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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
**The OFFICIAL All Sims Air Tour Thread**
- Thread starter ViperPilot2
- Start date
bosspecops
Members +
The snow just didn't stop at Lake Riley, so eventually I gave up and flew the leg down to Mason City.
Taxiing into the water was a doddle, despite the snow, but the wind was from directly South and I had to taxi right across the lake for take-off.
It was a bit of a struggle to lift off before I ran into the southern bank of the lake but I JUST made it, phew! I'm about 50 ft agl. in the pic below............
Luckily the snow gave up as I left the Twin Cities area, and I headed almost due south. I wanted to cruise at 2500 ft as normal, but the cloud was so dense and so low I went down to 1700 ft that just gave me enough room to avoid taxi-ing along I35!
Before long I could see the Albert Lea Muni airport away to my right, but the city itself seems to be missing in FSX. It was a pity as I'd noticed the road signs on I35 to get there many times in the past, but I never went there in person.
It was a race between the cloud getting lower and the surface slowly rising, and me trying to land at Mason City! I was so low as I approached Mason City I could only just see the approach lights!
The landing was OK, nothing special, and I taxied right to the end of the 18 runway as the charts said that was the shortest taxiway to the FBO, but as often the case in FSX there were no buildings in the scenery at all, just a lonely fuel pump!
So here I am at Mason City. I'll keep an eye on the weather in the hope that the cloudbase rises enough for me to fly the rest of the leg in the S-38 as otherwise I'll have to try something that'll fly ABOVE the clouds!
Taxiing into the water was a doddle, despite the snow, but the wind was from directly South and I had to taxi right across the lake for take-off.
It was a bit of a struggle to lift off before I ran into the southern bank of the lake but I JUST made it, phew! I'm about 50 ft agl. in the pic below............
Luckily the snow gave up as I left the Twin Cities area, and I headed almost due south. I wanted to cruise at 2500 ft as normal, but the cloud was so dense and so low I went down to 1700 ft that just gave me enough room to avoid taxi-ing along I35!
Before long I could see the Albert Lea Muni airport away to my right, but the city itself seems to be missing in FSX. It was a pity as I'd noticed the road signs on I35 to get there many times in the past, but I never went there in person.
It was a race between the cloud getting lower and the surface slowly rising, and me trying to land at Mason City! I was so low as I approached Mason City I could only just see the approach lights!
The landing was OK, nothing special, and I taxied right to the end of the 18 runway as the charts said that was the shortest taxiway to the FBO, but as often the case in FSX there were no buildings in the scenery at all, just a lonely fuel pump!
So here I am at Mason City. I'll keep an eye on the weather in the hope that the cloudbase rises enough for me to fly the rest of the leg in the S-38 as otherwise I'll have to try something that'll fly ABOVE the clouds!
bosspecops
Members +
After that slooooow flight to Mason City in the S-38 I thought I'd try another, faster type to get down to Des Moines. After a bit of a search through my FS hangars I found just the candidate. 
This elegant 1930s airliner is the Dh 91 Albatross, and like the Mosquito it's made almost wholly of wood! They couldn't carry too many pax, but they were fast, with a cruising sped of 210 kts, and I aimed to do just that on the way south.
Using my usual Active Sky weather software, I found the wind was still from directly south, and it hasn't changed for over week. Frankly I don't believe it at all, and I'm very suspicious of how Active Sky works, if it does work! Anyone else notice the same issue?
Anyway, I taxied to the far end of the airfield and took off, the Albatross lifting off at around 75 kts and climbed like a dingbat compared to the S-38!
At full throttle she was doing 180 kits in the climb, which was remarkable, and soon reached my selected cruise altitude of 7500 ft, well above the clouds for a change.
That didn't last long though and soon I was deep inside a cloud bank and in full IFR conditions.
At 210 kts it took less than 30 mins to reach the outskirts of Des Moines and after descending below the clouds I was soon turning onto the 13
runway there.
My main problem was slowing the Albatross, she just didn't want to back off! Dropping the gear had little effect and even with the boost way down to -1 she really didn't want to go below 170 kts, but dropping some flap helped a little, even if she ballooned quite a bit and needed a hefty trim adjustment. I got her down OK, but not on the numbers and did a 'wheelie' landing, which was apparently the way the Albatrosses did
it for real.
Turning toward the ramp was a bit of a surprise as I came face to face with a bunch of F-16s, a few A-7s and a P-51! Quite what they thought of a streamlined, wooden 1930s airliner, goodness only knows!
I taxied round to the FBO and parked up next to somewhat later de Havilland product, a Dash 8, which made for a neat pic.
Note the ensign which appears above the cockpit of the Albatross when the engines shut down. Apparently the crews carried such a flag and mast and did that whenever they arrived, very patriotic.
I liked flying the Albatross a lot, and I'll probably use her for the leg down to Kansas City too.
This elegant 1930s airliner is the Dh 91 Albatross, and like the Mosquito it's made almost wholly of wood! They couldn't carry too many pax, but they were fast, with a cruising sped of 210 kts, and I aimed to do just that on the way south.
Using my usual Active Sky weather software, I found the wind was still from directly south, and it hasn't changed for over week. Frankly I don't believe it at all, and I'm very suspicious of how Active Sky works, if it does work! Anyone else notice the same issue?
Anyway, I taxied to the far end of the airfield and took off, the Albatross lifting off at around 75 kts and climbed like a dingbat compared to the S-38!
At full throttle she was doing 180 kits in the climb, which was remarkable, and soon reached my selected cruise altitude of 7500 ft, well above the clouds for a change.
That didn't last long though and soon I was deep inside a cloud bank and in full IFR conditions.
At 210 kts it took less than 30 mins to reach the outskirts of Des Moines and after descending below the clouds I was soon turning onto the 13
runway there.
My main problem was slowing the Albatross, she just didn't want to back off! Dropping the gear had little effect and even with the boost way down to -1 she really didn't want to go below 170 kts, but dropping some flap helped a little, even if she ballooned quite a bit and needed a hefty trim adjustment. I got her down OK, but not on the numbers and did a 'wheelie' landing, which was apparently the way the Albatrosses did
it for real.
Turning toward the ramp was a bit of a surprise as I came face to face with a bunch of F-16s, a few A-7s and a P-51! Quite what they thought of a streamlined, wooden 1930s airliner, goodness only knows!
I taxied round to the FBO and parked up next to somewhat later de Havilland product, a Dash 8, which made for a neat pic.
Note the ensign which appears above the cockpit of the Albatross when the engines shut down. Apparently the crews carried such a flag and mast and did that whenever they arrived, very patriotic.
I liked flying the Albatross a lot, and I'll probably use her for the leg down to Kansas City too.
Ah, my major issue with all our flights .... what to fly. Strolling through the hangar I thought of the Davis (1929) but I flew that in our Caribbean adventure; the Gulfhawk II caught my eye, but it's a bit "new" for my standards (1936); then I saw it, something I've not flown in ages. The first commercial aircraft with retractable gear, one of the first with that newfangled artificial horizon gauge, one of the first with an autopilot, a plane that could carry five passengers and still fly faster than many military aircraft of the day - the 1931 Lockheed Orion 9.
Will be starting from Dayton, but this was a quick ferry flight from Columbus to Dayton to get reacquainted, 70 miles in 30 minutes.
Will be starting from Dayton, but this was a quick ferry flight from Columbus to Dayton to get reacquainted, 70 miles in 30 minutes.
lucb
SOH-CM-2026
Leg 7 & 8 KANE -> KMCW -> KDSM
After a pleasant stopover, it's time to resume our adventure.
When we arrived at the airport, the ceiling was low and the horizon is obscured by fog, but fortunately the conditions were VFR.
We took off and, at barely 2,300 feet, the pitot tube freezed again and there were severe turbulences. We were forced to descend to 2,000 feet to remain in VFR.
To make matters worse, rain started to fall, but rain means less frost, and soon the pitot tube started working again.
After passing Owatonna, the sky cleared and we were able to climb back to our cruising altitude of 4,000 feet to regain performance and calm air. The flight then proceeded smoothly to Mason City.
Ten minutes after Mason, the clouds returned but with a fairly high ceiling.
We flew over Waterloo, which we have found very amusing: A Belgian and an Englishwoman above Waterloo. Unfortunately, the ceiling dropped as quickly as our joke. Concerned about the conditions, we checked with the ATIS at Ames Municipal Airport (KAMW). It reported a ceiling of 1,900 feet and severe turbulence, and unfortunately, it was right.
In addition, we have been encountering strong headwinds for the past 20 minutes, causing us to lose 10 Kts, and the clouds forced us to descend around 900 feet, where we are encountering even worse turbulences. Amy exclaimed "The last time I was so shaken up was on the Black Pool roller coaster."
Des Moines International Airport finally appeared through the clouds. The landing went smoothly.
Finally, dear readers, here's a little game for you: spot the odd one out. Good luck!
Flying time: 3h20 for 231 miles.
To be continued...
After a pleasant stopover, it's time to resume our adventure.
When we arrived at the airport, the ceiling was low and the horizon is obscured by fog, but fortunately the conditions were VFR.
We took off and, at barely 2,300 feet, the pitot tube freezed again and there were severe turbulences. We were forced to descend to 2,000 feet to remain in VFR.
To make matters worse, rain started to fall, but rain means less frost, and soon the pitot tube started working again.
After passing Owatonna, the sky cleared and we were able to climb back to our cruising altitude of 4,000 feet to regain performance and calm air. The flight then proceeded smoothly to Mason City.
Ten minutes after Mason, the clouds returned but with a fairly high ceiling.
We flew over Waterloo, which we have found very amusing: A Belgian and an Englishwoman above Waterloo. Unfortunately, the ceiling dropped as quickly as our joke. Concerned about the conditions, we checked with the ATIS at Ames Municipal Airport (KAMW). It reported a ceiling of 1,900 feet and severe turbulence, and unfortunately, it was right.
In addition, we have been encountering strong headwinds for the past 20 minutes, causing us to lose 10 Kts, and the clouds forced us to descend around 900 feet, where we are encountering even worse turbulences. Amy exclaimed "The last time I was so shaken up was on the Black Pool roller coaster."
Des Moines International Airport finally appeared through the clouds. The landing went smoothly.
Finally, dear readers, here's a little game for you: spot the odd one out. Good luck!
Flying time: 3h20 for 231 miles.
To be continued...
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Getting a late start on this flight, life has been hectic lately, but I have time and a fast plane.
Warming up at I19
Not much sightseeing, snow everywhere, about an hour to go
Passing Toledo (wonder if Klinger is down there)
And there is Dearborn, KYIP
185 miles in 78 minutes; cruising roughly 5200ft at 137kt, 1950rpm 25mp; AP is basic heading hold, but also has a pitch hold function, I found about 2deg there would just about offset a tendency to descend as fuel is burned off, plane held within around 200ft over a hundred mile run.
Warming up at I19
Not much sightseeing, snow everywhere, about an hour to go
Passing Toledo (wonder if Klinger is down there)
And there is Dearborn, KYIP
185 miles in 78 minutes; cruising roughly 5200ft at 137kt, 1950rpm 25mp; AP is basic heading hold, but also has a pitch hold function, I found about 2deg there would just about offset a tendency to descend as fuel is burned off, plane held within around 200ft over a hundred mile run.
bosspecops
Members +
That's a cracking looking aeroplane.
This announcement was posted in all the dedicated sim forums, hopefully it will answer some of your questions. If you need any more info drop a PM/Conversation to @ViperPilot2 as he organized the event and he will be able to help you out.
The "All Sims Air Tour"...
THE 2025 "ALL SIMS AIR TOUR" START DATE: 12/1/2025 END DATE: JANUARY 30, 2026 You are cordially invited to participate in the 2025-2026 "All Sims Air Tour", a modern 're-creation' of the National Air Tour of the 1920's and 1930's. A 3,400 mile Tour encompassing 27 different stops in 20...
sim-outhouse.org
Rob and I managed to get one leg done last night (despite Rob still dying from 'man flu' he picked up on the plane home from his Mexican vacation) but it wasn't pretty in places. He was back on his laptop after the tower PC issues on the last flight so he was a bit short on aircraft and we went back to flying the Stinsons. Here we are lining up for our usual formation take-off.
The weather started out well but it didn't last long!
We hadn't gone far when the clouds and fog started to appear over the hills again.
It got steadily worse until I was once more enveloped in a grey blanket.
It got thicker and thicker and this is what I saw at one point when I went outside for a better look. Rob is 0.1 NM away from me at my 9 o'clock and I only know he is there by his 'label' and a very faint glimmer from his nav lights!
It was like that for ages before it all suddenly went POOF and I could see again. You can see the remnants of the cloud in the top tight corner of the shot.
The clearing didn't last long before it started closing in again but thankfully I could stay below the worst of it and still see where I was going which was good as there was rinsing ground between us and the destination.
Thankfully the runway at Pittsburgh came into view and we were able to get down safely in the gloom.
As usual we found a place to hang out until the next time.
The weather started out well but it didn't last long!
We hadn't gone far when the clouds and fog started to appear over the hills again.
It got steadily worse until I was once more enveloped in a grey blanket.
It got thicker and thicker and this is what I saw at one point when I went outside for a better look. Rob is 0.1 NM away from me at my 9 o'clock and I only know he is there by his 'label' and a very faint glimmer from his nav lights!
It was like that for ages before it all suddenly went POOF and I could see again. You can see the remnants of the cloud in the top tight corner of the shot.
The clearing didn't last long before it started closing in again but thankfully I could stay below the worst of it and still see where I was going which was good as there was rinsing ground between us and the destination.
Thankfully the runway at Pittsburgh came into view and we were able to get down safely in the gloom.
As usual we found a place to hang out until the next time.
Not a Race or Competition, more like a Rally of sorts showcasing Aircraft of the 20's and 30's flying over a somewhat Historical Route.
You may fly any number of Aircraft that fit the above Parameters or a single Aircraft if you wish.
The only 'Rules' are to post a Screenshot or two of each Flight Leg along with a short Travelogue of your day's journey, and to HAVE FUN!
The Orion? Yes, very sleek for its time, also groundbreaking; it secured Lockheed's reputation. The one I'm flying represents a real aircraft purchased by a VP of Phillips Petroleum, it served as an executive transport flying all over north and central America til being commandeered by the military at the start of WWII. It continued in the same function, hauling officers around the country, until apparently written off after a landing accident in 1944.
Given their history and reputation it is interesting that only 35 were built, and only one has survived. Originally ordered by Shell Oil Co. for promotional work, the bright red and yellow "Shellightning" was a common sight at air shows throughout the thirties. Eastern Airlines was the next owner, repainting it blue and white; by the sixties it was in the hands of a private owner and probably not airworthy. Swissair bought it and took it to Switzerland where it was meticulously restored and repainted in the red and white of the two Orions they had purchased in 1931; it has been on display at the Swissair museum since (I've heard its registration is still active and it is airworthy, but no one wants to risk flying it).
Verkehrshaus der Schweiz: The Orion 9C Special
www.verkehrshaus.ch
With nothing better to do on a boring Christmas Eve Rob and I decided to knock another leg off the route. This was the second longest leg of the tour from Pittsburgh to Dayton and we decided a 1930's airliner would be a better choice than small cabin aircraft or biplanes. Rob picked a Boeing 247 as his bird of choice but as I didn't have that aircraft in my hangar I pushed him, kicking and squealing, into an Electra again while I flew my other one! The day looked bright and sunny at the start but would it last we wondered given the foggy days we've encountered so far!
It was nice to fly in mostly blue skies and visibility to the horizon for a change.
I have mentioned in previous leg posts how the mid-west seemed to have a love of giant radio antennas and this time we encountered giant factory chimneys! These monsters were close to 2,000 ft high!
The further we went the more the clouds started to build and we hoped this wasn't a sign of things to come!
Sure enough it started to close in again and the familiar fog/mist/low cloud returned. At least we were back in the flat lands so I wasn't too concerned about meeting any Cumulo Granitus!
The fog stayed with us all the way to the destination unfortunately.
We did manage to get down safe but I wasn't able to get any Kodaks as I was busy trying to see through the fog and as per usual we found a quiet place to hang out until we can get to the final leg.
It was nice to fly in mostly blue skies and visibility to the horizon for a change.
I have mentioned in previous leg posts how the mid-west seemed to have a love of giant radio antennas and this time we encountered giant factory chimneys! These monsters were close to 2,000 ft high!
The further we went the more the clouds started to build and we hoped this wasn't a sign of things to come!
Sure enough it started to close in again and the familiar fog/mist/low cloud returned. At least we were back in the flat lands so I wasn't too concerned about meeting any Cumulo Granitus!
The fog stayed with us all the way to the destination unfortunately.
We did manage to get down safe but I wasn't able to get any Kodaks as I was busy trying to see through the fog and as per usual we found a quiet place to hang out until we can get to the final leg.
You're welcome to join in.
Early departure from KYIP, it's cold out there
Overcast most of the way
Approaching KRMY, Brookes Field (aka Marshal Airport)
KBTL, Battle Creek; ah, the memories ...how many boxtops did we send to this place for cheap toys
95 miles in 42 minutes
A brief stopover and off to South Bend
overcast worsens
just the steady thrum of a big radial for company ...to be continued
Overcast most of the way
Approaching KRMY, Brookes Field (aka Marshal Airport)
KBTL, Battle Creek; ah, the memories ...how many boxtops did we send to this place for cheap toys
95 miles in 42 minutes
A brief stopover and off to South Bend
overcast worsens
just the steady thrum of a big radial for company ...to be continued
I'm glad other people are suffering the Mid-West fog too! I'd hate to be the only one having day after day of zero visibility!