFR and IFR is the fact in IFR, you are under ATC control the whole time. This does have its advantages, such as they can spot out traffic for you.

ZLA airspace has been the home of many of the recent flights, like the VOR Burger and the Swarm. The vZLA have been very helpful in getting many new pilots on VATSIM and helping them through the basics of VFR flight. Now we are going to turn to ZLA once again for IFR.

(I highly recommend flying this on VATSIM as it will create a much more realistic IFR environment.)
(I also recommend that you fly the VOR hamburger and understand the concepts behind it, as this flight will draw on many of those concepts.)

Pre-Flight Briefing

Todays flight will be an IFR filed flight from Burbank (KBUR) to Santa Barbra (KSBA). We have two options for pilots here, we can go /A where we will only use the VOR/DME equipment on board the aircraft or we can go /G where we will load a flight plan into the GPS. (Both FS9 and FSX flight planes for flight are included that can be loaded in within the sim.) As for weather, let’s use real world weather. IFR flight planes are often filed event when its nice a day.

Here is the flight plan:
FIM.V186.DEANO.V27.KWANG
Cruise Altitude: 6000 ft.
ZLA Tech Route: BURN39

That routing there may seem complex but lets break it down. First is the FIM VOR also known as Filmore. This is the first point on our routing. After that is a Victor airway. Victor airways are rather interesting. Just like any airway, a Victor airway is a line of waypoints all strung together in a row to get to another waypoint, in this case, DEANO. Confused, well lets have a look at this picture.

The black line is V186, the first of our victor airways. As we see, DEANO lies on the FIM 250 Radial and the 27DME. At 17DME we cross over HENER, another waypoint on the routing. At 27DME we have successfully reached DEANO. After DEANO, we must join V27, another victor airway that actually lies on the same radial we were flying, so just continue on the 250R from FIM until 32DME, which is KWANG. After KWANG we will be vectored for approach. If not assigned by ATC, we should request the ILS runway 07 unless unable to do so due to weather.

Got it all? Lets get out to the flight line!

Filing a Flight Plan
From the information above we can now file a flight plan. Here is all the info required.

DEP: KBUR
ARR: KSBA
ALTN: KIZA
RTE: FIM.V186.DEANO.V27.KWANG
CRZ ALT: 6000 ft.
AIRCRAFT TYPE: ZZZZ/A or ZZZZ/G. A or G depends on if you are using the GPS. Replace ZZZZ with your aircraft type. If it’s a C172 with GPS, it would look like C172/G.

Clearance
One the flight plan is sent we should now load up the aircraft to the configuration we want it in. Once ready call for your IFR clearance. This will sound something like this:

“Burbank Tower, N123AB IFR Santa Barbara, Information Alpha.”

“N123AB, Burbank Tower, Cleared to Santa Barbara radar vectors Filmore then as filed. Maintain 6000, departure will be on 124.600 and Squawk 1234.”

“Cleared to Santa Barbara Squawk 1234, 3AB.”

“3AB read back correct call when ready for taxi.”

“Will call, 3AB.”

A lot just happened so let us break it down. The initial call was letting tower know that you wanted your IFR clearance to SBA. Their response was your clearance. Radar vectors Filmore means you will receive vectors by the radar controller to Filmore. Maintain 6000 means what is sounds like, climb and maintain 6000. 124.6 is the departure frequency we will tune to once airborne. And the squawk code was 1234. WRITE YOUR CLEARANCE DOWN. I can’t say that enough make sure you write it down as it is said so you can reference it later and is easier to read back.

Taxi
This is pretty strait forward, taxi to the runway assigned by ATC.

Be sure to pre tune FIM 112.50 into your NAV1 radio before departure!

And check to see if you are getting a DME reading!

Takeoff and departure
Takeoff will be pretty standard, just follow the instructions given. You may receive an instruction like “fly heading 120 runway 15 cleared for take.” In that case as soon as you are airborne make the turn to heading 120. Tower should tell you to switch to departure, in this case 124.600. Once they identify you they will probably assign you a heading that will take you direct to FIM. Comply with all of their instructions.

After takeoff, comply with all instructions, in this case we were assigned heading 340.

If properly aligned, your gauge will look something like this going to direct FIM.

In flight

So lets say you just passed over Filmore, now we must join the 250 radial outbound. In the OBS1 gauge, turn it to 250 and line the arrow up in the middle of the gauge by moving the aircraft. Very much like tracking direct to a VOR, only we have to move to the arrow, we can’t move the arrow to us.

Notice how the OBS course arrow is aligned to 250 and we are tracking that course exactly? That’s flying a victor airway!

Overhead DEANO. Notice the 27 DME reading and the 250 course.
Overhead KWANG. Notice 32DME and 250 course.

Arrival
After KWANG we can expect vectors to ILS 07. If not assigned ILS 07, request it. Fly the assigned headings and altitudes and fly the ILS. Make sure to tune your nav radio off FIM and onto the ILS freq. 110.30. and set your OBS Course to 075, the inbound course for ILS runway 07.

On the ILS. Notice the Localizer is nearly perfectly aligned and the arrow. Also, look at the other arrow on the left side of the gauge. That is the glide slope. Track both by moving the aircraft and they will take you all the way down to the runway.

Once clear of the runway squawk Standby and give your self a pat on the back. You have successfully done an IFR flight.

If any of these directions leave question in your mind, I do invite you to do your own research to find out more about the procedures done here.

We highly recommend downloading the full document here, you will find screenshots and sectionals!

If you flew the two previous $100 Hamburger flights (Lost in Traffic, and the ZLA Swarm Event) you should now be a master of your COM radios and your Transponder. In this flight were going to learn how to use your NAV radios to navigate the airways using VORs.

What is a VOR? (VHF Omnidirectional Range)
I think this definition from the excellent website navfltsm.addr.com (Recommended by Danton) sums it up best:

 The VHF Omnidirectional Range navigation system, VOR, was probably the most significant aviation invention other than the jet engine. With it, a pilot can simply, accurately, and without ambiguity navigate from Point A to Point B.

 The widespread introduction of VORs began in the early 1950s and 50 years later it remains the primary navigation system in the overwhelming majority of aircraft.

 The basic principle of operation of the VOR is very simple: the VOR facility transmits two signals at the same time. One signal is constant in all directions, while the other is rotated about the station. The airborne equipment receives both signals, looks (electronically) at the difference between the two signals, and interprets the result as a radial from the station.

 The GPS, Global Positioning System, is making inroads onto the navigation scene and offers a flexibility unavailable with either NDB or VOR systems. However, it is supplementing these systems, not replacing them.

What is a DME? (Distance Measuring Equipment)
Aircraft use DME to determine their distance from a land-based transponder by sending and receiving pulse pairs - two pulses of fixed duration and separation. The ground stations are typically collocated with VORs, as shown in the picture above.

In short, VORs allow you to navigate to a specific location, from anywhere as long as you are in range. DME’s tell you how far away you are from a particular VOR Point.

The positives are pretty obvious over Dead Reckoning. Since a VOR transmits in ALL DIRECTIONS you can navigate to a specific geographic point from any direction. You are no longer relying on specific headings, and correcting your headings when you are off course. A DME is helpful, but not needed as we will learn in our flight.

A basic tutorial on how to tune to a VOR and navigate…
First and Foremost… Select an aircraft you are comfortable with flying, and are fairly familiar with where the instruments are at and how to operate them.

NAV Radio

VORs are activated by entering the provided frequency into your Navigation radio (In this case, NAV 1 is just right of COMM 1, and NAV 2 right below NAV 1). The Navigation radios are activated  by clicking the “Nav 1” or “Nav 2” buttons.

After tuning either of the NAV radios to a valid frequency, you will hear a Morse Code tone with the VOR’s station ID. These codes can be found on the sectional chart for that particular VOR.

It is a great idea to tune the frequencies you will need while on the ground.

Omni Bearing Selector (OBS)
After you have tuned your NAV 1 radio to the correct frequency, you will need to use your OBS knob (In the photo above, the lower left knob) to narrow on to the VOR, this is done by rotating the knob until the Arrow is pointing to your VOR. This process is done after takeoff past 1,000 feet, as VORs are only line of sight.

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Here is an example of a tuned OBS. In this case the VOR is facing 12 o’clock in front of my airport. This can face any direction, as long as the arrow is straight:

You will follow the OBS similar to how you would follow your heading indicator.  You may need to keep on tuning the OBS while in flight, since your orientation may change. The goal is to keep the arrow straight.

Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)
If you aircraft has DME, and the frequency you are tuning has both VOR and DME capabilities, you will see the distance away from your VOR:

In this case, we are 12.1nm from the VOR we are tracking. If the frequency does not have DME capabilities, you will not see any information here. 

Our Flight
If you were up with us during the Swarm 2009 Event, you will find this flight fairly familiar. We will be taking off from Van Nuys (KVNY) and landing at Palm Springs (KPSP). We will not be using any headings for this flight, instead you will be provided with VOR frequencies. You will need to key them in to your Navigation radio, and follow the VOR using the OBS Gauge.

Cruise Altitude: 5,000-6,000ft

Aircraft: A Single/Double Prop Aircraft that you know well

Weather: Real World Weather (15 Minutes)

-Depart: KVNY Runway 16R (Or Active Runway)

-Fly EAST, POMONA (POM) VOR/DME – Frequency 110.4

-RIVERSIDE (RAL) VOR – Frequency 112.4

-Fly through Banning Pass (Slightly North after passing RIVERSIDE VOR) while tuning to PALM SPRINGS (PSP) VOR/DME– Frequency 115.5

-Land: KPSP Active Runway

Flight Notes

1. Watch what happens when you get close to the POM VOR. You will notice that as you get closer, you will be fine tuning it more and more. Since you’re nearly on top of the VOR station, it will get very touchy when you are near it. At some point you will need to give up on fine-tuning the OBS knob and pass the VOR, I found the cutoff distance around 1.5nm or so away. When you pass the VOR, you will see your arrow flip, as the VOR is now behind you.

Remember this behavior because the second VOR (RAL) does NOT support DME, so you will need to use the sensitivity of the OBS Arrow to determine how close you are to the VOR, and when you have passed it.

2. Through the Banning Pass, you will need to adjust your altitude as needed.

3. Near the PSP VOR in real life there are many Wind Turbines. If you look up the sectional, you will see the highest windmill is 1980ft MS

Sectionals
I would encourage everyone to use the tools we have recommended over the past months such as SkyVector.com and create their own flight map.

However, here is one that you can use just to make sure you have the right idea when making your own. I’ve covered up the Headings that SkyVector puts in with their flight planning tool, as navigating using just headings would make this learning exercise worthless! This burger flight is designed to introduce you to the Nav Radios, the OBS, and the DME on your aircraft, and how to navigate using VORs, and how a VOR acts differently from a VOR/DME.

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THE BACKSTORY
You’ve been working extremely hard for the last six months, so when the opportunity to enjoy a late summer Roman holiday presented itself, you jumped at the chance. Rome is a glorious capital city, offering a nearly endless stream of sights, sounds, tastes, and adventures. You stared in awe at the Colosseum, felt your spirit soar in the Sistine Chapel, and discovered you like coda alla vaccinara (oxtail braised in herbs, tomato, and celery). And you will never forget that delightful afternoon in the company of the young woman on the Vespa!

But as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Romans love to travel, so you decide to expand your horizons and venture north. With four days remaining, you want to explore Florence and the Tuscan countryside. At 9:30 a.m. you board the EuroStar Italia #9432 train at Roma Termini for the 1 hour 39 minute nonstop journey to Firenze S.M.N. As you make your way through central Italy, a whole new set of delights await you.

The art, history, and scenery of Florence and Tuscany certainly do not disappoint. The Duomo of the Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiori and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are architectural marvels. The sculptures and paintings to be discovered are equally astounding. Giambologna’s The Rape of the Sabine Women in the Piazza della Signoria, Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’ Accademia, and the treasures of the Uffizi museum all vie for your attention. And Tuscany’s olive oil is world-renowned; after one taste, you purchase several bottles to take home.

Yet even as you relish in the wonders of Tuscany, a siren’s song from northern Italy grows ever louder in your ears. Venice, the ancient city of canals, beckons you to visit her and to bask in her beauty. But there is no time! Tomorrow is your last full day in Florence. The day after that you take the 8:49 a.m. train to Rome and then must go to the airport in the afternoon, forced to return to the “real world.” Only 125 miles to the north-northeast, Venice seems simultaneously just in view and yet just out of reach.

Suddenly, the answer is obvious. One of the reasons you had been so busy for the past half year was the time you spent earning a multi-engine rating, plus the many flight hours you subsequently logged in a Piper Cheyenne refining your skills. A speedy twin can transport you from Florence to Laguna Veneta in under an hour. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy the views of northern Italy from above, explore the canals and landmarks of Venice by air or water, and then when your appetite peaks, to enjoy a $100 hamburger – Italian style!

THE FLIGHT PLAN

Aircraft
A wide range of aircraft could be used for this trip, but with the two legs averaging 130 nm each, a speedy single- or twin-engine is recommended. The author has been flying the Digital Aviation Piper Cheyenne X recently, so that is what he used. Several of the stock MSFS models or one of the freeware or payware addons listed in the Resources section would also be suitable. Please keep in mind, however, that jets and planes generally flown by two pilots are not in keeping with the traditional spirit of the $100 Hamburger flights.

Navigation
This is a true “cross-country” journey for a GA aircraft and, as the first international $100 Hamburger, involves flying over territory which may be unfamiliar to many pilots. When you factor in FSX and FS2004’s unfortunate tendencies to portray much of the Emilia-Romagna plains rather monotonously, use of proper navigational aids is a virtual necessity. Please avoid the temptation to rely upon GPS. Instead, practice using the VOR (VHF Omni-directional radio range) and NDB (Non-directional beacon) stations along the route to find your way. (Make sure your aircraft has the proper receivers!) All the information you need is summarized below. If your mood is more daring or you are familiar with flying in Italy, the same information can be used for dead reckoning (navigation by speed, time, distance, and heading). For an even richer experience, log on to VATSIM, file a flight plan, and utilize the excellent services of the VATITA air traffic controllers.

Weather
Real world weather is generally recommended, but keep in mind that this is meant to be a VFR flight and you will want to enjoy the scenery both en route and around Venice. If Mother Nature does not cooperate, adjust the weather settings appropriately. The author set the time and date for 10:50 a.m. on September 9, 2009, outbound and 4:15 p.m. the same day for the return.

Florence to Venice

Depart Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport (LIRQ) on Runway 05
Fly 3 nm @ 142° to Arno River [You should be able to clearly see the Duomo as you near the river.]
Fly 55 nm @ 60° to Cervia (CER) VOR 113.60
Fly 52 nm @ 354° to Chioggia (CHI) VOR 114.10
Fly 23 nm @ 357° to Venice (VEN) NDB 379.0
Fly 4 nm @ 40° to land on Runway 04R at Venice Marco Polo Airport (LIPZ) VOR 115.30
• Total Distance: 137 nm

Venice to Florence
Depart Venice Marco Polo Airport (LIPZ) on Runway 04R
Fly 51 nm @ 214° to Ferrara (FER) NDB 427.0
Fly 22 nm @ 218° to Bologna (BOA) VOR 112.20
Fly 33 nm @ 200° to Florence (FRZ) VOR 115.20
Fly 16 nm @144° to land on Runway 05 at Amerigo Vespucci Airport (LIRQ) VOR 112.50
• Total Distance: 122 nm

EXPLORING VENICE
With most $100 Hamburger flights, the destination and burger you eat there are largely just an excuse for flying – the focus is on the journey, not the destination. Here, however, as pleasurable as the flights from Florence and back are, Venice is a truly worthy end in her own right. After landing on Runway 04R, do not be in a rush to leave. Enjoy some flightseeing by helicopter or, using an amphibian to hop from the airport to the Venetian Lagoon, circle the city and explore the Grand Canal by boat.

The Grand Canal snakes through the heart of Venice, from the Ferrovia train station in the northwest to St. Mark’s Square in the southeast. Many of the largest canal-side buildings have been converted into international banks, government or university buildings, art galleries, and consulates. The Rialto Bridge, which crosses at the narrowest point, is surrounded by expensive shops and tourists. The current stone span was built in 1592 and its arch stretches over 90 feet to allow trading ships, private boats, and gondolas to pass underneath.

The Piazza San Marco or St. Mark’s Square at the end of the Grand Canal is the focal point of Venice. One of the great urban spaces on the Continent, Napoleon reportedly called it “the drawing room of Europe.” It is ideal for lunch – your $100 budget should offer a range of choices far grander than a hamburger should you like, with a side order of people watching. After eating, explore St. Mark’s Basilica and then take the elevator to the viewing platform of the Campanile or Bell Tower. Its views of Venice are nothing short of stunning.

The pink and white Palazzo Ducale or Doges Palace lies between the Basilica di San Marco and St. Mark's Basin. The Gothic-Renaissance building served as the residence and government center of the doges – the "dukes" elected for life – who ruled Venice for more than 1,000 years. The Bridge of Sighs crosses the Rio di Palazzoa and connects the palace to the prison next door. Longstanding myth says that couples will be assured eternal love if they kiss in a gondola at sunset under the Bridge. Just to the southwest across St. Mark’s Basin is La Dogana da Mar. This triangular structure began service as a customs house in the 1400s and was a mandatory stop for all ships entering the city. On its roof is a golden ball topped by a statue of Fortune. These are just a few of the treasures to be found among the canals of Venice, truly the gem of Northern Italy.

RESOURCES
FSBreak Podcast www.fsbreak.com
FSBreak Discussion Thread http://www.fszone.org/forums/forum/71-fsbreak-discussion-forum/
VATITA -- Vatsim vACC Italy http://www.vatita.net/ [Excellent – offering all of the above charts and more!]

Freeware Addon Files
FSX
Scenery

Avsim – italy_regionspack_for_fsx.zip, italy_seasonspack_for_fsx.zip
Flightsim – italypkx.zip, lipz_fsx.zip, paesi_it.zip, vfr_obj.zip

Aircraft

Avsim – fsx_piper_seminole.zip, pa312fsx.zip, t303v31.zip
Flightsim – c414jprx.zip, fsxpipsm.zip

Boats

Flightsim – donzi.zip, fsxaquar.zip

FS2004
Scenery

Avsim – cg_-_lido_di_venezia_vfr_scenery_2005.zip, isdproject_-_lipz_&_lipv_2003.zip, italy.zip, italymesh2004.zip, sangiorgio.zip, vfr_objects_italia_v2.zip
Flightsim – af2_lirq.zip, aflirqrs.zip, itcoast2.zip, itac2_p1.zip, lipf2004.zip, lirplirq.zip, sluca.zip, italyto4.zip (6 additional files for Tuscany region are also available)

Aircraft

Avsim – 4_ga_piper_cheyenne_ii.zip, aztec_v4.zip, b58tc.zip, dm_tcom.zip, jojo.zip, twin_bonanza_pour_fs2004.zip
Flightsim – c414jpr9.zip, pa44smni.zip, twin_bon.zip

Boats

Avsim – med180v1.zip
Flightsim – riva_aqu.zip

Payware Addons
FSX
Scenery

Florence X (FSX) http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/re/iboshop.cgi?showd,5265620520,D12345
[NOTE: Aerosoft offers a 30-day full-version free trial of this addon.]

Venice X (FSX) http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd480!20,5285694690,D10242
[I cannot recommend Venice X highly enough; it makes this trip truly special.]

Aircraft

Digital Aviation Piper Cheyenne X (FSX/FS2004)
http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd490!0,5285694690,D10283

Carenado - PA-34 200T Seneca II (FSX)
http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd490!0,5288110100,D11082

RealAir – Beechcraft Duke B60 (FSX)
http://secure.simmarket.com/realair-beechcraft-duke-b60.phtml

Boats

Deltasim – Malibu 32 Motor Boat
http://secure.simmarket.com/ds-fsx-malibu-32-motor-boat.phtml

FS2004
Scenery

Lago Florence Scenery (FS2004) http://secure.simmarket.com/lago-florence-scenery.phtml
Lago Venice Scenery (FS2004) http://secure.simmarket.com/lago-venice-scenery.phtml

Aircraft

Digital Aviation Piper Cheyenne X (FSX/FS2004)
http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd490!0,5285694690,D10283

Carenado - PA-34 200T Seneca II (FS2004)
http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd,,D11110

Flight1 –Cessna 441 Conquest II (FS2004)
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=esd441

POSTSCRIPT
When you get back to Rome, be sure to toss a coin over your left shoulder into Trevi Fountain before heading to the Leonardo da Vinci – Fiumicino airport. Legend has it that this gesture will ensure your return to the city, an excellent base for future explorations of this wonderful country. Arrivederci dall'Italia!

Background

Monument valley is an area in the Navajo Nation Reservation, which is scattered with sandstone buttes, some reaching over 1,000 feet above the floor below. Located on the Southern Utah and Northern Arizona borders, it is a popular tourist destination and sports horseback rides, camping, hot air balloon rides, and aircraft tours. You work for a small private company that specializes in airborne tours of Monument valley’s best sights. You are the only pilot for this company of only 3 employees, so as the pilot you must strive to make the experience for your guests unforgivable. This means providing the smoothest flight possible, and the best view possible. You should use things at your disposal, such as tourist maps, and photos and other information about the spot to give the best tour possible. Your company works solely off of word of mouth advertising, and if you don’t provide the best experience possible there are plenty of other pilots who will!

The Goal

This is what your company is famous for, it’s “Last Call Tour”. This is right at sunset where the entire valley is lit up with the deep colors of the sun setting into the West, this is where you make your big bucks, after all this only happens once per day!

• You can use wither a small single prop aircraft, or a helicopter, your choice, but timing is everything.

• You will be taking off from 0V7 – Kayenta Airport. Be sure to check out the airport information for any important information about the airport.

• After takeoff, fly just about 3nm mile north of 05UT – Oljato Airport, using heading 335. A total of about 22.5nm from 0V7.

• The goal is to arrive to the valley at 8:30 PM local time, right at sunset. This means that depending on the speed of the aircraft you select, you will probably need to give yourself roughly 10 minutes from your wheels leaving the ground to entering the valley. Be sure to allow time for pre-flight checks, taxiing, etc.

• After reaching your first point, approx 3nm north of 05UT, you will want to bank South East heading 98 and treat your customers to the best nature has to offer. Fly along this heading for about 9.5nm before exiting the valley and going back to 0V7 using heading 182.

• Land safely back at 0V7 before night fall, as VFR navigation is difficult in this situation due to lack of lights and visible landmarks

Addons

If you’re running FSX, be sure to download and install two free beta packages for this area: http://flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=117339 (Alternate, Should be faster: http://www.mstrain.org/fs2000/addons/fsdsmvb1.zip)

http://flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=118296 (Sorry, no alternate download)

They are beta versions, so there are some issues with the valley floor, but as long as you don’t plan on ditching the aircraft that should not be a problem.

Nolan also recommends taking this opportunity to try out Tile Proxy. [Link]

Screenshot of TileProxy:

Fly your buddies mail route in the Grenadines island chain in the Southern Caribbean starting in St.Vincent. Your buddy flies a non-turbo prop aircraft. You know what he flies though! GPS is allowed on this flight due to he did not have time to forward any sectionals. Keep as close to the schedule as possible so he doesn’t hear about it. It’s a Hamburger flight on a timetable.

Recommended Scenery: TVSC – Canouan Island and TVSU – Union Island (Both Free).

Download Weather & Flight Plan (Thanks Daniel!): Download
START – TVSV (St. Vincent – ET JOSHUA AIRPORT) – Runway Length 4600ft

Stop #1 TVSB (Bequia – JF MITCHELL AIRPORT) Runway Length 3600 ft

Stop #2 TVSM (MUSTIQUE) Runway Length 2546 ft

Stop #3 TVSC (CANOUAN) Runway Length 3600 ft

Stop #4 TVSU (UNION ISLAND) Runway Length 2500 ft

Want a great spot on UNION to hang out and eat, get a lift out to a small island out on the reef called Happy Island. This is a great story. One of the locals, named Janti, decided that he wanted to clean up the town of Cliffton. There were piles and piles of discarded conch shells that were littering the beaches. So he collected them all and took them out to the end of the reef. It was enough conch shells to build an island. So with a little concrete, some sand, and a couple of palm trees donated by nearby Palm Island, he built himself an island. Today Janti lives on Happy Island, he has built a bar and a restaurant, and even a lobster pool. As you dinghy up Janti comes out to grab your line and always says, “Welcome to Happy Island” with a huge smile on his face. And in fact it is impossible to be anything but happy here. It is a great place to go to watch sunset, have a bar-b-que, or just chill . It is a very special island indeed. Eat Up!

GET THE print outs here! Includes full instructions, Airport Information, Airport charts, and Sectionals!

Download the full PDF: Download (PDF/16.1MB)
Download the .zip of the Sectionals + Airport info: Download (ZIP/13.5MB)

Get the map of the islands: Download (PDF/1MB)

We recommend printing out the Flight Description, the Sectionals, and the Island map!

What is the purpose of this flight? It is about being alone, with the machine, no fancy equipment, out over the beautiful islands of the Pacific Northwest. It is flying at it’s purest, by the seat of your pants, sectional on your lap, looking for landmarks being a navigator, feeling like an explorer. If you are not a pilot, this could be a great example of a cross-country in the real world.

Tip: Using light aircraft in FSX or FS9, turn up the scenery, with extra attention paid to the water. Have spectacular water in this mission will make it great!

Remember you are flying over water between islands and the mainland, choose an altitude that might make it possible to make an emergency landing close to land or allow you to put the aircraft down near a boat using the best glide profile. Remember the first leg is short, don’t get to high. Get that head on a swivel and think out the possibilities.

Recommended Scenery

• Victoria+ (Ver6) FS9 & FSX (Both on Page) versions available (Free) [Link]
• Bellingham Scenery (Also Free) [Link]

The Mission

Afternoon flight out of Victoria B.C to the San Juan Islands and the mainland Washington State. Early evening return.

Departure Time: 4:00PM

Aircraft

Any single engine prop aircraft, Preferably C172, C182, C206 or Piper Warrior / Archer No fancy electronics, mapping systems, moving maps or navigators, put down the electronics and step away.

Weather

VFR – Light Clouds (6500)

Navigation

Navigate using dead reckoning and a sectional, use of VOR for reference.

Victoria VOR – 113.70 (North Of Airport) Whatcom Vor – 113.00 (Bellingham – Closest VOR / North Of Airport)

Dead reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating one’s current position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course.

Discuss the flight!

We've created a forum over at the Fszone.org forums for FSBreak. You can create a free account there [Link], and then post your thoughts, suggestions, and screenshots in this forum! [Link] We look forward to seeing you there!

You can download and print the complete PDF of the Sectionals, Flight Description, and everything you need here: Download PDF (21MB / PDF)

In a previous week we flew the beautiful Gulf and San Juan islands on our first $100 Hamburger. We flew by the seat of our pants, we tamed our machines and found the reward of simple flight. In this weeks Hamburger Flight, we open up the distances, not quite as comfortable. We increase the winds, flying in a place where the trade winds blow. We are likely to see cross wind landings, a common fact here. If you are not familiar with this area, navigation should be tougher position. Remember, the FAA is watching. (and no GPS!)

The Departure

IMPORTANT!! SET WEATHER to REAL WORLD WEATHER DOWNLOAD (Every 10 minutes) We depart from Honolulu at 2pm. Use 4L or 4R for departure, not the outer Reef Runway. Avoid departing right over top of Waikiki. (Noise Abatement). This is a VFR flight but due to Honolulu is Class B, we will still use a known departure. So lets use the included (see pdf) Honolulu ONE departure. So without getting technical, let’s make a turn to 155 degrees until out over the water and clear of heavy traffic coming off 8R, then a turn to your first decided Dead Reckoning point or VOR. VORS MOLOKAI VOR 116.10 LANAI VOR 117.70 MAUI VOR 115.10

FIRST STOP (PHOG) – 87 NM

MAUI, Beautiful Island with soaring valleys, beautiful beaches and a 10,000ft Volcano Haleakala. Good spot for a late lunch!

2ND STOP (LANAI - PHNY) – 30NM

Used to be a plantation island for Dole, now a growing destination for those seeking a quieter Hawaii. Great touch and go spot on our way back to Honolulu. Watch those winds!

HEADED HOME (HONOLULU / PHNL) – 63 NM

Remember, most smaller traffic uses the 4R / 4L, not the reef runway. Watch for traffic, keep that head on a swivel! Great Flight. Great Day. Post those pictures and stories in the forum! We will discuss this flight on the podcast.

Discuss the flight!

We’ve created a forum over at the Fszone.org forums for FSBreak. You can create a free account there [Link], and then post your thoughts, suggestions, and screenshots in this forum! [Link] We look forward to seeing you there!

We did some long range flying during our last $100 Hamburger flight, this week we’re going to increase the challenge with some mountain flying. There are a few things to keep in mind with mountain flight:

• Remember, don’t use an underpowered aircraft. Use something with some climbing ability. A turboprop should be a fine choice, or a performance single prop. The DC-3 with FS9/FSX may make a good choice, or a high performance single prop aircraft.

• Plan out your route before hand, you don’t want to get caught in a mountain range your aircraft can’t tackle!

• Mountainous terrain makes navigation difficult, you aren’t able to spot the airport from 10 miles out. You are going to have to use your charts and natural terrain as navigation. I found it very helpful to use rivers and roads in FS as an excellent navigation aid. (Where there are roads, there are people, right?)

The Plan

• KGJT - Grand Junction Regional Airport
• KEGE - Eagle County Regional Airport (Hamburger)
• KASE - Aspen-Pitkin County Airport

Get Your Supplies!

Download everything you need here, Includes airport information, sectionals, and more: Download (PDF/10MB)

Share Your Results...

Share your results and thoughts on the 'Mile High' Hamburger at the Fszone forums! [Link] We love to hear from everyone!