Suggested Flights

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If you enjoy these flights, please consider recording a flight and posting a link to it at the Suggested Prerecorded Flights page.

Caribbean

Pilots of the Caribbean

Pilots of the Caribbeans is an informal FlightGear community of users who fly around the small Caribbean islands, many of which have custom scenery and improved landclass data. (For details see Pilots of the Caribbean)

Explore the fantastical(ly modeled) area of Saint Martin and St. Kitts

Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM) at the isle of Saint Martin, is one of the most popular airports in FlightGear. In large part due to the custom objects and land cover. However, St. Maarten is only one of several detailed airports in the region - and, while the approach for TNCM is one of the most memorable in the whole world, the land cover for St. Kitts and Nevis makes it a lovely place to fly.

British Airways, US Airways and American Airlines, among others, all fly into St. Kitts' Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (TKPK) in real life.

Take off from TKPK in a Piper Cub and make a northward, clockwise circle of the island. Start your descent on the east side of the island, and focus on the small hill which separates the north from the south. Start hugging the coast near the beach and look to the west - as soon as the railroad heads to the southwest, you're about ready to turn for final. Make your right hand turn for final and taxi to the terminal.

If you want to fully explore this whole country, take off in a Beaver, which has a little more speed, and fly a figure eight. Take off from TKPK and circle the airport to the north like in the Cub. Then instead of landing, perform a touch-and-go and turn left over the boat terminal and make for the west coast of Nevis. Enjoy the beauty of the south coast of St. Kitts before circling Nevis. Over Nevis, you have several options - cut your flight short and land at TKPN on the island of Nevis, complete the "figure eight" by heading back to TKPK, or check your fuel and head east across the Caribbean to Antigua (which does not have custom land cover).

This is an article out of the "FlightGear Newsletter January 2011"

San Francisco

Half Moon Bay

Here's a suggested flight, after you do a cvs update on the base package to get the latest SF scenery. Start at Half Moon Bay, Runway 30, with 32km visibility:

fgfs --airport=KHAF --runway=30 --visibility=32000

Takeoff in the C172 and climb to 1000 feet, then continue north over the water, near the shoreline. Look out the right window frequently. Fly up the coast, overfly the Golden Gate Bridge, continue around the top of the peninsula past downtown SF, then fly on to KSFO for a landing. We now have lots to see.

If you cannot see the runway in the default 172, you must be flying too high or too slowly. You can start by practicing a bit with a good setup:

fgfs --offset-distance=1.5 --altitude=500 --vc=70

As soon as Flight Gear starts, cut the power to 1500 rpm and drop two notches of flap. Maintain 70 kt. Now, pick your landing spot (a bit down the runway) and try to hold it in the same spot on your windshield. If your landing spot starts moving down, you are too high, and should cut another 100 rpm; if it starts moving up, you are too low, and should add another 100 rpm. Adjust the nose to keep your speed at 70 kt all the way down until you're right above the numbers, then cut power to idle, drop the last notch of flaps, flare, and land.

Virginia Eastern Shore

Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel Sightseeing

Take a short VFR trip from Tangier Island to view the famous Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel connecting Cape Charles to Cape Henry. Depart historic Tangier Island (KTGI) situated in the Chesapeake Bay and land at Norfolk International Airport (KORF), Norfolk, Virginia. The scenic character of the flight is enhanced by leaving the island at dusk. The flight is both scenic and challenging. Frequently, when flying with real weather, you will have a steady wind blowing across the bay. Starting out quiet Tangier and arriving at busy, glittering Norfolk International (KORF) gives the flight some contrast.

fgfs --airport=KTGI --runway=20 --timeofday=dusk

Before leaving Tangier: Set your altimeter to the prevailing barometric temperature. Set your communications radio to the Norfolk Intl. (KORF) ATIS frequency of 127.150 MHz to listen for weather reports in the destination area. Set your navigation radio to 112.20 MHz to pick up the Cape Charles (CCV) VOR. Set your heading bug to the runway heading, 200.

Takeoff straight, flying the runway heading. Climb to 2000ft and maintain.

Shortly, you should see the VOR assigned to NAV1 display receive a steady signal (the OFF flag will disappear). The DME should also settle down and display the distance to the Cape Charles VOR station. The flight to CCV will be about 26 nautical miles. As you fly, it will show your airspeed and time to arrival. It should take about ten minutes.

Turn the OBS knob until the VOR displays the TO flag and 190 degrees, the heading you should now turn to.

Fly south from Tangier, crossing an expanse of water, about ten miles until you see the Virginia Eastern Shore. You'll come upon the grass airstrip of Chance (VA89) a few minutes out from Tangier. Beyond are two flashing tower beacons. You may catch a glimpse of Weirwood/Kellam (W08) on the ocean shore, recognizable by two crossing dirt strips.

If you look carefully, you may see the little white building that is the Cape Charles VOR station. As you fly over VOR the flag will change from TO to FROM and the needle will deflect. Do not try to follow the needle. Wait until you are past the VOR. As you cross the VOR station, you should see a highway slanting across your path toward the south west. Turn to follow this highway. You'll come across a lone tower with beacon along the roadside. You'll see an access road stretching from the tower complex to the main road.

If the sky conditions permit, you may try your hand at wayfinding by following the road. If visiblity is poor, set the VOR to 180 degrees to parallel the road to the end of the peninsula. Or you can continue to fly outbound from the VOR on 190 by maintaining the same heading. The VOR needle should return to center with the FROM flag displaying. This will put you west of the bridge with a good view and the option to turn towards KORF near the initial approach fix. If you follow the highway you will need to overfly the airport, but if you stay on the 190 heading, you will be in a position to make a straight in landing.

As you fly down the peninsula you'll pass Cherrystone, Eagle's Nest, Scott and Bull Farm grass airstrips. Bull Farm is the last strip before the mouth of the Chesapeake. Just past Scott Farm you should see the first glimmer of the northern leg of the bridge. The grass strips can be very difficult to see.

As you reach the end of the peninsula, be careful to avoid the tower on Fisherman's Island at the north end of the north leg of the bridge (Note the bridge is not modeled by FlightGear...but I hope to work up one eventually). Next comes the north middle leg. Turn right a few degrees to follow the south middle leg. Watch as the deck plunges beneath the waves to allow ships to navigate the north and south channels.

As Cape Henry approaches, you'll see the Norfolk International airport to the right and the southern leg of the bridge touching the shore.

If you intend to land at KORF, you will want to start your approach soon. Otherwise, you may continue to follow the bridge to the end. Make the approach to KORF by contacting the tower for vectors. Or use the ILS.

This is a good flight to practice VOR flying on. It is a very straight flight path to the VOR requiring little adjustment and there are no other VORs in the area to confuse you.

Wyoming - Grand Teton

Jackson Hole (KJAC) airport is located at around 6,400ft right next to the Teton range of mountains. The Tetons rise straight out of the plains, gaining over 5,000ft in 2 miles.

You will need the w120n40 scenery.

Tower frequency at KJAC is 118.07. Due to the high altitude, you will need to lean non-turbocharged piston aircraft before take-off. Don't forget that take-off distances will also be longer.

After take-off head to the North East. Grand Teton is the highest of the three peaks that rise straight from the flat-lands. Follow the line of mountains to the East, passing over Jenny Lake. After a couple of miles you will reach a huge lake. The large bulk of a mountain to the East is Mount Moran.

The Teton Mountain range is surprisingly thin - really just a string of mountains running SW-NE. Flying fast jets down the steep valleys is recommended.

Scotland

Edinburgh to Oban

Edinburgh to Dundee

Edinburgh Airport (EGPH) is located to the West of the city of Edinburgh and south of the Forth rail and road bridges. You'll need the w010n50 scenery and the latest set of objects from the scenery DB which include a number of models for the Edinburgh area.

From Edinburgh Airport, head north and circle the bridges, then follow the coast on the south eastwards past Edinburgh (watch out for the Castle!) and to East Lothian and Bass Rock - a volcanic plug in the sea that is host to thousands of sea-birds.

There are a number of sights in East Lothian, include a distillery.

If you wish to continue your tour, head back North, crossing the Firth of Forth to the Kingdom of Fife. Head approximated North West, tracking towards the Perth VOR (110.4). There is an airport here (Perth Scone, EGPT), but instead we will now track out on the 090 radial and pick up the ILS to Dundee Airport (108.10) landing beside the sea.

The Alps

Soaring the Austrian Alps

Using the AI subsystem, discover the Austrian alps with a glider. Read more here: Pinzgauer Spaziergang

Sightseeing the Alps in a C172

This tour will guide you to many of the most famous mountains, valleys, glaciers, snowfields, winter and summer vacation areas, etc. in the European Alps. In addition there are several hints to visit nearby areas of interest. On the tour you will visit Switzerland, Italy and France. See the detailed description in: http://www.emmerich-j.de/FGFS/Alp-flying.pdf

Australia

Going from Brisbane International Airport to Sydney International Airport at a heading of 203 with most of the options in the Rendering Dialog Box enabled;

(Your rendering Options Dialog Box should be the same or similar to his one below.)

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Opening the Rendering Options Dialog Box

To open the Rendering Options Dialog Box, go to View > Rendering Options.

Rendering options menu.png

Some beautiful Scenery while flying this route;

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