#12 Moscow

Start: ULLI, 0807; $2384.02 and 45gal

Well it doesn't get much easier than this. I'm at the St. Petersburg airport, after having a wonderful day soaking up St. Petersburg culture yesterday. The Hermitage was wonderful, and I managed to squeeze in a performance at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic last night. My plan is to head to Moscow. I know I'll need to do this carefully, since Moscow is probably still a bit leary of Cessnas anywhere near Red Square!

So, I check FSE for jobs, and I find several heading straight to Scheremetyevo! It's a bit over 3 hours, but it'll be a direct flight with no distractions or diversions.

The weather conditions are a bit iffy for VFR, but they give me take-off clearance and I zoom down the runway before they change their mind! Very dense clouds for the first hour, but then it clears up nicely. Very smooth and uneventful flight, which is just what I was looking for!

There must have been some Russians on Microsoft's graphics team -- Russian cities are excellent. Moscow is a very realistic large city. It starts with obviously residential suburbs, and the closer you get to the city center, the more dense and large the buildings get. Townhouses, apartment buildings, businesses and warehouses, all are apparent. And it's very haphazard, which seems very real to me. Any city that's existed for hundreds (if not a thousand or more) years is going to be disorganized and chaotic. And FSX's Moscow is.

Downtown Moscow

Also Moscow!

Flying OVER Red Square!

 End: UUEE, 1218; $4957.13 and 18gal

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I'll be staying in Moscow for a day or two -- there's just too much to see to do it in an afternoon. So, there won't be an update for a few days....

#10 Helsinki; #11 St. Petersburg

I want to go to St. Petersburg. But not Florida -- Russia! If nothing else, I want to see the Hermitage.

But, FSE is not making it easy. After making a few hops into Finland, I've found several airports with jobs going to St. Petersburg. But all of them are too big for my little GlobeTrotter. I've looked around for a different route. I finally started at St. Petersburg and looked backwards for jobs going TO there. They're all coming from airports to the west. So, in the end, I'll get as close as I can and make the final hop all on my own.

Start: ESSB, 0611; $6596.20 and 54gal

My money bag is less full because I deposited $10,000 to make the border crossing a little easier! I guess I'm just doing too well finding FSE jobs! But that extra hopping around is half the fun!

It's an early start this morning as I leave Stockholm with 2 CAVA Midsommar passengers headed for Tallinn, Estonia. To be honest, I hadn't planned on visiting Estonia, but it's in the general direction I'm heading, and it's one more flag I'll be able to put on the plane!

Dense fog and heavy cloud cover -- good thing I'm IFR today! Then, just as I cross into Estonia, the fog lifts, the clouds disperse, and it's a glorious day.

End: EETN, 0845; $8259.40 and 37gal

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I'm now off to Helsinki #1 with 3 CAVA Midsommar passengers (there are a lot of those in this part of the world!). The fog is back, so I'm still IFR. Hope I get better weather in Helsinki, as I want some good photos on my little hop from Malmi to Vantaa. Right now, it's like taking pictures of a polar bear in a snowstorm!

Plus, I think the controllers are messing with me again. Turn to 350. Two minutes later, turn to 315. One minute later, turn to 345. Sheesh! Maybe I don't get Swedish humor.

Miraculously, 20 miles from Helsinki the skies cleared and the fog lifted. I had been considering putting on my super hero hat and controlling the weather myself, but now I don't have to! I must have hit one of those really good weather update windows.

End: EFHF, 0941; $10176.40 and 32gal

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From Helsinki (Malmi) I'm going 5 whole miles to Helsinki (Vantaa). Seems rather pointless, you may say? But, it allows me to cruise over Helsinki and take photos, and there's a job from Vantaa going 100 miles closer to St. Petersburg. That's as close as I can get with FSE jobs, and then I'll just fly myself from there.

Why are there 2 passengers willing to pay to fly 5 miles? I don't know. I don't ask, I just fly! I wish I'd had more time to learn about Helsinki. Between finding jobs and filing flight plans, I just didn't. So, I'll stay low and slow, and just see what I can see! But the city is surprisingly low-lying; very few tall buildings to catch my eye from the air. I found two sports stadiums right next to each other, and several churches. And a series of large apartment buildings, very close to the docks. But I couldn't recognize a true "downtown". So, at least in FSX, Helsinki is stinky!

Helsinki -- uninspiring in FSX

After the most bizarre IFR approach I've ever experienced (ATC took me 15 miles the wrong way before giving me vectors that made any sense), I landed (again!) at Helsinki. Fuel is pretty affordable here, so I'll fill up (as much as I can with 3 passengers).

End: EFHK, 1033; $10347.17 and 45gal

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One last job today -- 3 CAVA Midsommar passengers heading east. No fuss, no muss, just a 100 mile hop and then I'm on my own. And although I sometimes complain that I can't find FSE jobs going my way, I must be doing something right -- I had to deposit another $10,000 to the bank! I had hoped that this trip would pay for itself. But it appears that I could make a (virtual) living doing this!

End: EFLP, 1154; $2639.47 and 36gal

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I've unloaded my passengers, and have decided that although I'm getting hungry, I'm going to press on to St. Petersburg. That way I can relax, explore and enjoy myself all afternoon and evening. The weather has improved considerably, so I'm going to fly VFR and do a quick tour before I land. But you can bet I'll be asking for permission to cross into Russian airspace!

WOW -- now THIS is a city! The detail is impressive, the size is awesome, and the Russian landmarks are identifiable. I suppose it's not quite like really being there, but it's one of the best so far on this tour (the Grand Prize belongs to London).

Winter Palace (the Hermitage museum)

Downtown St. Petersburg, Russia

End: ULLI, 1321; $2639.47 and 28gal

The Rest of Scandinavia (#7 Copenhagen, #8 Malmo, #9 Stockholm)

Don't get me wrong -- I'm sure they are absolutely wonderful, delightful countries, full of interesting and important sights and culture. But, in the face of touring the entire world, I really couldn't think of very much to stop off and see in Sweden or Finland. So, my route will head east through Stockholm and Helsinki to my true destination, St. Petersburg.

But first, I'm in the mood for a nice cheese danish for breakfast. A real Danish danish. So, it's off to Denmark! Aarhus, to be precise. Did you know that Denmark is Europe's oldest kingdom? Me neither!

Start: ENTO, 0642; $13358.50 and 26gal

I'm hauling a load of newspapers and mail this morning, so it'll be a nice, quiet flight. There's about 100 miles of ocean between Norway and Denmark, so not much to see get pretty close to Aarhus, which is the second-largest city in Denmark, and its main port. I'll be flying over the Aarhus Cathedral prior to setting up my approach to the airport. At least, I'll be flying over where the Cathedral is supposed to be. Aarhus isn't one of the "extra detail" cities in FSX, so it turns out to be (nice looking) auto-gen buildings instead of the real McCoy. I should probably limit my "top 100" sights to landscapes, and stick to the 76 detailed FSX cities (don't worry, I've got a list!). Of course, some of the landscape features are missing, too (see Vøringfossen from yesterday).

You know, the other thing I've noticed aside from missing "landmark buildings" is that an awful lot of the countryside is made up of small farms. They're very nice looking (I don't know whether to thank Microsoft, or Flight1 [Ground Environment X]), but surely Europe is more than just farmland?!

End: EKAH, 0908; $14154.10 and 40gal

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I've got 2 CAVA passengers and 1 NF passenger. Although we're heading for Save airbase in Sweden (to the northeast), I'll take a detour (to the southeast) to see Copenhagen and Malmo along the way -- it's still early in the morning, so an 80 mile diversion seems okay to me! And both are supposed to be cities with added custom detail in FSX.

Approaching Copenhagen, I am hopeful. Although the landscape is still a patchwork, it looks more like lawns of good sized yards and less like farms. The it morphs into recognizable suburbs (which I suppose look pretty much the same everywhere!). And I see an actual city in the distance! Once I arrive, I am pleased. Copenhagan is a realistic, detailed, unique city.

Copenhagen

I wish I had more time to spend in Copenhagen. I wish I were really there! But, it's off to fly over Malmo, Sweden (a short 12 miles away). Again, a fairly nice rendering. Malmo is definitely different from Copenhagen -- much less a concentrated city, very few "skyscrapers" and has the appearance of being more residential.

Okay, enough tourista stuff -- on to the airbase.

End: ESGP, 1145; $16424.80 and 23gal

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There's not a single FSE job heading east, so I'm off on a solo flight to Skovde, where I'll pick up 154kg of fuel headed for Stockholm. About 15 miles out, it suddenly got very foggy. And I'm flying VFR. But, ESGR is uncontrolled, so what's a little water vapor between friends. I descend and use my handheld GPS to get lined up. The lower I get, the better I can see, and 6 miles out, I have the runway in sight. Ta da! One of my better landings, it turned out.

I was planning to get fuel at this stop, but they don't have any. Luckily, I have enough to get me to my next stop.

End: ESGR, 1233; $16424.80 and 17gal

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I want to go to Stockholm, just to say I did (and because it's another detailed FSX city). So, that's where I'm going next. Turns out to be a well-rendered city -- a believable mix of large and smaller buildings, and a few recognizable landmarks (which I don't recognize, since I've never been to Stockholm!). I'm not sure if this one is a storage tank, power plant, or Euro Epcot!

What is that thing?

The sky has cleared, but the wind has really picked up. My approach and landing remind me of a bucking bronco. Glad I don't have any passengers this leg.

End: ESSB, 1417; $16984.60 and 7gal

#5 Norway #6 Oslo

Today's flight is exactly what this tour is all about -- should be a great combination of natural wonders and man-made features. I'll start by heading north for a nice view of the fjords.

Start: ENSO, 0830; $9982.01 and 22gal

Heading almost perfectly north, the scenery is all that I'd hoped for. It looks as though someone took a perfectly plain coastal landscape, and crumpled it up before putting it down. Hills and valleys, sharp cliffs, hundreds of isolated little lakes, it's all here!

Of course, all these abrupt elevation changes does make approach and landing a bit more challenging! Luckily for me, Floro is located at the end of a nice delta, so I swooped down and followed the river right to the glideslope. My three passengers are off, none the worse for wear, and I'm picking up 1 Hurtigruten passenger for the trip back to Bergen.

Norwegian Fjords

End: ENFL, 0954; $10709.46 and 54gal

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An uneventful flight, back along the coast to the Norse-sounding Flesland airport.  Don't know what it's really like, but in FSX the town of Bergen is semi-rural with quite a few small farms scattered throughout. Another trade of passengers, this time for 1 scandiFLY passenger. I'll be heading east 175 miles across Norway to Oslo on this leg.

End: ENBR, 1050; $11432.16 and 48gal

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Wow -- Norway is beautiful! I knew the coastline would be dramatic, but even the interior is rugged and mountainous. I'm sure glad I'm flying over this terrain, instead of trying to drive it. I'm conflicted over what season I should use of my visit. When I think of Norway, I think of snow-covered hills. Since it's July, there isn't any snow. But the temperature is not much above freezing, and at 6500 feet it's 28°F! And the wind is blowing at 16 kts -- brrrr!

I'd rather be flying!

I'm giving FSX a challenge this time. On my way to Oslo, I'll be flying past Vøringfossen, reported to be Norway's most famous waterfall and #1 tourist attraction. It's located in Eidfjord, with a very nice hotel just across the chasm. Unfortunately, although the small lake and the chasm exist, the waterfall is missing. Darn -- it sounded really nice!

Where's my waterfall?!

It should look like this!

So, I press on to Oslo (Gardermoen airport).  I haven't included any photos, because although it was a perfectly nice looking city, it was pretty generic (in FSX). Back on the ground, it's 59°F. Quite an improvement, but still pretty chilly for July to me!

End: ENGM, 1323; $12172.50 and 33gal

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I'll stop off in Oslo for some lunch and a little sightseeing, and then I'll press on to Torp, mostly because I have 2 CAVA Midsommar passengers who want to go! Gives me a chance to overfly Fridrikstad, which is supposed to be another big tourist destination.

As you're traveling around Norway, if you find yourself in Jessheim, you really should try "Hot Pizza"! Just the place to get a great, filling, hot lunch (albeit not traditionally Norwegian!). Didn't really get too much of a feel of the local area, because I had to get back to the airport for this afternoon's flight.

End: ENTO, 1537; $13558.50 and 26gal

You Can't Get There From Here

Just a traveling day today; no particular sights to see (other than the rugged Scottish countryside, and a lot of water!).

Start: EGPN, 0747; $7729.38 and 30gal

My hastily improvised plan, which had me backtracking a bit, was to go up north in the UK, and then across the North Sea to Scandinavia. But I'm finding it quite difficult to find FSE jobs which will fulfill this plan. I guess not too many Cessna Skyhawks cross the North Sea! After 30 minutes or so, I finally found a job headed to Norway. But I'll have to go another 275 miles north to get it! So, I'm off to Aberdeen empty, and then I'll head up to Scatsta and Unst before finally turning east and leaving the UK for Sorstokken, Norway.

End: EGPD, 0832; $7629.21 and 54gal

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I'm reluctantly picking up 1 Bagpiper. Something tells me it's going to be a long 200 miles! Plus, the clouds are rolling in and the wind is picking up....

But I couldn't have been more wrong. Well, the wind and cloud thing was right (in fact it started raining about 15 miles from Scatsta), but my passenger was a thoroughly charming man, with wonderful stories about the places he's been as he travels around Scotland with his bagpipe (safely stowed in his baggage!).

End: EGPM, 1041; $8456.31 and 39gal

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I've got two passengers for the short hop to Unst (a good, monosyllabic British name!). With the weather getting slightly worse, I don't think I'll be much of a conversationalist this time -- too busy flying the bloody aeroplane!

End: EGPW, 1110; $9135.81 and 36gal

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Switching 2 passengers for 2 other passengers!

Although I'm sorry to be leaving the UK, I'm exciting to really begin my world tour! Don't really know what to expect -- I'm heading to Norway, and after I land I'll do some research and figure out what sights to see. For now, I'll just hope for smooth sailing across the notoriously nasty North Sea.

Turns out I got my wish. My passengers (a nice, vacationing young couple) read their books for the entire flight. The weather cleared up nicely, and I had a smooth flight the whole way. Now it's time to do some planning, and eat some gravlaks!

End: ENSO, 1326; $10182.01 and 22gal

#4 London Photo Shoot

Start: EGLC, 0659; $4299.54 and 45gal

This morning I'm going on an aerial tour of London, seeing the sights that I didn't get to yesterday. But then I've got to move on -- as much as I love London, my trip has barely begun, and I've got a lot of "ground" to cover. So, I'll stop off at Heathrow and pick up 3 Euro Connect passengers and head north, aiming towards Scandanavia.

Got some great shots -- today's tour included Westminster Abbey, Buckingham and Kensington palaces, the British Museum (which is even more fun on the inside!) and Canary Wharf. Very disappointed, though, to find that the Cutty Sark doesn't exist in FSX.

I've been diligently tracking my earnings, and since I hadn't bought fuel until this morning, I felt like I've had no expenses. Since this is a virtual trip, I completely forgot about things like eating and sleeping! So, I'm going to deduct $200 each night to cover (perhaps unrealistically) my living expenses while I'm traveling.

End: EGLL, 0733; $4299.54 and 41gal

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Just a quick stop (at one of the world's busiest airports!) to pick up the non-creatively named "2 Passengers", and then I'm off to Wickenby to drop them off and see what else I can find going northeast.

End: EGNW, 0848; $6103.04 and 33gal

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After taking a break for a few hours (mowing the lawn and eating lunch!), I decide to press on northward to Newcastle, since I found 3 passengers going that way. It's gotten rather overcast, so I'm going to try an IFR flight plan, and not use my handheld GPS for this flight. The FSX flight planner suggested using the appropriately British "LOO" VOR, and how can I refuse an offer to use the loo?! It's 55 miles away, though, so it's dead reckoning to start with....

Once I pass the VOR and adjust my course to head to Newcastle, suddenly ATC is directing me and telling me to expect "vectors" for the ILS approach. This ILS stuff may be all right! The course they had me fly isn't the one I'd have chosen for myself, and there were a few short course changes for no reason that I could see, but it got me where I needed to be. And it was rather reassuring to have someone telling me what to do, just about the time that I thought it was time for me to do something! I do need to get more familiar with ILS procedures. I was fine until it came time to be "on the localizer". I know what it means, but I couldn't seem to get the information I needed from my gauges. So, I flew the landing manually. Worked out just fine, for me and my passengers!

End: EGNT, 1348; $6807.08 and 40gal

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I'm on my own now, heading empty to Edinburgh (the only FSE job is for 4 passengers, and is 120 miles farther than I want to go). I was last in Edinburgh (for real!) in 2005, so I'm looking forward to seeing how familiar things look -- I assume Edinburgh Castle is still there!

As I get within 15 miles of Edinburgh, it starts to rain. But it's not too bad, and ATC is routing me over a path that should take me very close to the castle, so maybe all is not lost for a few quick snaps.

Edinburgh Castle

End: EGPH, 1451; $6807.08 and 33gal

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For my last leg today, I'm picking up 3 Happy Campers (Not so sure why they're so happy -- it's still raining. Maybe they're happy to be going home!) and taking them to dear old Dundee. It's only 32 miles, but it's in the right direction, and it'll give me someone to talk to. Plus I'd rather have paying customers than be flying on my own virtual dime!

My flight plan took me right over Dunfermline, where my wife and I visited the Abbey in 2005. I couldn't spot it from 3000 feet up, but I'm a bit vague on exactly were it was!

So, as predicted, my route hasn't been the most efficient -- I've flown in a circle around the UK! But I've enjoyed myself, and I'm now ready to move on -- Norway, here I come!

End: EGPN, 1537; $7929.38 and 29gal