FlightGear Newsletter February 2012: Difference between revisions

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== Suggested flights ==
== Suggested flights ==
===Copacabana to San Rafael over Lake Titicaca===
Bolivia to Peru. This trip will lead you over one of the highest and deepest lakes in the world towards the highest airfield in the world. It a demonstration of a [[IFR]] flight towards a fix and a demonstration how accurate FlightGear simulates air density and the effects it has on aircraft.
[[File:Slcc-sprf.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Flight and fix SLCC to SPRF]]
Place your aircraft on the airfield [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana,_Bolivia SLCC, Copacabana], with an [[elevation]] of 12,592 feet. FlightGear will show snow all around you but that is not very realistic so let's clean up. View=> Rendering Options=> Snow line=> Set to max. (5,000M).
We will fly towards and land at SPRF. If you would enter SLCC and SPRF in [[Kelpie]] planner you probably would not be able to find SPRF. To find SPRF I am adding an additional VOR-DME station and for a good fix give you another VOR-DME. Try Kelpie planner to plan this route and compare with this suggestion.
Equipment preparation. Set [[NAV1]] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliaca Juliaca] VOR-DME on 155.55 with a radial of 311° (magnetic). Set [[NAV2]] to Arequipa VOR-DME on 113.7 with a radial of 212°. During our flight we will fly with [[true altitude]] as set with [[QNH]], keep QNH updated. Arm the autopilot with the [[heading bug]] at 311° and an initial altitude of 13,500 feet.
Take off and if you took the wrong RW pull up hard. Take a small tour over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titicaca lake Titicaca], see the floating islands and try to find the lost golden treasure. Intercept the nearest radial on NAV1 towards Juliaca (about 311°).
Just before Juliaca is a hill so while on lake Titicaca increase altitude to 14,200 feet, the [[VFR]] part of this trip is over. After passing Juliaca set the radial of NAV1 to 352° and set the altitude to 17,422 feet. We will fly from NAV1 and slowly increase altitude.
At a distance of about 60 NM set the heading bug on the current course. Monitor the distance to NAV1, the radial of NAV2 and the distance to NAV2. At a distance of 74.5 NM to NAV1, a distance of 140.7 NM and at the '''radial''' intercept of NAV2 should be the runway. So, from 60 NM onwards, look outside the window, then at NAV1 and then NAV2 etc.
If you are at 80NM to NAV1 you have missed the airfield but you still won't hit any hills (unless you bank left). Bank right and set the heading bug to 172°. Fly back towards NAV1 and intercept the radial 352° at about 50NM again to repeat the search.
The runway SPRF, San Rafael, has a elevation of 14,422 feet and a heading of 297°/ 117°. Our initial altitude has been set 3,000NM above the RW elevation. That should give sufficient room for navigation.
After you have seen the airfield set the radial of NAV1 to 297°, the heading of the runway (not the course to the runway) as a visual aid. Land on RW 30 (and not on RW 12 unless you are a show-off). Oh, there is a small hill in front of RW 30, just so you know.
Decreasing speed at this altitude can be a bit tricky. The air is thin and does not give much resistance. Next to that, the difference between [[indicated airspeed]] and [[ground speed]] is very noticeable. The ground speed is much higher as the indicated airspeed.
After a successful landing, try to discover the [[Suggested_Flights#Origin_of_the_Amazon_River | origin of the Amazon river]] since we are now at the starting point of that trip.
*More places you can visit can be found at [[Suggested Flights]].
== Aircraft reviews ==
== Aircraft reviews ==


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