Today I'm going to accomplish the impossible! I am going to fly, in a Cessna 172 SkyHawk, from Australia to New Zealand. If you look at a map, you'll see that this is just about 1,100 nautical miles. If you look up the spec's, you'll see that a Cessna 172 SkyHawk can fly 540 nautical miles on a full tank (650 nm if you're willing to use every last drop and have no safety margin). So, what's the catch?
It turns out that there are two tiny islands between Australia and New Zealand: Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. Using these conveniently placed intermediate stops creates a voyage with three legs, each less than 500 nm.
Because my flight plan is already established and doesn't have any room for adjustment, I'm not sure if I'll be able to find and jobs for this lengthy flight. But, I'll fire up the FSE client and see what there is....
Sadly, I was correct -- no jobs available for any of these flights. So, I'll just experience the magic myself!
Sure am glad I've got GPS! There's a whole lot of water all around me, and it all looks pretty much the same. With the shifting winds, it's pretty tough to tell just where I am and which way to go. But, I keep an eye on my little 295 and make small course adjustments, and after a mere 3 1/2 hours, there's a speck of land ahead!
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| Land ho! |
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Just a very quick stop to refuel, and I'm back over the South Pacific again. This is one of my longest days, so I'm not going to be able to enjoy these little islands for more than a quick stretch.
Norfolk Island is one of those "airport in a hole" locations in FSX. Luckily, the hole isn't too deep, so my landing was quite nice, if I do say so myself!
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| Not much fun in a cross-wind! |
End: YSNF, 1715; $7944.37 and 23gal
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As the sun sets slowly in the west,... I've got another 450 mile "hop" to make, so it's time for an IFR flight plan, since most of this one will be in the dark.
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| I'm a sucker for a good sunset shot. |
After the sun goes down, when your 4,500 feet above the South Pacific Ocean, about a million miles from anywhere, let me tell you, it gets DARK!
End: NZKT, 2156; $7944.37 and 22gal
Total Distance Flown: 25,806 nautical miles
Total v$ Deposited: $120,000
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